A great fun little place. The musuem itself only takes about 30-45 minutes to do if you skip the…read moremovie, but there's a lot of information in such a small space. Best of all, its free. A great time just looking and browsing and there's a couple interactive things too. Historians, scholars, really just about anyone can enjoy this spot. Plenty of parking, and located near the Navy Subase. A great way to spend a morning.

One of the few freebies you'll find in and around Mystic CT!…read moreHowever, Donations are suggested. You get to see the insides of naval ships without banging your shins or head on the bulkheads. There is a replica of the Turtle, from the Revolution. Imagine being in a large keg practically blind and deaf. Slowly moving forward to ram a mine into a ship and get away safely. You can be as immersive as you wish. There are people who can answer questions. Without sounding like every other review, I'll stop here. Go visit and see for yourself.

Wonderful smaller musuem; you can see just about everything in a few hours. I took advantage of a…read morerainy morning while my friend ran errands to check out a couple of the exhibits here. DON'T miss the Tiffany exhibit, some great pieces of his glass AND paintings, and very interesting family history as well. My plan was to see the Tiffany works, but the wonderful surprise (to me...) was the "Exquisite Miniatures by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist" exhibit showcasing the EXTREMELY detailed works this talented couple and their AMAZING, tiny still lifes, landscapes, and just about everything in the tiniest detail. VERY interesting!! Great diversity of offerings for a smaller/mid-size museum. Thought I could see "everything" in a couple of hours, but ran out of time and will have to plan a return visit. Beautiful building, well-laid out exhibits, friendly staff... VERY worthwhile to visit if you're in the area!!

A great museum able to see all in a couple of hours Many…read morefriendly hosts September is a great time to visit

If you have time to listen to stories, Bill is your guy. Extremely enlightening and entertaining…read morebut seriously, don't interrupt....grab a bench and LISTEN. Plenty of museum landscapes, diving gear, library, Amistad exhibit (and ship was docked here this week instead of New Haven), and plenty of natural light photos "David Zapatka". If you ever had a question about lighthouse beacons, this is your place! Near Amtrak and Ferry service. Consider touring USCG Academy Museum also. Excellent tourist info of area and surrounding lighthouses they OWN. We grabbed a CrpssSoundFerry to Orient Point the next day to catch a few more.( Lighthouse tour not on Thur after Labor Day.)Then we drove to Stonington Lighthouse museum next day! Also caught Mystic Aquarium to find NEMO! Thanks for a great afternoon.

NLMSCHM (whew!) is a quaint little building located in downtown New London along the water. Anyone…read morevisiting from out of town should stop by to get a feel for the rich nautical history of New London. The exhibits are executed well and there is a lot to see in such a little space. Plus, they also have events every so often featuring speakers that have a vast knowledge of New London as well as the ships that have passed through their waters.

Always learning something new at the MPMRC! Came in for "The Art of Storytelling" which was a great…read moreexperience with one of the amazing educators as she told two stories at the gathering place. Once finished had plenty of time to view the exhibits, watch the educational movies and explore the museum in its entirety. If you are ever in the area, ensure to stop in for a visit!

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center is a Native American culture museum that opened in…read moreMashantucket, Connecticut in August 1998. It was founded by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Federally recognized since 1983, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation consists of descendents of the Pequot Native Americans who have historical roots in the state of Connecticut. They historically spoke Pequot, a dialect of the Mohegan-Pequot language, which became extinct by the early 20th century. The tribal nation currently consists of more than 1,100 members, with about 200 of them residing on their reservation in Ledyard. The museum focuses on the history of the Pequots and other Native American peoples of eastern North America. The Mashantucket Pequot tribal nation also owns and operates the nearby Foxwoods Resort Casino: one of the largest casinos in the world. The 308,000-square-foot museum facility was built at a cost of $193.4 million, largely funded by casino revenues. My family and I recently visited the Pequot Museum during the long Thanksgiving weekend. I've visited the museum a number of times since it first opened, but this was the first visit for my two young sons. Since Thanksgiving occurred a couple of days before, my wife and I felt it was important to show our sons an accurate portrayal of Indigenous Americans (and their treatment) as opposed to the ones in the "fairy tale" narratives of the First Thanksgiving or Columbus' arrival in the Americas. The museum features some excellent interactive exhibits and life-size three-dimensional dioramas which showcase the culture of the Pequots and other Algonquian peoples from the Pre-Columbian era right up to the present day. Highlights for us included the "Pequot Village", "Life in a Cold Climate", and a 185-ft observation tower where visitors can get an excellent view of the entire Mashantucket Pequot reservation (including the casino). My family and I feel that the history and culture of our local indigenous peoples should be preserved and embraced, and this museum truly does a great job at doing that. We all highly recommend a visit to this museum!

