If you like touring historic mansions, this place is superb! Our docent Midge was extremely…read moreknowledgeable and an excellent storyteller. She demonstrated a passion for the history of the mansion, the time period, and the complicated inter-relations between the involved individuals which was truly inspired and fascinating. She answered all our tour group's questions with great skill and delight. We reserved our spots online for the 90-minute noon tour today, featuring the first and second floors, the main entertainment rooms, bedrooms, and servants' quarters. On-site parking for free. The mansion has been closed for two years to renovate the electrical/HVAC system and recently reopened for public tours. They'll be opening the basement floor to show the bowling alley and vault sometime next year. If you're in the area on Dec 14, they'll be open for a festive Christmas event.

My friend and I took the afternoon tour. Our guide was the grandson of the family driver. He heard…read morestories indirectly from his mother. The guide was extremely knowledgeable. He took use through the main level. The museum director took over into the servants quarters. She also was awesome. The house is well preserved and has many original and period furniture pieces. AC works well on a warm day. The church a mile away is also worth seeing.

This is a great maritime center and aquarium!…read more They have a seal show centered in the seals' health care and our show had the veterinarians there doing examinations and applying eye drops. Everyone was told the animals histories and why they were still there. One of the seals is blind and they explained how it is able to still negotiate their living space. The hands touch areas are well monitored with staff and again explanations of the different species was provided! Hand wash and dry stations were all around prior to and after touching animals. The exhibits were thoughtfully planned out and large enough for multiple person viewing. I would have like more sitting areas in some of the halls for us older folks watching independent children who wanted to hang out watching the meerkats or owls or birds. The fish tank area with the sea turtles was magnificent! The jelly fish exhibit so relaxing and zen with the background music. The new puffin exhibit is a combination of live puffins and then video presentations of their living areas in Maine! For me 2 year old granddaughter to be attentive for 4 hours was spectacular- thank you!

Our first time and it was lovely. We bought tickets right when the aquarium opened. All of the…read morestaff was friendly and knowledgeable. I recommend getting there right when it opens at 10 AM. There's a parking garage right across the street.

"But the enemy I see wears a cloak of decency All…read morenon-believers and men stealers talkin' in the name of religion And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend" (Bob Dylan) You've probably seen maps of train or subway lines before. A spaghetti like graphic of different colored lines, sometimes running parallel to each other, sometimes crisscrossing each other like a spider web on LSD. So how do train lines manage all that switching and changes of direction without crashing into other trains? It's all computer driven today, but way back in the day things were done manually by throwing huge levers in a Switch Tower, and you can learn all about it and see the 100+ year old equipment in this very cool free museum. The museum is on three stories, and you have to walk up a metal staircase all the way to the top because that's where the tour starts. Our guide on the 3rd floor was John and he was fantastic. We saw the gigantic old switches, and he did a great job explaining the technology of the day and how it changed over the years. Next, we walked down to the second floor where Joe took over and he explained the switches and system in deeper detail. Finally, we walked down to the gift shop on the first floor with all sorts of railroad memorabilia, mugs, and hats are available for sale. John and Joe are volunteers, and their love of trains was quite evident. If you like learning about how mechanical things work, or you have a train buff in your family, you really can't go wrong with a visit to this niche museum.

Wonderfully restored historic building. The tower and docents were excellent....knowledgable,…read morefriendly and you could tell, very much train enthusiasts. The tour was quite interesting and satisfying. GO....you'll learn something...about how they used to 'switch' trains on the New Haven line

Love it here! I love…read morethe lattes, artwork and the food. This space is so cool. They have limited parking and a nice outdoor space too. Inside, they have a coffee bar with amazing breakfast and lunch items. They have fresh pastries and coffee drinks. There is artwork throughout their space. I highly recommend this spot if you're looking for a good brunch or coffee spot.

We encountered this cool place while waiting for our tour of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion to start…read more It's a great space with dual purpose of art gallery and cafe. Currently, the gallery space showcases "Being Seen" featuring 45 local artists' work, conceptualizing self-perception in multimedia artistic expression. We ordered mochas which were mild, very chocolatey but not overly sweet. If we lived here, we would definitely visit here regularly. They offer art classes on site as well.

