When to Go
Every season in Connecticut offers a different trip experience. The warmest weather of the year is from May – October and the coldest is from December – March. The best time to visit Connecticut’s historic gardens is May – July. The perfect time to experience an on the water adventure to Norwalk’s Sheffield Island or take a cruise on the Connecticut River is summer and fall. Peak foliage runs from mid.-September to late October. Winter is the perfect season to celebrate the holidays with a Boat Parade in Mystic, join the fun at a holiday festival, or unwind fireside to a delicious meal.
Why Go?
Litchfield Hills
The pastoral countryside, cool mountain lakes, laurel covered slopes, and pine-scented forest glades have made the Litchfield Hills a resort area for more than a century. Historic attractions such as the Glebe House, the Institute for American Indian Studies, the Museum of Tort Law, and the Carousel Museum are delightful. Antique shops, art galleries, historic 
gardens, vineyards, orchards, and romantic country inns set the stage for your visit. The Litchfield Hills are internationally known for scenic roads and bucolic villages that are spectacular in the fall.
Fairfield County
On Connecticut’s “gold coast” you are never very far from the water – be it Long Island Sound or one of the rivers that thread their
way through the region. Saltwater diversions include boating on a research vessel from the Maritime Aquarium to a pleasure cruise on a ferryboat to Sheffield Island with its historic lighthouse that offers astounding views of Manhattan. Historic House Museums abound including the Lockwood Mathews Mansion, the Bush Holley House, and The Glass House. For nature lovers there are many Audubon Centers, the state’s only zoo that specializes in housing rare and endangered species and Weir Farm, the state’s only National Site dedicated to American Impressionism.
Southeastern CT & Mystic
From glittering casinos to the charms of the lively village of Mystic there is something for everyone. Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport are two of the regions’ most iconic attractions. The Florence Griswold Museum is ideal for art lovers any time of year where art, history, and nature come together in this enchanting home of American Impressionism. For those that are into nautical history, the historic ship, Nautilus, the Submarine Force Museum, and Fort Griswold are sure to intrigue.
The Quiet Corner
Located in the Northeast corner of the state this bucolic area offers wide-open spaces and many interesting historic attractions. Visit the homestead of Connecticut hero, Nathan Hale, tour Roseland Cottage, the Gothic Revival summer home of a silk tycoon, or wander through the elegantly styled Prudence Crandall Museum, home of the first academy for African-American women in the country. Make sure you take a photo stop on the Thread Crossing Bridge in Willimantic replete with giant frogs that rest on spools of thread that give a nod to the areas mill heritage.
Greater Hartford & Connecticut River Valley
Right in the middle of the state there is so much to do and see from the home of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stow, author of Uncle Tom’s cabin, to Gillette Castle overlooking the Connecticut River. Another option is to ride an authentic steam train along the Connecticut River or take a spin on an antique Carousel in Bushnell Park. This area showcases the state’s diversity from shows at the historic Bushnell Theater and award winning Goodspeed Opera House to the exciting sporting events at Dunkin Donut Park with the Yard Goats and others. Greater Hartford has world-class museums for art lovers like the New Britain Museum of Art and Hartford’s Wadsworth Athenaeum, the oldest continually operating art museum in the United States.