Oh no, my nearest and go to antique store is closing May 31st, 2026. E went there this weekend and…read moresaw a few booths were empty and several if not almost all other booths were having anywhere from 25% to 50% off. Checking we found that they are closing and the Dinosaur Place is expanding into the antique store. It's good for the kids and supposedly they are building an indoor mini golf area in the basement so we will have to wait and see.

Pricey antiques/products but a cool place to go walk around and check out. Theres two floors with…read moretons a stuff to look at you could easily spend over an hour there. If i was rich id buy the giant animal displays for every room in my house just because i could, they're.....unique.

Our visit here started out horribly because the parking lot for the museum is across the street, so…read moreafter we parked and walked up to the corner, we pressed the crosswalk button to cross the street. Having just come in from that same direction, I was well aware that the stoplight that we initiated by pressing the crosswalk button is right around a blind curve. I made sure that the first car actually stopped before I started through the crosswalk, but just as we were almost to the other side, I heard a huge crash that shook me to my core. We turned around, still partially in the street to see that a vehicle that had come around the corner was unable to stop in time and smashed into the car that was stopped at the crosswalk. Luckily no one was injured, but the sound and the proximity and the fact that there was some sort of lingering feeling that our crossing the street caused this accident put me in a really bad headspace. We stayed out in front of the museum for a while to make sure everyone was okay and the cars were moved out of the street but there was debris everywhere and I did have to sit down at a picnic table for about 5 minutes to calm down. All that being said, we actually enjoyed this Museum quite a bit once we got past what had happened. We have visited multiple Maritime museums in the last month and I can honestly say this was probably the best one. If you're at all interested in Maritime history, or just history even, sailing or boat craftsmanship, anything like that really, you will enjoy your visit here. This is not really a museum in the traditional sense. It's kind of like walking through a village in time. You can wander through historic buildings and watch live demonstrations of traditional skills like blacksmithing or rope making or sail stitching. Don't be afraid to go inside the buildings and interact with the employees. The immersive parts of this Museum are the best because they help you to feel like you're really experiencing what it was like instead of just reading about it. I think my favorite part was getting too board and tour a historical boat that was moored in the river. I don't recall what it is named, but you can board and walk around and even go down below deck. You can really get a feel for what life was like on one of these boats. I'm 5'7 and I had to duck the entire time. The beds were so tiny it was as if they were for children. It's crazy to think of grown men being packed down there like sardines. We also enjoyed checking out the lighthouse. They show a little movie inside but you can't actually go up. That was a quick stop and a little photo op but fun nevertheless. We ended up spending a lot longer here than we had anticipated because we really enjoyed the demonstrations and the historical feel of it all. It was dog friendly which is important to us but we also found a little reading room and a nice playground area so I know it would be great for children as well. Even after such a rocky start, I was really glad that we visited here and I highly recommend a stop if you can. Plan to spend at least a couple of hours here and wear comfortable shoes because the ground is gravelly and you will cover more of it than you think.

Mystic Seaport continues to be one of the most thoughtfully run and genuinely enjoyable attractions…read morein New England. Every visit feels like stepping into a living, breathing piece of history, and the amount of effort that goes into maintaining that experience is impossible to miss. The staffing is exceptional. Everyone--from the interpreters in period dress to the shipyard craftsmen to the folks running the exhibits--brings an energy that makes the place feel alive. They're knowledgeable without being overwhelming, friendly without being scripted, and clearly passionate about what they do. It's rare to find a team that consistently elevates an entire visit, but Mystic Seaport pulls it off. The shops are charming and well-curated, offering everything from nautical gifts to handcrafted items to books you won't find anywhere else. They strike a great balance between being tourist-friendly and genuinely interesting, and it's easy to lose track of time browsing. As for the overall experience, it's simply entertaining from start to finish. Whether you're wandering through the recreated 19th‑century village, stepping aboard historic vessels, watching demonstrations, or exploring the rotating exhibits, there's always something engaging to see or do. It's the kind of place where you can spend hours without realizing it, and every corner feels like it has a story waiting to be discovered. Mystic Seaport remains a standout destination--beautifully maintained, thoughtfully staffed, and endlessly enjoyable. A true 5‑star experience. Enjoy

