SIGHTSEEING > CONNECTICUT

BRIDGEPORT ù BARNUM MUSEUM
820 Main St (Exit 27 off I-95), Bridgeport, CT (map)
203.331.1104
http://www.barnum-museum.org

Ladies and gentleman and boys and girls of all ages can see memorabilia from ôThe Greatest Show on EarthÆÆ here. Collection includes the William R. Brinley animated miniature circus and an Egyptian mummy. Learn all about BarnumÆs greatest discoveries, ranging from Tom Thumb to Jumbo the Elephant. Open Tues through Sat from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and on Sun from noon to 4:30 pm. Admission $5, $4 for seniors and students with ID, $3 for children four through 17. Free for members and children three and under.

BRIDGEPORT ù BEARDSLEY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
1875 Noble Ave (Exit 27A off I-95), Bridgeport, CT (map)
203.394.6565
http://www.beardsleyzoo.org/

The stateÆs only zoo encompasses 36 acres and includes the usual cornucopia of wild beasts, plus a childrenÆs zoo and pony rides. More than 300 animals representing approximately 125 primarily North and South American species. Special features include the Tropics Building, a South American rain-forest exhibit, and the Peacock CafT. Surrounded by Beardsley Park, which offers hiking and picnicking. Zoo and park open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. The New World Tropics building is open daily from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Carousel open daily from 10:30 am to 4 pm. Admission $9, $7 for seniors and children three through 11, free for children under three and Connecticut Zoological Society members.

BRISTOL ù AMERICAN CLOCK & WATCH MUSEUM
100 Maple St (Exit 38W from I-84), Bristol, CT (map)
860.583.6070
info@clockmuseum.org
http://www.clockmuseum.org/

More than 1500 grandfather clocks, watches, and other timepieces, mostly made in Connecticut, are on display in a house built in 1801 with two modern additions. The collection has clocks dating from 1680 and watches dating from 1595. Pieces range from functional to decorative to fun. Newest exhibit is "Connecticut Clockmaking and the Industrial Revolution." Be sure to visit near the top of the hour to hear the clocks strike more or less all at once. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission $5, $4 for seniors and AAA members, $2 for children eight through 15.

BRISTOL ù NEW ENGLAND CAROUSEL MUSEUM
95 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT (map)
860.585.5411
info@thecarouselmuseum.org
http://www.thecarouselmuseum.org

The museum houses one of the largest collections of antique carousel pieces in the country. It features more than 100 carved horses, menagerie figures, and chariots. There's a small carousel on the premises designed specifically for toddlers. The site is a working museum: a carousel painter and sculptor are available on the premises for carousel restoration projects. Birthday parties and facility rentals available. Fire safety museum upstairs. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sun from noon to 5 pm. Admission $5, $4.50 for seniors and AAA members, $2.50 for children four through 14.

BROOKFIELD ù MOTHER EARTH GALLERY & MINING COMPANY
806 Federal Rd, Brookfield, CT (map)
203.775.6272
http://www.motherearthcrystals.com

Features a re-created mine where kids can dig for amethyst, quartz, calcite, pyrite, and arrowheads (and successful miners can keep their loot for their personal collection). ThereÆs also a ôfluorescent mine.ö Spruce up your home with some gifts of natural beauty from the gallery gift shop. Open on Mon and Wed through Sat from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Sun from noon to 5 pm. Mine closes a half-hour early each day. Admission $15. Children must be five and older to enter the mine.

EAST GRANBY ù OLD NEW-GATE PRISON AND COPPER MINE
Newgate Rd (off Rte 20E), East Granby, CT (map)
860.566.3005
http://www.chc.state.ct.us/old_new.htm

After a few years as a copper mine, this site was converted to a high-security prison for British soldiers, who were forced to labor in the mine, in 1773. It then became the first state prison in the country, only to be abandoned in 1827. You get to see the relics of two quick failures for the price of one. Picnic tables offer a stunning view of Farmington Valley. ItÆs about halfway between Hartford and Springfield. Usually, on the first weekend in Aug, the Fifth Connecticut Regiment holds a Revolutionary War re-enactment and encampment. Its activities are included in the general admission to New-Gate. Call for details. Open Wed through Sun from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Admission $5, $4 for seniors, $3 for children six through 17, free for children five and under.