Incredible. We spent the entire day here. Pro tip, bring a change of clothes, there is a really fun…read morewater area

The museum is perfect for the younger child under 6. The…read morepuppet show with the OUT OF BOX Performers was great! The puppeteers even roamed with puppets through the exhibits! The volunteers were all phenomenal! ! The staff was a mix of adults that were neurotypical and adults with special abilities! The volunteer staff you could tell enjoyed the visitors and helped wherever they could! I was pleased by 2 security staff circulating the floor throughout the day I am however disappointed that the Healthyville cafe is vending machines that today decided to glitch and not provide the food after paying for a sandwich. The staff called the vendor but I was never refunded the cost. The museum should also reconsider the amount of leaves that they have put on the floor- it is very slippery for new child walkers and older adults. Let alone a pain for the cleaning crew.... All the indoor same floor exhibit areas were spectacular and so Clean and the outside grounds magnificent.

I love going to get seafood at the source, so i took my first vacay to drive out here and pick up…read moreSEVENTY oysters. these oysters were only 60¢ a piece, so we couldn't help but go a little crazy! we shucked a few at the oyster farm itself and then brought the rest back to finish up since it got way to cold to keep shucking outdoors. the first box was super light in flavor, not too briney, a bit sweet, slightly creamy, and had a really springy texture. the second box (even though they were the same oysters) had a much brinier profile! soooo yum and worth the price! FYI - these were the hardest oysters we've ever shucked. but well worth the effort and drive! if you're not as crazy as me, you can order them online to have them shipped to your door!

A hidden gem right in your own backyard! Who knew? Sure they ship these ultra fresh oysters…read morewholesale all over the country because that's what this area is famous for, blue points, although they have their own unique name for them. Most excellent oysters! A little cute retail shop of all things coastal for enetertaining & decorating. But this is a RETAIL shop too! Ultra friendly staff who gave us a tour of the facility. Unbelievable! Such an impressive set up. Too, they've acquired quite an impressive, collection of all things oyster related: antiques, artifacts, tools, baskets, nautical maps, and a massive oyster tin collection from this past century, which is housed in the rear "museum". Come support these guys!

Oksana is an extremely talented and intelligent artist. The range of her talent is truly…read moreextraordinary. Her paintings range from fashion art, replete with 3 dimensional fabric and Swarovski crystals, all the way through to conceptual art which makes a powerfully relevant social statement. On a personal level, Oksana is a delight. She is easy to work with; accommodating and considerate from the very first meeting and thereafter. I have known her for several years and have 6 of her beautiful pieces in my home, ranging from watercolors to an oil painting which I commissioned her to paint. She has been a pleasure to work and am proud to be among her collectors. If you haven't seen her art I strongly recommend you do so; you're missing something very special.

Absolutely amazing space, and such an incredible artist. Every time I see Oksana's art, my mind is…read moreblown and I'm overtaken by emotions. 10/10 recommend.

