Stories > Connecticut's Top Winter Attractions
Connecticut's Top Winter Attractions Last Updated 12/19
Why spend a winter weekend kicking around the house when you can be exploring so much of what Connecticut has to offer instead? Whether you like being indoors or out, whether it's food or fun you're after, Connecticut has lots of answers for you on its wintertime menu. Pick a few and try them out. It will be time well spent.
Sea & Ski
Soar & Plunge
Blazing & Grazing
Rewind & Fast Forward
Soak in the Shore
The Connecticut shoreline can seem a world away during the course of a winter weekend. The beaches are all yours for walking or just watching the sun go down, luxurious resorts like Saybrook Point Inn will pamper you with spa services, breathtaking views and some of the finest cuisine around.
Connecticut's position in southern New England assures its place in the snow belt, which means all winter long there is snow – man-made and natural - on our slopes for all sorts of downhill thrills. Get out to:
Mohawk Mountain
Mount Southington
Ski Sundown
Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort
Let Your Imagination Soar
Travel through the history of aviation at New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, one of the most outstanding aviation centers in the nation. Tour the museum's three exhibit hangars and see more than 80 aircraft, helicopters, amphibians, modern jets and trophy-winning racers from all periods of history.
It's a Winter Waterland
Maritime Aquarium: At South Norwalk's Maritime Aquarium, you can come nose-to-nose with sharks, seals, river otters, jellies, sea turtles and other marine animals from Long Island Sound.
Mystic Aquarium: Meanwhile, up the coast at Mystic Aquarium, you can get up close and personal with seals, African penguins and Beluga whales.
One Foot in Front of the Other
If the weather is right, hiking is a year-round pleasure in Connecticut. More than 800 miles are administered by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (they are recognized by their familiar blue blazes).
Eating and Drinking Along the Way
There are hiking trails, but there are also lots of trails in Connecticut that have more to do with eating and drinking than with huffing and puffing. Check out:
Connecticut Wine Trail
Connecticut Beer Trail
Connecticut Chocolate Trail
Connecticut Chowda Trail
The 1874 Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford was the author's residence for 17 years and is where he penned some of his most famous works including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Take In a Show
Enjoy a concert at Infinity Hall in Hartford or Norfolk - each is an intimate music and entertainment destination with a very full schedule of solid performers.
Immerse Yourself in an Artist's World
Old Lyme was the home of American Impressionism at the turn of the 20th century, largely thanks to Florence Griswold, "keeper of the artist colony." Florence opened her home to a group of artists in the early 1900s and today it's one of Connecticut's top museums.
Discover, Invent and Learn
Located in Hartford, the Connecticut Science Center provides a variety of interactive activities – from the 165 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the art 3D digital theater, four educational labs and more. It's an idea place to bring kids on a cold winter day.
Stroll through a World of Art
Art lovers will be enthralled while touring the Yale University Art Gallery, including paintings by Manet, Picasso, Monet and van Gogh; and the museum is free to the public.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art offers 32 galleries and 15 public spaces. Be sure to check out the Post-War and Contemporary Art galleries and their many special events, including Sunday Jazz Brunch and free Second Family Saturdays.
Discover cutting-edge art at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, one of the few non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States.
At the New Britain Museum of American Art, fine paintings by all the American masters – from Wyeth to Homer to O'Keeffe – are on display.
Be Endlessly Entertained
Whether it's Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods Resort Casino, Connecticut's casinos represent two of the largest casino destinations in the world – from gaming and 24/7 top entertainers, boutique shopping, fine dining and signature spas, it's hard to say there's nothing to do.
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