5 Connecticut Attractions for Families

Family travelers will find plenty to do when visiting the small New England state of Connecticut. Experiences span from sea life and ships to history and even children’s literature, and history includes American’s oldest amusement park. We’ve rounded up five fun spots for families across the state:

Mystic Seaport

The historical port village reproduced as part of Mystic Seaport recreates the scenes sailors arriving on a clipper ship or whaling boat would have seen in the mid-1800s. Trade shops and homes from that period house sailmakers, chandlers, blacksmiths and ship builders that you can watch at work as you learn about their trade.

Kids can play a 19th-century game, design and build a toy boat, or navigate the stars at the Treworgy Planetarium. The Children’s Museum, activity center, Discovery Barn and Ships Playscape are all geared to children, who can even get hands-on boat experiences on a rowboat, pedal boat or sailboat, included in the admission price.

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Mystic Aquarium

To learn about what lives in the sea, visit Mystic Aquarium and encounter animals living in and around the ocean. Touch tanks and close encounters with penguins and sea lions add to computer-generated animations and virtual interactions with animals.

The Mark Twain House & Museum

Even kids who haven’t met Tom Sawyer will enjoy the quirky home of his creator, whose real name was Samuel Clemens. The late Victorian style of the three-story mansion is delightfully fanciful, and Clemens’ own inventions and eccentricities add even more whimsey. Kids will love the pool table, where Clemens kept kittens in the pockets.

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Gillette Castle State Park

Another eccentric built his home on a huge estate above the Connecticut River. On the outside, Gillette Castle looks like a medieval fortress and, although the richly decorated interior may not be as exciting for kids, they will like the arched bridges and wooden trestles Gillette designed for walking trains through the surrounding park. For even more fun and great views of the castle, arrive by ferry from across the river in Chester.

Lake Compounce: Family Theme Park

Thought to be the oldest operating amusement park in the United States, Lake Compounce is also home to the 4,725-foot-long wooden roller coaster, Boulder Dash. Kids not old enough for the Boulder Dash can ride their own smaller version and a 1911 carousel. Crocodile Cove, Connecticut’s largest water park, has water slides, wave pools and sections especially designed for younger children.