The Sheffield Island lighthouse ferry is such a fun, lovely, classic new england way to spend a…read moresummer afternoon, 10/10 would recommend. It's a unique casual outing for friends/families/couples/kids. I live in Stamford, about 20 minutes away and cannot believe I hadn't heard about this earlier. I managed to catch the last ferry of the 2018 season (note the calendar posted on the Norwalk Seaport Association website) and can't wait for next year to do this again! Getting there/parking: I had originally plugged in the Norwalk Seaport Association address into maps, but the ferry itself is actually just over the little bridge. We parked for free across the street from the Seaport Association and walked over, but there is also a paid parking lot immediately in front of the ferry departure. We arrived about 5 minutes in advance and bought tickets at the booth without any issues. They accept credit and cash, and you can sit anywhere on the ferry. Our trip had about 30-40 folks, including some older people and young kids (toddlers). The ferry ride: So relaxing! The ferry takes a leisurely pace up through to Sheffield Island, about a 40 minute ride. The ride is smooth, and we were able to stand up and walk around the ferry if we wanted to. I think this would honestly be fine for anyone sensitive to motion/sea sickness. There are usually a lot of small boats and tiny islands in that area, and its nice to sit back and catch a breeze. On the return trip, the captain took us on an extra loop to better see the Manhattan and New Rochelle skylines which were visible on the horizon. Such a cool experience, and I had no idea it could be seen all the way from Norwalk! Sheffield Island: The tour of the historic lighthouse was really interesting, and its clear that a lot of effort and love went into setting this place up and restoring it. When we went, the lighthouse was under renovation, but an amazing fantastic volunteer snuck my husband and I up, and what a treat! The staircases/ladders were narrow but the views up there were absolutely stunning and so worth it! It was a clear beautiful day and we could see the water, the coast, the sound, and the Manhattan skyline off in the distance. Absolutely amazing. I don't think there's any other view quite like it. We had a few hours to ourselves on the island, and since the lighthouse tour was just about 30-40 minutes, there was plenty of time to walk along the shore. There was lots of sea glass, shells, and even a few horseshoe crabs. The shore is a little too rocky to actually enter the water, but there are lots of boulders to sit on and enjoy the view, and it's very peaceful. Even with a full ferry, the island was not crowded at all and we could spend some time sitting on the benches, chatting, walking around at our leisure. There were picnic tables set up, as well as a nature walk (sadly closed due to ticks, but we'll have to do that next year) Tips/advice: - Bring a camera! Trust me you're going to want to take a lot of photos of the view from the lighthouse tower. - Book tickets in advance, online, since the ferries can be filled up. - The ramp is a bit steep, so if you're bringing kids, bring a small portable stroller, since bulky might be a little heavy to push up. - Wear rugged slip-resistant shoes, since the shore is quite rocky. - Pack a picnic! I think you can even BYOB. Some lemonade, a caprese sandwich, some olives, while enjoying the view...perfection. All in all, a fantastic experience that I can't wait to share with family and friends!!

My boyfriend and I went for a mini vacation in Norwalk, CT and I booked the Sunset Harbor…read moreLighthouse Tour which we went on this past Sunday evening from 6:30-8:30, on 8/10/25. This tour was definitely a highlight of our trip! Captain John and Charlie were great and all the passengers aboard had a great time! We passed three lighthouses-Peck Ledge LH, Sheffield Island LH and Green's Ledge LH. Charlie, co-captain of Captain John, had just toured the inside of Green's Ledge LH the day before which is listed on Airbnb for $6,000! He went around the ship showing everyone the floor plan. It especially exciting to be on the Long Island Sound and to see the red and white towers from Northport, since I live on Long Island!! We were able to see several different viewpoints of the sunset and osprey nests as well. Definitely recommend to residents of Norwalk AND tourists alike!

Absolutely the worst festival I've ever attended. A complete waste of time and money…read more Parking is a nightmare. There is barely any parking available, leaving you with the choice of paying $20+ for third-party parking or hunting for metered street parking that's limited to three hours. Then there's the $20 admission fee for adults, which would be understandable if there were actually something worth seeing. The vendor selection was pathetic, and the overall quality was extremely disappointing. But the biggest joke is the name: Oyster Festival. Why? There was essentially one oyster vendor, selling questionable oysters, plus two carts offering overpriced lobster rolls of horrible quality. That's it. No New England charm. No unique atmosphere. No meaningful representation of local food, culture, or vendors. Just overpriced food, limited options, and a hefty admission fee for what feels like a glorified street fair. Save your money and skip this event. There are plenty of excellent restaurants and pubs in the area where you'll get a much better experience for your money. Complete rip-off. Zero stars if Google allowed it.

I've heard about this event for a long time, but this was the year I finally attended the Norwalk…read moreOyster Festival and it did not disappoint. The price was $15 for adults and $8 for kids aged 5-12. All children are free on Sunday. What perfect timing, we passed by the Mohegan sun booth right in time for the 4pm Tao chef demo session. I've eaten at Tao before, so I was eager to participate. All I had to do was place a $25 bet on the app and it granted my party of 4 admission. The chef was very entertaining. We got a delicious BLT bao bun each and each got a ticket to redeem a $10 drink from a nearby juice truck, Ta' Deliciozo. The juices were made fresh with quality ingredients. To top it off, under our chairs was an envelope with a prize listed. We won merchandise and credit in the app. This was a very good steal! Definitely got our money's worth. We stop by a few tastyfood trucks then watched some of the 6pm Ready Go Dog Show. I enjoyed this event and will definitely be back next year!