Founded as the Mid Fairfield County Youth Museum in 1958, Earthplace has grown and expanded into a 62 acre open space complex that includes hiking trails, a 120 seat amphitheater, indoor and outdoor animal exhibits, playground, and classrooms. Located in the lower Fairfield County town of Westport, Earthplace is the perfect spot for the toddler, preschool, and elementary crews with plenty of hands-on learning.
The Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut is practically in my backyard and yet it’s taken me almost 12 years to visit! We’ve felt most comfortable visiting outdoor locations due to the COVID 19 pandemics, so this seemed like the perfect time to explore the farm and nature center.
There are over 80 acres of gardens, trails, and buildings spread out across the complex. Visitors are welcome to visit with animals, smell the fruits and vegetables in the garden, check out the playground, explore the mansion, and hike and walk some of the trails.
Sometimes, we travel out of state so much, my family forgets to visit all of the great spots right in our own “backyard.” With that in mind, we decided to check out a popular spot in Hartford: The Mark Twain House & Museum. For our tips on visiting the nearby Connecticut Science Center, read our post here.
American author Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, moved around the country, but spent 17 years raising his three daughters in the Nook Farm neighborhood of Hartford. The late 1800s was a time when Hartford was a thriving industrial city and Nook Farm was one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city. Fellow author Harriet Beecher Stowe lived next door (and penned Uncle Tom’s Cabin 20 years before Twain came to town). During the family’s time in Hartford, Clemens wrote dozens of his most popular novels and stories including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
Sometimes, we travel out of state so much, my family forgets to visit all of the great spots right in our own “backyard.” With that in mind, we decided to check out a popular spot in Hartford: The Mark Twain House & Museum. For our tips on visiting the nearby Connecticut Science Center, read our post here.
American author Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, moved around the country, but spent 17 years raising his three daughters in the Nook Farm neighborhood of Hartford. The late 1800s was a time when Hartford was a thriving industrial city and Nook Farm was one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city. Fellow author Harriet Beecher Stowe lived next door (and penned Uncle Tom’s Cabin 20 years before Twain came to town). During the family’s time in Hartford, Clemens wrote dozens of his most popular novels and stories including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.
With over 40,000 square feet of exhibit space and dozens of interactive activities for kids of all ages, it’s no wonder the Connecticut Science Center welcomed it’s three millionth visitor in October of 2018, less than ten years after opening! The museum is located in the heart of Hartford, two hours from both New York City and Boston and is easily accessible from major highways.
Mystic is a small town located in the most eastern part of Connecticut and is known for its historic seaport. Mystic is part of New London County, which includes other family friendly towns and cities ranging from New London to Groton to Niantic down to Old Lyme. The area becomes flooded with visitors in the spring and summer due to its close proximity to the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. However, there is plenty to do in the “off season” too: food festivals throughout the year, the famous Pirate Invasion in the fall, the arrival of Santa via tugboat and holidays strolls in December, and the popular Mystic Irish parade in March. Recently, my family spent a few days of our April break exploring the area. We had so much fun we could have extended our trip to a few weeks! Lucky for us, the area is less than 90 minutes away, so we can return for day trips any time we wish. Here are some of our favorite spots: