Yale Repertory Theatre was founded by the Yale School of Drama in 1966 to engender a closer working relationship between faculty and students and the professional theater, and has helped launch the careers of dozens of now-famous actors. "Yale Rep" is located in the stunning former Calvary Baptist Church, which was built in 1868 and renovated to accommodate the theater in 1970. A landmark in downtown New Haven, the Yale Rep Theater stages everything: musicals, dramas, comedies and new works, both classics and fresh scripts. Yale Rep is an award-winning theater in the circle of renowned, established theaters in the greater New Haven area.
This theater has hosted many award-winning performances and enjoyed international recognition. Plays launched here have received numerous awards, from Pulitzer Prizes to Tony's. As you exit into the Long Wharf area, please note that the theater is on the loading dock where food terminals are housed. It can be tricky to find! More than 20 shows have gone directly from Long Wharf to Broadway or Off-Broadway in New York.
Venture into Yale's exciting natural history museum. This is the only museum in Connecticut with fossil dinosaur material on permanent display. The Pulitzer Award winning "The Age of Reptiles" mural (a beautiful work of art in itself) depicts 300 million years of prehistory. Explore the cultures and history of peoples of the world through exhibits on Ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica, the Andes and the Great Plains, just to mention a few. It is best to visit during non-school hours.
One of the great advantages of being in New Haven is that you don't have to drive all the way to New York City to see a Broadway quality performance; after all, the Shubert holds the title, "Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits." Many, many hits premiered at the Shubert before moving on to Broadway, including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Sound of Music (and many other Rogers & Hammerstein productions) and My Fair Lady, to name a few. The Shubert is the region's cultural life, featuring the best of dance, opera, family productions and cabaret. The backstage tour of this architectural gem, built in 1914, is another highlight not to miss.
Exhilarating activities await at this fun-filled attraction, one which has been garnering widespread attention for its challenging courses. With something for kids and adults alike, It Adventure makes for a rejuvenating excursion, one which will test your abilities and ensure that you have a good time. Be it zip lining or climbing, this attraction makes for an unforgettable experience.
Housed within a beautiful Colonial Revival-style building, the New Haven Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich past of the region. Visitors at the museum will be able to trace the region's origins as a sleepy seafaring village and its subsequent transformation into a thriving industrial and residential community through a diverse range of artifacts and exhibits. From local art, photographs and other extensive collections sourced from historic families and ancient New Haven homes, to vintage furniture and 18th and 19th-century artworks, the museum presents a comprehensive catalog of the city's heritage. The New Haven Museum is also home to the Whitney Research Library, which comprises of priceless manuscripts, rare books and other archival collections from the city's early settlement era.
The 1750 Ogden House & Gardens served the Odgen family for nearly 125 years. Currently, managed by the Fairfield Historical Society, this historical house chronicles and displays documents and objects pertaining to that era. Its beautiful gardens further add to the splendor.
The Solomon Goffe House is a historic building that is an important landmark of the Meriden region. Erected in 1711, it is one of the foremost houses and is still intact and well-preserved. Included in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, it now serves as living museum.
Situated in Connecticut, Chatfield Hollow State Park is bounded by greenery, offering nature lovers a chance to escape into a world engulfed in serenity. Here, cliffs and ledges intersperse stands of towering pines and murmuring brooks, and avid explorers can venture deeper into the wilderness to uncover all that lies within. Traverse a boardwalk that meanders across a swamp, hike along trails winding through the woods, scale the ledges on climbing excursions, wade into the waters of Schreeder Pond, or go fishing.
Thomas Griswold House Museum was the former home of its namesake and his family from 1774 to 1958. This historic Colonial saltbox style structure is located on a scenic stretch and was bought by the Guilford Keeping Society in 1958. Decorated with early 19th-century period furniture that also features many items from the last owners inventory, the museum also features vintage clothing and photos. Explore the blacksmith shop and the museum shop to get more than a glimpse of the early Puritan settlement. The house was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Set in the scenic Litchfield Hills in historic Woodbridge is the Glebe House Museum. The house was first built in the year 1740, and served as a residence for Rev John Rutgers Marshall, his wife Sarah, their nine children and three slaves. Over the years and century, the house changed several hands and was finally converted into a museum in 1926 with its Georgian style architecture kept intact. In present times the house has been kept preserved and maintained for visitors and researchers to explore life in the bygone era. The museum offers its visitors a glimpse of the revolutionary war of Connecticut, and is also considered the birthplace of the Episcopal Church in the New World. The museum has a gift shop, and one can buy books related to the region’s history and souvenir items.
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.