Celebrating the sea in Mystic is among the Best Things to Do in Connecticut. Due to its lovely seaside community's abundance of attractions, restaurants, and historical sites like the Mystic River Bascule Bridge, it is one of the state's most well-known tourist destinations. The Mystic Seaport Museum, which has the biggest collection of antique ships in the nation, ranging from tugboats to schooners, and the Mystic Aquarium are just a couple of its main attractions. A charming area to stroll through has more than 80 unique retailers, including art galleries, apparel boutiques, and specialty sweets shops.

Foodies will find a variety of dining options to sample, from seafood shacks to AAA's four-diamond restaurants - many of which boast waterfront patios and views of the horizon - as well as several local breweries and a chocolate cafe. Mystic Pizza, the self-entitled setting of a well-known romantic comedy film from the 1980s, is just one of these options. The Whaler's Inn is praised for its comfortable lodgings, welcoming staff, and convenient location just outside of downtown.

• Location: Connecticut

Hartford, the state's capital, is home to a wealth of historic and cultural attractions, including the Connecticut Science Center, the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, and the Old State House, a national historic landmark and current museum that served as the seat of state government from 1796 to 1878.

The Mark Twain House & Museum, where the famed author lived while creating several American classics, including "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," is one of the city's most well-known sites. The stunning Gothic-style home and grounds, which are only accessible by guided tour, are highly praised by visitors (advanced reservations recommended).

An adjacent museum honoring novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe, who lived next door to Mark Twain, is also located there. The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is the oldest and largest public art museum in the state, and it stores its holdings in a 75,000-square-foot castle that experts have called "amazing," "diverse," and "beautiful." One of the nicest places to stay and eat in the area is the Delamar West Hartford Hotel and its on-site restaurant, Artisan.

• Location: Connecticut

The goal of this museum, which was established to vividly tell the tale of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is to engage all of the senses. Through dioramas, movies, artwork, interactive programs, historical materials, and a variety of exhibitions, visitors can learn about the history and culture of the Native Americans who lived in the northeast.

Visitors to the museum, which is owned and run by a tribe, express surprise at its size and claim they learned a lot while there, particularly from the reproduction of Pequot Village. The museum, which has both temporary and permanent exhibits, a research center, a 320-seat theatre, classes, a café, archives, and a museum shop, is housed in the 308,000-square-foot building. Two of the museum's five levels are below ground, and the building's architecture was created to blend in with the surroundings. It has a 185-foot stone and glass tower with views of the surrounding swamp and area.

• Ticket prices are $22 for adults and $13 for children.
  
• Address: 110 Pequot Trail, Mashantucket, CT 06338

The famed actor and playwright William Hooker Gillette, who was born in Connecticut and lived here in the early 1900s, had a distinctive residence that can be toured as part of a variety of activities at this historic site, including hiking and camping. The 24-room mansion, which is decorated in a Medieval style, has several unique features that Gillette personally planned and had made by regional artists.

Visitors laud the building's remarkable architectural details and the stunning river views from the outside terrace. The neighboring 184-acre property bordering the Connecticut River has a network of short walking routes that meander through it, including one that goes beside an old railroad track and offers wonderful scenery and plenty of spots to picnic.

In the summer, there is a cost for castle visits; however, there is always free access to the park. In the neighboring village of East Haddam, the Boardman House bed & breakfast provides opulent lodging close to the river.

• Location: Connecticut

One of the top things to do in Connecticut, according to locals, is to visit this sandy, two-mile stretch of protected territory. In the summer, visitors go to this beach to soak up the sun, swim in the waves, and stroll along the picturesque boardwalk. With a network of walking pathways, fishing piers, and animal viewing sites that are all available year-round, more energetic people will also have enough to do. People claim that this is a great location to see the Long Island Sound sunset.

Make sure to visit the Meigs Point Nature Center, which is on Hammonasset Point at the southern end of the park, to see the turtle habitat and tour its ten themed gardens that feature local plant species. To enter the park, non-residents must pay a parking fee.

In addition to the campground on-site, Madison, a nearby town, offers a range of hotel choices, from the opulent Madison Beach Hotel to the charming Beech Tree Cottages.

• Address: 1288 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443

One of the Best Things to Do in Connecticut is to visit New England Air Museum which is among the top museums to visit in Connecticut. The impressive collection of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and historical artifacts on exhibit at this one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor museum in the town of Windsor Locks, northern Connecticut, will wow aviation enthusiasts of all ages.

