Mystic Seaport
In southeast Connecticut along Fishers Island Sound is the town of Mystic. Probably best known for the movie Mystic Pizza, Mystic is home to the world-class Mystic Aquarium and the popular Mystic Seaport, the nation’s leading maritime museum. Mystic Seaport is a playground of the past with historic ships to climb, a working shipyard, and a historic coastal village to tour, to shop in, and to dine. The Mystic Seaport is a popular vacation destination and Connecticut’s top tourist attraction.
The Mystic Seaport recaptures the days of yesteryear. Once a hub of shipbuilding, the Mystic area was revitalized during the Great Depression. It was then that a group began acquiring maritime artifacts and the Mystic Seaport grew from one building filled with donated photographs, log books, and other object to an entire village made from historic buildings. These buildings were imported from around other towns in Connecticut and include a schoolhouse, a lighthouse, a general store and over a dozen more. Mystic Seaport also displays historic shipping vessels, including the last known wooden whaleboat.
There are three major sections of the Mystic Seaport; the 1800’s coastal village (includes ships, buildings, and working craftsmen); the working shipyard (where historic vessels are recreated); the museum with restored vessels, carvings, figureheads, photographs, and over 2 million maritime objects. Self-guided tours are available through the Mystic Seaport, but there are musicians, historians, and storytellers that will enhance the tour. Mystic Seaport also offers education programs, a Children’s Museum, and Planetarium. Live performances, plenty of hearty and delicious dining options, and shopping are part of the Mystic Seaport experience.
The Mystic Seaport is open daily year round and is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Located on the campus of Yale University, in the Science Hill section, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History was founded in 1866. Philanthropist George Peabody, uncle of O.C. Marsh, Yale’s professor of paleontology, endowed the museum. Professor Marsh became the first director of the museum and started most of the collections. His famous finds include the Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Brontosaurus, all named by Marsh, and now displayed in the museum’s Great Hall.
Showcasing specimens in anthropology, botany, entomology, paleontology, and zoology, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History contains over 11 million objects in its collection. There are permanent exhibits as well as special and traveling exhibits throughout the year. Permanent exhibitions at the Yale Peabody Museum include exhibits on reptiles and mammals, world cultures, Ancient Egypt, Native American Cultures, minerals, Earth, and space.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History offers education programs in biology, paleontology, geology, ancient civilizations, and sociology throughout the year. Interactive and hands-on experiences are offered when possible.
The Yale Peabody Museum open daily year round and is closed on Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center is a museum dedicated to exploring the rich heritage of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Located in southeastern Connecticut in Mashantucket, the museum opened in 1998, to present the natural history of the area and the cultural history of the Pequot tribe along with the histories and cultures of other nearby tribes. The museum is five stories high and 308,000 square feet. The permanent exhibits cover 85,000 square feet. Utilizing the most state-of-the-art technology, the history of the Pequots is brought to life via diorama, interactive media, films, and more.
There is much to see and experience at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, including the permanent exhibits, special exhibits, libraries, and educational programs. Highlights of the permanent exhibits are “A Tribal Portrait” – the overview of the Pequot tribe, its people, and their reservation. The popular Glacial Crevasse exhibit lets visitors experience a simulated glacier in multi-dimensions while learning about how the movement of glaciers has created an impact on the Americas. Discover the stories of each tribe’s concept of creation in the languages of the Kwakiutl, Kiowa, Cayuga and Mohave.
There is a life-size, walk-through exhibit of a Pequot village as it might have looked in the 1500s prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Over 22,000 square feet are dedicated to this awesome life-size diorama, with local tree species, wigwams, and past the “people” of the village. Other exhibits explore tribal issues such as ceremonies and rituals, religion, and conflict with other tribes. The Arrival of the Europeans gallery shows the how and why the early Dutch and English settlers came to America and how their arrival affected the natives.
The museum is open daily year round and is closed on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.