Whether you’re looking for entertainment on a rainy afternoon or a day outdoors enjoying the sun, the New Haven area has plenty of options. There are top-quality museums, beautiful beaches, great hiking and year-round family events. Read on to learn about some of the best activities for families and children around New Haven.
For future inventors… the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop
Address: 915 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT 06517
Contact: 203-777-1833
Check out New Haven’s Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop to ignite your child’s curiosity. The museum’s exhibitions focus on invention, building and construction, mechanics and engineering. Best of all? Kids learn science through hands-on experience. The museum offers numerous programs for families, ranging from walk-in workshops to birthday parties. Over the summer, the museum staff runs a Water Learning Lab, and during winter, they set up the American Flyer train layout for children to operate. Walk-in workshops occur year-round on weekends. Drop in and let your budding inventors construct pinball machines, paddleboats or catapults (if you dare).
Essential information:
During the school year (Labor Day to Memorial Day), the museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Over the summer, it’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Water Learning Lab is open on summer weekends, weather permitting.
Admission to the museum is free. Walk-in projects are available during weekend opening hours for a small charge: approximately $8 for members and $10 for non-members, depending on the project. As of 2017, family membership costs $45 per year.
For beach lovers… Hammonasset Beach State Park
Address: 1288 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443
Contact: 203-245-8743
Just a half-hour drive from New Haven, Hammonasset has more than 2 miles of beach, perfect for taking long walks, building sandcastles, swimming and taking naps in the sun. Enjoy a lunch break in one of the park pavilions, which offer picnic tables, bathrooms, changing rooms and vending machines. Meigs Point Nature Center opened in 2016 right inside the park and operates various educational programs, including nature walks, turtle and snake presentations, stargazing and guided canoe tours.
As an added bonus, your pet is welcome at Hammonasset! Leashed pets are permitted in picnic areas, and during the off-season (Nov. 1 to April 1), leashed pets are also allowed on the beach.
Essential information:
Hammonasset Beach State Park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset. Parking fees vary based on a number of factors, like season, time of day and vehicle registration. See the chart here for parking information. For more on the beach and its amenities, you can call 203-245-2785 or find more information here. If you’re planning to do camping trips at Hammonassett in 2017, make sure to check this page first, as budget changes may affect which campgrounds are available. The campground phone number is 203-245-1817.
Meigs Point Nature Center is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (April – October) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (November – March). Admission is free, though you’ll have to pay seasonal parking fees to enter the park.
For kids who just want to play… the Connecticut Children’s Museum
Address: 22 Wall St., New Haven, CT 06511
Contact: 203-562-5437
Designed for children ages 3 to 9, the Connecticut Children’s Museum features numerous interactive exhibits, including a Musical Room, Bodily-Kinesthetic Room, Logical-Mathematical Room, Linguistic Room and Naturalist Room. These themed rooms encourage children to move, play, problem-solve, read and create. The museum also hosts programs like “Saturdays at 2,” which combines book readings with dramatic performances and fun activities.
Essential information:
With some exceptions, the Connecticut Children’s Museum is open most Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $7.50 (payable by cash or check).
The “Saturdays at 2” program is, as might be expected from its name, held most Saturdays at 2 p.m. Check the website for specific program details.
The museum is wheelchair accessible and has books available in Braille, as well as programs offered in American Sign Language.
For future paleontologists… Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Address: 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT 06511
Contact: 203-432-5050
Connecticut is a dinosaur lover’s paradise.
Visit the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History for impressive displays of dinosaurs, as well as birds, minerals and other facets of natural history. Children especially enjoy the Discovery Room, where they can participate in games and challenges, touch specimens and observe live creatures like tropical leaf-cutter ants in action. The Peabody hosts summer camps and birthday parties, as well as family-oriented events like Dinosaur Days, when kids can participate in a fossil dig.
Essential information:
The Yale Peabody Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It’s closed most Mondays, but is open for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day and Columbus Day. Guided tours are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
Admission is $13 for adults, $9 for seniors 65+, $6 for children and college students with ID and free for children under 3, members and visitors with Yale ID.
And… Dinosaur State Park
Address: 400 West St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Contact: 860-529-8423
Can’t get enough dinosaurs? Dinosaur State Park is only a 30-minute drive away in Rocky Hill and contains one of the biggest dinosaur track sites in the country. Enjoy the 200-million-year-old tracks and dinosaur displays inside the Exhibit Center, and make sure to leave time for a walk on the surrounding wooded trails. If you’re in town in August, the park holds an annual Dinosaur State Park Day celebration, with games, arts and crafts, music and educational activities.
Essential information:
During the winter, the Dinosaur State Park hiking trails are open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Exhibit Center is open Thursday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Starting April 1, the park has expanded summer hours and is open six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday. No pets or bikes are allowed on trails, though pets are permitted in picnic areas. During the late spring and summer, additional activities, such as making casts of dinosaur tracks and mining for gems or fossils, are also available. And make sure to visit for the annual August celebration. Check the website’s calendar for updates on events and hours.
The Exhibit Center building is wheelchair accessible. Admission to the exhibits is $6 for visitors ages 13 and up, $2 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. If you are a Connecticut resident 65 or older and a frequent state park visitor, consider purchasing a Charter Oak Pass, which grants season access to multiple state parks and recreation areas in Connecticut.
For kids on the move… East Rock Park
Address: East Rock Ranger Station/Trowbridge Environmental Center, Cold Spring and Orange St., New Haven, CT 06511
Contact: 203-946-6096
You don’t have to go far to escape the city and enjoy fresh air! Simply head to East Rock Park, which features sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails. On sunny days, it’s the perfect place to toss a football, go for a walk or fly a kite. On snowy days, the park’s North Meadow area is great for sledding. You can also hike, bike or drive to the summit of East Rock and enjoy a picnic with a stunning view of New Haven. This view is best in October with the fall foliage.
Essential information:
East Rock Park is large (425 acres) and has a lot to offer. Familiarize yourself with its layout using this map. The park is free to the public and is generally open from dawn to dusk.