The knowledgeable staff and volunteer docents who are readily available to answer questions about the exhibits, as well as the interactive kid-friendly activities like making paper airplanes, participating in family-friendly scavenger hunts, and using the Redbird Flight Simulator, are highly praised by visitors. The oldest airplane still flying in the nation, which is actually a hot air balloon basket, and the oldest airplane made in Connecticut are among the collection's highlights. On the east side of the airport, the Ella Grasso Turnpike is home to a number of convenient accommodation alternatives.

• Address: 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096

Although Yale University and the world-class museums it hosts are undoubtedly New Haven's most well-known attractions, it is only marginally less well-known for having invented the first hamburger in the United States. This city obviously takes its culinary scene very seriously. It particularly takes pleasure in producing flawless pizza pies, such as the thin crust pizza pies at Modern Apizza or the "white clam pie" at Frank Pepe's, which was listed among the top five pizzas in America by the Food Network.

The downtown area offers a wide variety of fine dining and international cuisine alternatives in addition to excellent American classics, such as the aforementioned "hamburger sandwich" at Louis' Lunch, which diners laud as "legendary" and "bucket list" worthy. Along Long Wharf Drive, a group of Latin American street food vendors known as Food Truck Paradise whips up tacos, empanadas, and Cuban plantains for takeout. The college town also has a variety of inexpensive cafes, dive pubs, and food trucks.

Seafood is a mainstay of the New Haven diet due to its location along the Long Island Sound, and it is best savored at well-known waterfront eateries like Stowe's Seafood and Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill. Make reservations at The Blake Hotel so that you may end your binge with a beverage at the High George rooftop lounge.

• Location: Connecticut

Enter this imposing Colonial-style estate to see a sizable collection of European artwork, including works by Monet and Degas that rival those found in big cities, including paintings and fabrics. On hour-long guided tours available Wednesday through Sunday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., visitors may see the 30,000 square foot estate's original furnishings and décor from the late 19th century, which create an opulent ambience.

During your stay, masks are essential to be worn indoors. The neighboring 152-acre property boasts stunning flower gardens, rolling hills, and peaceful walking pathways that meander through the forest, continuing the splendor outside. The grounds, which are hailed as "gorgeous" and "amazing" by visitors, are even more breathtaking in the fall when the leaves are at their most vivid. The Farmington Inn and Suites offers upscale accommodations with a complimentary breakfast and is just one mile away.

• Address: 35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT 06032

A trip to New Haven would not be complete without spending some time touring the picturesque grounds, aesthetically stunning buildings, and top-notch amenities of this institution, which is the third-oldest university in the nation and one of the most prestigious in the entire world.

Start your day at the Mead Visitor's Center with a free guided tour, where student docents will entertain you with tales about the long history of the university as they lead you on foot to see historic landmarks like the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library and several of the 14 on-campus colleges spread across seven different campus regions. The well-known Harkness Tower, which is especially well-liked on graduation day, is said to be a fantastic location for photographs. To keep kids interested during the tour, parents with young children can pick up the "Architectural Treasure Hunt" leaflet.

After that, you can spend some time going deeper into some of the university's attractions, such as the Peabody Natural History Museum (which will reopen in 2024), the 8-acre Marsh Botanical Garden, or the Yale University Art Gallery, the country's first university art museum and home to nearly 300,000 works of art. Check out the university's event calendar, which is packed with free and public cultural and educational events like movie screenings, author visits, workshops, and live performances. Staying at The Graduate New Haven or The Study at Yale hotels will complete your college-themed trip.

• Address: 149 Elm St., New Haven, CT 06511

The 410-mile-long Connecticut River flows south from the Canadian border and drains into Long Island Sound close to Old Saybrook. One of the best things to do in Connecticut is to visit its shoreline because it offers hundreds of communities along its watershed breathtaking beauty as well as a variety of recreational possibilities both on and off the water.

You can visit Eagle Landing State Park near Haddam for a fishing pier, a boat launch, and plenty of space to observe the bald eagle population that congregates there throughout the winter to nest and fish along the riverside. The Connecticut River Museum is in the town of Essex and offers guided river cruises and tours, as well as a collection of artwork, artifacts, and interactive exhibits that celebrate the history and fauna of the waterway.

The Connecticut River Paddler's Trail, which maintains a network of campsites and resources for paddlers, offers more daring individuals the chance to explore the waterway by canoe or kayak. Black Hall Outfitters will assist you in getting out on the water with equipment rentals and guided tours from its two locations along the river in the communities of Old Lyme and Westbrook.

• Location: Connecticut