Watson JessicaConnecticut is the southernmost part of the six New England states and one of the original thirteen colonies. The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the area of today’s Hartford, followed by English from Plymouth, a Massachusetts colony, seeking to establish a trading position for the lucrative bean skins. New Haven’s four-mile-wide harbor soon turned it into one of the busiest ports in the Northeast, providing access to markets that helped its growing manufacturing industry. New Haven became an early center of education with the founding of Yale University.
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport recreates a historic seaport village that is part of one of the most prominent maritime museums in the United States. A significant part of the museum is its outstanding collection of floating craft, including the world’s last remaining wooden whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan (1841). Other historic ships depicted are the Joseph Conrad, the schooner L.A. Dunton, and various steamers. The buildings on the 19-acre base are not only the homes and shops of the small village, but also the gardeners, shipbuilders, and others who provided the ships. Several museums have displays of ships, maritime art, shipping history, and ship models.
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is one of the premier destinations for guests of Yale University. Its comprehensive collections include a range of topics, from New England dinosaurs and birds to ancient monuments from Greece and Rome and indigenous arts. The exhibits on Native American cultures are exceptional, with everyday objects and art from Blackfoot, Apache, Sioux, Chayenne, Crow, Navaho, Zuni, Pima, Hopi and other traditions, as well as an outstanding collection of indigenous paintings. Children will not want to miss the Egyptian mummy in its atmospheric exhibition area.
Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration
At Mystic Aquarium, you can meet ocean animals and experience Outback Birds, an interactive exhibit. Get in the plank and touch the ray, go nose to nose with a penguin, and get up close and personal with baleen whales and other popular animals like Steller’s sea lions, African penguins, and blue-striped skinks. Other attractions include the XD Motion Theater Deep Sea 3D and exhibits based on Dr. Robert Ballard’s expeditions.
Gillette Castle State Park
The unique Gillette Castle is located on a 184-acre estate in East Haddam, home to the 1919 home of William Hooker Gillette, known as the actor who played the original Sherlock Holmes. The house appears to be a medieval fortress on the outside, while the interior features embroidered woodwork and unique features designed by Gillett himself, including wooden door latches and light switches. The walking paths he designed through the estate are just as unusual, with wooden platforms and arched bridges.
In spring, summer, and fall, you can cross the Connecticut River from Chester on the Hadleyme Ferry, with beautiful views as you walk to the castle.
Mashantucket Pico Museum and Research Center
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is a tribal complex that presents exhibits on the Native American and natural history of Southern New England. The indoor exhibits feature dioramas, text panels, interactive computer programs, and a series of films that highlight the evolution of Mashantucket Pequot life. Visitors will encounter the 16th-century Pictou lakeside village, the glacial outcrop 18,000 years ago, and life on the reservation from 1675 to the 1970s.