Top Rated Attractions in New Haven

What do the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, U-2, The Kinks and Bob Dylan have in common? They have all played at this legendary hot spot, along with almost every other road show. For almost 30 years, this place has been hopping (pun intended) with an incredible lineup of live music and a dance party that just won't quit. It has been voted nightclub of the year several times, so consider a trip to Toad's to partake in music history, not to mention a good time.

This private club, famously known as the Mory's Bar Temple, was formerly a home which has been converted into a clubhouse. Mory has been a special gathering place for the students and faculty of Yale University. It offers a mix of classic and contemporary dishes as well as complementing beverages. The banquet rooms are available for private and social events.

One would never guess that a Gutenberg Bible, rare prints by the famed ornithologist John Audubon, and other remarkable manuscripts and journals would all be located in this library in the heart of the Yale campus. Beinecke houses one of the largest rare book collections in the world, including more than 500,000 printed volumes and several million (yes, million) priceless manuscripts. The building is a rarity itself, designed to protect its holdings from solar damage with translucent marble "windows" that allow in only minimal light.

The Yale University Art Gallery, founded in 1832, and with more than 100,000 pieces in its permanent collection, is the oldest university art museum in the country. The gallery offers an excellent overview of art history, ranging from ancient to modern. There is an exquisite collection of American paintings, and an extensive display of 20th-century European paintings. Classic objects from ancient Egypt and the Middle East, and treasures from the South Pacific and Far East are also on display. Guided tours, lectures, family programs and concerts are all available. Admission is free.

Nestled in the Yale University Campus, Battell Chapel was built in the late 19th Century and is one of the largest chapels on campus. The chapel boasts of beautiful Victorian Gothic style of architecture and was designed by Russell Sturgis, a famed architect of the country. This chapel has gone several renovations and sees architectural elements by Josiah Cleaveland Cady. The interiors of this charming chapel include a beautiful altar, chapel clock with five bells, an apse, magnificent stained-glass windows and more. Besides being a religious place, the chapel is also used as an event venue and hosts several concerts and music events regularly.

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.