EAST HADDAM ù GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE
Rte 82 (Exit 7 off Rte 9), East Haddam, CT (map)
860.365.0130
http://www.goodspeed.org

The opera house, which looks like a cheery version of the Addams Family residence, was built in 1876 and continues to focus on the preservation and promotion of musical theater. Revivals and original productions have been staged, and 17 past productions have gone on to Broadway and are winners of several Tony Awards. Goodspeed is also the home of the second largest theatrical library in the United States, the Sherer Library. Tours are offered throughout the summer on Sat from 11 am to 1:30 pm. Admission $5, $1 for children under 12, free for children under six.

EAST HAVEN ù SHORELINE TROLLEY MUSEUM
17 River St (Exit 51S or 52N off I-95), East Haven, CT (map)
203.467.6927
http://www.bera.org

The oldest operating trolley museum in the United States. A scenic three-mile trolley ride along tracks originally laid in 1900 and guided tours of barns lead you straight into the past. The museum houses almost 100 vintage trolley vehicles and an abundance of artifacts and documents from the trolley era. Picnic areas available. Guest operators featured every third week of every month through the summer. Trolleys run frequently throughout the day from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. Grounds are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission $8, $6 for seniors, $4 for children two through 15. Group, charter, and party rates available.

HARTFORD ù BUSHNELL PARK CAROUSEL
Jewell and Elm Sts (next to the State Capitol), Hartford, CT (map)
860.585.5411
bushnellpark@djstrat.com
http://www.bushnellpark.org/poi/carousel.html

This 1914 model, one of the few remaining hand-carved carousels, has been restored with a 1925 Wurlitzer band organ and 48 carved wooden horses. Open Tues through Sun from 11 am to 5 pm, rain or shine. Rides 50 cents. Facility rentals available for private parties.

HARTFORD ù HARRIET BEECHER STOWE HOUSE
77 Forest St (Exit 46 off I-84), Hartford, CT (map)
860.522.9258
http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/

The Stowe house is hardly a cabin. This middle-class Victorian home is restored with original and period furnishings, and surrounded by Victorian gardens. It is a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail and the Connecticut Women's Heritage Trail. Not fully wheelchair-accessible. Open for tours Mon through Sat from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and on Sun from noon to 4:30 pm. Closed July 4. House tours $8, $7 for seniors, $4 for children five through 12, free for children under five. Garden tours on Thurs and Sat at 10 am and 1 pm. Combination tickets $12 for adults, $6 for children five through 12, free for children under five.

HARTFORD ù MARK TWAIN HOUSE
351 Farmington Ave (Exit 46 off I-84), Hartford, CT (map)
860.247.0998
info@marktwainhouse.org
http://www.marktwainhouse.org

The Twain House is an elaborate 19-room 1874 Victorian mansion where the great American writer and humorist Samuel Clemens lived from 1874 to 1891 and wrote his most legendary works. It's restored with original decorations (courtesy of Tiffany) and period furnishings. Open Mon through Sat from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and on Sun from noon to 5:30 pm. Hour-long tours run throughout the day. The last tour is at 4:30 pm. Museum shop is open daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Admission $13, $11 for seniors, $8 for children six through 12, free for children under six.

MYSTIC ù MYSTIC AQUARIUM
Coogan Blvd (Exit 90 off I-95), Mystic, CT (map)
860.572.5955
info@mysticaquarium.org
http://www.mysticaquarium.org

Includes exhibits on the Amazon, ancient shipwrecks, African penguins, beluga whales, and much more. Features sea lion shows, a ray touch pool, and a discovery lab. The Aquarium also offers extensive summer programming. Open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Admission $20.75, $19.75 for seniors, $15.75 for children three through 17. Free parking. Check the Web site for more information.