OK, it's free, it's not 100% ADA compliant, the submarine Nautilus definitely is not…read more It is filled with naval photos, equipment, and explanations for almost everything. there is always someone there that you can ask "What is this?" spanning over 200 years of U.S. naval history. I've done a review of the submarine; this is for the rest of the museum. They have a theater where they show a short film about World War II naval combat. There are dioramas and sections where you can see some of the actual operating systems for the ship. They don't work though. There are some places to sit down if you should get tired. The museum has the usual souvenirs. Young and old will find it an interesting visit.

If you come to the Groton/New London area it's probably because your visit has something to do with…read moresubmarines. The US Navy's Submarine School is located here, Electric Boat builds all of the Navy's nuclear powered submarines here, the free Submarine Museum with the USS Nautilus is here and finally this outdoor park dedicated to US Navy Submariners who died during WW II. That was over 3000 men and the 52 subs lost during the conflict. The Yelp location is accurate and there is free parking around the very small park. The memorial consists of a conning tower from a WW II boat that you can't climb on since there is no access but it is well maintained for viewing. There are 52 small stone tablets commemorating those sunk subs along with a Wall of Honor with the names of all of the perished submariners on it (I believe). The wall looks like the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. and has several benches in front to sit on and reflect. Come spend 15 minutes here and pay your respects.

What a nice place for kids. This wonderful place has a lot to offer for the children and families…read more The museum offers outdoor activities but because of the weather today was closed. The museum also offers a place to celebrate any birthday parties. Place was very clean and the bathroom is equipped with changing table. Definitely if you have kids and need to entertain them for a while go check this place in Niantic.

The older woman running the front desk on 10/9 was about as icy and rude as you could get. Not…read morehelpful. Judgemental. And was almost enough to make us turn around and leave as soon as we walked in. The plush foods in the play garden are grey with grime. Nobody seems to wash any of the plush items. Overall, the concept is wonderful. But they need to choose better staff who aren't grossly cold and inattentive, and who actually take time to sanitize and help disinfect the place. And maybe be positive when you are working with children? Oh, and Bring cash if you plan to spend less than $10.

Mrs. K. and I were not interested in actually going inside the museum or in climbing to the top of…read morethis lighthouse. But wow, we were very interested in seeing, walking around it, enjoying the view of the Sound that you can see from here. This structure was built in 1840 to replace an earlier one from 1823 that succumbed to shoreline erosion, it was crafted from large granite blocks, some salvaged from its predecessor. The tower itself is octagonal and 35 feet tall, attached to a 1 1/2 story keeper's house. Initially lit by an oil lamp and eight parabolic reflectors, it was upgraded to a sixth-order Fresnel lens in 1856 - a leap forward in lighthouse technology. But by 1889, its light was extinguished, replaced by newer beacons on the harbor breakwaters. Its second life began in 1925, when the Stonington Historical Society purchased it for $3,650 and transformed it into what's believed to be the nation's first lighthouse museum. Since then, it's become a repository of local maritime and agricultural history, with exhibits ranging from sea captains' treasures to artifacts from the British bombardment of 1814, including a cannonball embedded in a hearthstone and a rare Congreve rocket. The museum doesn't have its own parking lot but you can park nearby if it's not too busy. Stonington Point and the Dubois Beach have a small lot and it's nice there. If you're passing by on I-95, this is only 20 minutes off the highway. Take the time to detour and check this out. Even if it's not season and the museum is closed, walking around is free. [Review 1071 of 2025 - 124 in Connecticut - 24625 overall]

Very nice small, local museum. Exhibits are varied. War, slavery, whaling, local life. Three rooms…read moreon ground floor, one small upper space that is under renovation and the tower. During our visit the fresnel lens was in a crate on the 2nd level. The staircase to the light housing is narrow and two-way. The ladder to the top is sturdy but takes a bit of maneuvering to get on the platform. Area holds ~ four people and is quite warm. The one employee answered our many questions. They offer senior, first responder and veteran discounts on entry. The museum is air conditioned. A good stop while in the area.