Tourism

Tourism in Connecticut is a $4 billion-a-year business. Much of it based on the attraction of the state’s 250-mile Long Island Sound shoreline, its rolling Litchfield Hills, and its unspoiled Connecticut River Valley.

With its wealth of open land, Connecticut’s scenery is some of New England’s most beautiful. Its scores of Colonial villages are filled with historic homes and landmarks. Dozens of golf courses are open to the public; boating, fishing, and swimming opportunities are everywhere.

Among the most popular individual attractions are Mystic Seaport and nearby Mystic Aquarium; Lake Compounce, Bristol; Nautilus Memorial, Groton; Gillette Castle, Hadlyme; Valley Railroad, Essex; New-Gate Prison, East Granby; Branford Trolley Museum, East Haven; Connecticut river cruise ships; and the homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Hartford.

Connecticut also offers a wealth of cultural attractions-theater, opera, ballet, concerts, and a number of nationally ranked museums and art galleries.