MYSTIC ù MYSTIC SEAPORT
Rte 27 (Exit 90 off I-95), Mystic, CT (map)
888.973.2767
http://www.mysticseaport.org

AmericaÆs leading maritime museum houses the largest collection of boats and maritime photography in the world. The Seaport, which occupies the site of three of the five shipyards that once lined the Mystic River, also boasts a 19th-century coastal village and working shipyard. Preserved vessels include the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, and the Joseph Conrad, a square-rigger. You can watch craftsmen restore wooden vessels. There are also self-guided tours of historic houses, horse-and-carriage rides, a planetarium, and picnic areas. Excursions on a 1908 steamship leave on the half-hour from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. Tickets $5.50, $4.50 for children ages six through 17, plus the cost of admission. The Seaport is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission $17.50, $15.50 for seniors, $12 for children six through 17. Second consecutive day is free.

NEW HAVEN ù LOUIS' LUNCH
261-263 Crown St, New Haven, CT (map)
203.562.5507
http://www.louislunch.com/

First place to serve the hamburger ôsammidgeö in America in 1903. No ketchup or buns allowed, but you can have onion, tomato, or cheese on your burger served on white toast. Open on Tues and Wed from 11 am to 4 pm, and on Thurs, Fri, and Sat from noon to 2 am. Closed in Aug..

NEW HAVEN ù PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
170 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT (map)
203.432.5050
http://www.peabody.yale.edu

Only one percent of the museum's more than 11 million specimens and objects can be on display at any given time. The Peabody maintains exhibits on dinosaurs, mammals, human origins and cultures, minerals and meteorites, birds, and other aspects of our earth and solar system. Open Mon through Sat from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sun from noon to 5 pm. Admission $7, $6 for seniors, $5 for students with ID and children three through 18. Free admission on Thurs from 2 to 5 pm.

NEW LONDON ù US COAST GUARD ACADEMY MUSEUM
Mohegan Ave (Exit 83 off I-95), New London, CT (map)
860.444.8511
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/museum/museumindex.asp

The Coast Guard Museum is open for self-guided tours Mon through Fri from 9 am to 4:30 pm, on Sat from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and on Sun from noon to 4:30 pm. Free.

WASHINGTON ù INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
38 Curtis Rd (off Rte 199), Washington, CT (map)
860.868.0518
http://www.birdstone.org

Close to the New York border, this museum is dedicated to American Indian history and culture. There are permanent historical exhibits and changing art exhibits, plus a nature trail and a museum shop. Newest exhibit features Native American baskets. Check the Web site for details on youth summer camp and special events. Open Mon through Sat from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sun from noon to 5 pm. Admission $5, $4.50 for seniors, $3 for children.

WINDSOR ù LUDDY/TAYLOR CONNECTICUT VALLEY TOBACCO MUSEUM
Northwest Park, 135 Lang Rd (take Rte 75 South off I-91), Windsor, CT (map)
860.285.1888
tobacco.museum@gmail.com
http://www.tobaccohistsoc.org/

Though New England cigar tobacco never matched the cachet of the Cuban variety, the crop has had enormous economic, political, and social impact in the Connecticut Valley since the early 19th century. And anti-smoking legislation hasnÆt killed this museum, which features farm equipment, a library, and informative films. Open Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Sat from noon to 4 pm. Free.

WINDSOR LOCKS ù NEW ENGLAND AIR MUSEUM
Bradley International Airport (off Rte 75), Windsor Locks, CT (map)
860.623.3305
staff@neam.org
http://www.neam.org

Exhibits trace the history of flight, with more than 70 aircraft, helicopters, flight simulators, and missiles on display. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission $9, $8 for seniors, $5 for children six through 11, free for children five and under. Guided group tours and group rates available. Available for private functions.