Top Rated Attractions in Fairfield

The historic David Ogden House is a remarkably well-preserved example of a mid-18th-century farmhouse in Fairfield, CT. The house was built in 1750 for John Ogden, around the time he was married to Jane Sturgis, and remained the Ogden family's abode for the next 125 years. Having survived being burned to the ground by the British who invaded Fairfield in the midst of the American Revolution, the historic saltbox structure is an especially cherished piece of local history. Today, the Fairfield Historical Society maintains the historic home as a museum that illustrates the lifestyle of a middle class, colonial family in the 1800s. Besides the house itself, the Fairfield Garden Club maintains a Colonial Kitchen Garden with plants that were typical of gardens planted around the time the house was built. The David Ogden House can visited outside regular open hours by appointment.

Founded in 1943, Fairfield University is one of the nation's leading small, liberal arts colleges, conveniently located between New York City and New Haven. There are lovely buildings on campus, including Egan Chapel (a modern church dedicated to St. Ignatius Loyola) and The Quick Center (a performing arts facility). Also on campus, is the boys high school, Fairfield Prep. It is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and the campus offers lovely views of Long Island Sound from the hillside.

Located on the campus of Fairfield University, the Bellarmine University of Art houses a magnificent collection of art work and artifacts. Covering Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Celtic, and Asian work in three distinct galleries, the museum spans a total of 2700 square feet (250 square meters). Situated on the lower floor of Bellarmine Hall, an English manor style mansion from the 1920s, the museum building itself is almost as astounding as the pieces on display within it. The Bellarmine Museum of Art is open from 10:00a to 4:00p from Mondays to Fridays during September through May. Admission is free.

Opened for the general public on September 16, 2007, the Fairfield Museum and Historic Center is a monumental museum and library dedicated to the history of Fairfield, Connecticut. The museum boosts of a terrific collection of clocks, costumes and textiles, military items, dolls and toys, artistic furniture, and architectural fragments. Through the wide array of exhibitions, the museum offers tourists a glimpse of the state's colonial roots. A major highlight is the Landscape of Change exhibition, which reflects on Fairfield’s heritage.

The Discovery Museum and Planetarium is a great educational facility located across the Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course. The museum opened to public in 1962 and has been entertaining and educating ever since. The museum has fun learning techniques and interactive exhibits to engage its visitors. It provides a wide scope to explore and acquire knowledge about science and technology. The museum also hosts several programs to entertain its young visitors. Apart from this, the museum premises are also available on rent for private functions.

The Nathaniel Wheeler Memorial Fountain in Bridgeport, Connecticut was constructed in 1912–1913 and designed by unconventional American sculptor Gutzon Borglum. Nathaniel Wheeler's children had this sculpture to the city as an ode to their loving father, who had also been an important town personality. The structure shows a central bronze figure of a mermaid with a child in one hand and a lamp in the other, as fish seem to circling around her fins. The monument was repaired in 2009-2010 and was included to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.