# Travel >> Destinations >> New Zealand

Why Visit Connecticut: History, Coast, Culture, and Cuisine

Connecticut packs remarkable variety into 5,543 mi²—coastal charm, elite academia, revolutionary history, and culinary inventions.

1. Yale University (New Haven)

World-class museums (Yale Art Gallery, Peabody Natural History, British Art Center), Gothic campus, public lectures, concerts. Free admission to most galleries.

2. Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic)

Nation's leading maritime museum: historic vessels (Charles W. Morgan whaleship), recreated 19th-century village, working shipyard, planetarium.

3. Coastal Towns & Beaches

Mystic/Stonington: Fishing villages, seafood, boutique shopping
Madison/Guilford: Long Island Sound beaches, green commons
Greenwich/Old Saybrook: Gold Coast mansions, arts scenes

4. Scenic Drives

Merritt Parkway (CT-15): 1930s Art Deco bridges, no trucks, stunning fall foliage
Route 7 (Danbury–Norwalk): Housatonic Valley, wineries, antiques
CT-9 (Middletown–Old Saybrook): River views, Haddam Bridge

5. Outdoor Recreation

Sleeping Giant (Hamden) — trap-rock ridges, castle tower
Devil's Hopyard (East Haddam) — waterfalls, covered bridge
Gillette Castle (East Haddam) — eccentric actor's stone fortress
Appalachian Trail (52 mi in CT)

6. Cultural Institutions

Wadsworth Atheneum (Hartford) — oldest public art museum in US
Mark Twain House (Hartford) — where Huck Finn was written
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (Waterford) — play development

7. Signature Foods

New Haven pizza: Thin, charred, coal-fired (Frank Pepe, Sally's, Modern)
Steamed cheeseburger: Meriden specialty (Ted's, Jack's)
Lobster roll: CT-style (warm, buttered) vs. ME (cold, mayo)
Mystic Pizza: Made famous by 1988 film

8. Family Attractions

Lake Compounce (Bristol) — oldest continuously operating US amusement park (1846)
Connecticut Science Center (Hartford)
Maritime Aquarium (Norwalk)
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat