How to Find Connecticut's Best Tourist Spots

Connecticut is a small New England state bordered by New York and Massachusetts. With its convenient proximity to New York, Connecticut makes a good choice for a vacation. The state is rich with American Colonial history and architecture, lovely national parks, and beautiful mountain ranges. Visitors to Connecticut will get to experience urban perks and natural beauty alike. If you plan to visit Connecticut in the future, here are some of the best tourist options.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guide Books
• Internet Access

Finding Connecticut's Best Tourist Spots

1. Check out the Boothe Memorial Home and Museum in Stratford, near Bridgeport. This home was constructed in the 1820s. The grounds of the home consists of a museum of Americana artifacts, as well as a chapel, trolley station, windmill, and miniature lighthouse. Visitors will feel like they just took a time machine back to Connecticut as it existed centuries ago.

2. Spend some time at Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens in Hartford. Charles H. Pond donated this land to the city of Hartford, naming it after his wife, Elizabeth. It is a large horticultural park and historical site. Visitors will be able to enjoy mass expanses of nature, as the park is over 102 acres in size. There are over 15,000 plant varieties here, as well as an astounding 750 types of roses.

3. Take a walk along the Mystic Seaport in Mystic. This is one of the United States' leading nautical museums. Not only is it a museum, it is a recreational, historical seaport village. There are various historical ships on display here, including the Bark Charles W. Morgan. This is an interesting and idyllic place to visit and learn about ships from history to contemporary times. The town, Mystic, is the namesake of the Julia Roberts film, "Mystic Pizza."

4. Visit Putnam Cottage in Greenwich. This cottage (built in 1690) was originally known as Knapp Tavern. It is famous for the fact that Revolutionary War General Isaac Putnam was a regular customer here. There are many Colonial artifacts on display here and visitors can observe both the Colonial architecture of the cottage as well as the Colonial-style furnishings.

5. Go to the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University in New Haven. This museum, located inside Yale University, has a vast amount of exhibits, including ones regarding paleontology, biology, dinosaurs, anthropology, Native American cultures and many more. There are so many options here, it's mind-boggling. This is both a fun and educational way to spend a few hours.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find the time in your schedule, go hiking in scenic Bear Mountain in Salisbury. There are many beautiful and diverse trails located in these mountains.

Resources

• Elizabeth Park
• Mystic Seaport
• Putnam Cottage (Knapp's Tavern)
• Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University