Great Things To Do in CT
Great Things To Do - Greater New Haven & the Central CT Coast
If you are traveling to the greater New Haven region of Connecticut, we have some fun recommendations for things to do. If you are looking for some adventure, check out the IT Adventure Ropes Course in New Haven, CT, with adventurous activities for visitors of all ages to explore and try something new. After working up an appetite, get a “Taste of New Haven”, with themed food and drink tours to various eateries and city gems. Visit The Owl Shop after a day out and about, a cigar lounge and coffee bar perfect for relaxation and camaraderie – with late night snacks and live music twice a week. If you are visiting the Essex, CT area, visit the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, with train rides and cruises along the Connecticut River while experiencing vintage luxury. Keep reading below for more things to do in the New Haven/South Central Connecticut area.
7 places to visit
Get a Taste of New Haven
CT Gather with friends to soak in the tastes, sights, and sounds of New Haven. On Taste of New Haven themed food and drink tours, guides lead guests through the buzzing city and into its finest eateries, with fun stops at cultural spots along the way. Tours are food-themed (New Haven pizza, sushi) or neighborhood-based (Canal Quarter, Wooster Square), and timed to warm you up for a night at the theater. Tours run year-round for 1.5-4 hours in rain or shine, and your departure point is revealed when you register. 888-975-8664.
For Late-Night Camaraderie, Try the Owl Shop
CT The Owl Shop at 268 College Street in New Haven has a long pedigree. It was opened in 1934 on Wall Street as a bookstore by Greek immigrants. The proprietor was also mixing his own tobacco blends, for sale. A second store opened on College Street in 1937. Today, this history has created a convivial cigar lounge and coffee bar frequented by Yale and New Haven people for relaxation and camaraderie. You can buy light snacks and enjoy live jazz on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Happy hour, needless to say, happens nightly. Open daily, past midnight. 203-624-3250.
A Bookstore With a Serious Love of Reading
Madison, CT 06443 203-245-3959 R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison opened two decades ago as an independent bookstore whose mission was, and is, to be a place where words matter and where writers meet readers. The store hosts more than 200 events a year. Authors from all over the country visit the store to inspire, educate, and entertain. A knowledgeable staff, opinionated book selections with shelf-talker tags help book lovers find books that are just right for them. Open daily.
Go Climb a Rock
Wallingford, CT During the chilly seasons or on rainy days, are you and your kids climbing the walls? Come of the place where this activity is a fun, challenging indoor sport (for all ages)! Prime Climb is an indoor rock-climbing gym at 340 Quinnipiac Street in Silversmith Park in Wallingford, next to Walco Park. For fun and physical training, rock climbing is the next big thing, and indoor clubs are springing up everywhere. Good for children, teens, and adults. Prime Climb offers specials and kid-oriented activities.
The Shops at Yale Are Just the Start of Your Exploration
CT With more than 50 unique boutiques and shops in Chapel Street Historic District and Broadway, Shops at Yale at 255 Crown Street in New Haven has the perfect mix of browsing, shopping, dining and people-watching to fill a weekend. The Shops at Yale are rich with boutiques alongside national retailers like Apple, J. Crew, and Urban Outfitters; bluestone sidewalks and beautifully restored architecture; award-winning restaurants and theaters; and world-renowned museums. Near at hand are public spaces that host lots of fun cultural events (one example among many is the sidewalk chalk art festival in August). Mix your pleasures with a visit to ancient beauty at the Yale Center for British Art, the Peabody Museum, Yale School of Architecture Gallery, and the historic Shubert Theater.
Find Food Adventure with New Haven Food Tours
CT Most of us know that New Haven is famous for its original and authentic pizza, but there is so much more for your palate to enjoy there. Taste of New Haven Food & Drink Tours hosts culinary walking culinary tours of this delightful, historic city. Experienced tour guides lead guests on tours with names and themes like Theater District, Canal Quarter, Goatville, Wooster Square, Pizza and Pints Bike, New Haven Symphony, Latin American Tapas, Pizza Lovers, Live To Eat, Theater District, Latin American Tapas, and On 9. Tours usually last 3 to 4 hours, although the Pizza Lovers Tour and the Pizza & Pints Bike Tour are 6 to 7 hours. Gift certificate available for a unique present. You also may book a private tour! Call and check the website for 203-710-3710.
Knock Back Some Truffle Shots
Essex, CT 06246 860-767-0880 Chocolate Geeks, located in The Barn at Griswold Square, 49 Main Street in Essex, is a business founded on a single product: truffle shots. (If you go gaga for chocolate truffles, these are up your alley.) Now they also sell bean-to-bar craft chocolate, artisan baking chocolate, tasting classes, chocolate chip cookies, and more. Open Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 5 p.m., or by appointment.