Welcome to Connecticut

Connecticut may be the third-smallest state in the nation, but that only means it’s packed with a high concentration of fantastic beaches, breathtaking parks, picture-perfect scenic drives and idyllic waterfront towns to explore.

The state’s interior is home to a tapestry of rolling hills, sleepy orchards and backcountry lakes. In the Hartford region, visitors can pick their way through attractions like the Mark Twain House or the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. And in the Litchfield region, there’s an abundance of vineyards and wineries that are ripe for touring, as well as a variety of great antiquing spots.

Along the Long Island Sound shoreline, you’ll find a seemingly endless selection of picture-perfect beaches and beachside communities—eclectic art galleries and all. The Fairfield, New Haven (home to Yale University)  and Mystic regions all sit alongside the shoreline, each with its own unique flavor and flair.

In Mystic, visit a re-created 19th-century seaside village and check out the Titanic exhibit at Mystic Aquarium. In New Haven, explore a bustling downtown core that claims to be the birthplace of pizza in the United States. And in Fairfield, enjoy an abundance of family-friendly attractions that have something for all ages. Highlights include the Beardsley Zoo, Maritime Aquarium, Discovery Museum, Barnum Museum and the Stepping Stones Museum.

Adventure

Hit the beach, go for a drive, hike the backcountry or stroll through a friendly beachfront town. Connecticut is a small state with an understated charm and rich maritime history. As such, its open-air adventures reflect that perfectly.

Connecticut’s Long Island Sound shoreline is littered with stunning saltwater beaches and beach communities. One of the most popular destinations is Hammonasset Beach State Park, about an hour’s drive south of Hartford. It offers two miles of pristine beachfront that have been attracting visitors from far and wide since the 1920s, when the park opened.

For unique hiking and exploration, head for Dinosaur State Park. The main attraction is a set of 200-million-year old Dilophosaurus tracks, carefully preserved and safeguarded beneath a giant geo-dome that’s packed with plant and shrub species that thrived in the Jurassic period.

Heritage

Connecticut has always stood apart from the rest of New England, a fact that stems from its settlement in 1635 by those dissatisfied with life at the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The lack of major attractions has helped to keep the Nutmeg State quiet, quaint and Colonial-inspired—perfect for those who like to wander through small towns, window shop in old villages, go for scenic drives in rolling backcountry and soak up heaps of eclectic local history.