We visited Mystic, Connecticut with our three boys during our April break. If you know anything about the Northeast, you know it’s cold even in April. Despite some chilly temps, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed our visit.
Check out what we liked/disliked and feel free to leave a message in the comment section and let me know what you also enjoyed in Mystic or what we might have missed!
Exploring Mystic, CT and the Surrounding Area
Mystic Aquarium-We had a nice visit and our children enjoyed themselves. The beluga whales were especially fun to see. That being said, my unpopular opinion is that the aquarium doesn’t meet up to the public hype. I’ve heard a lot of people rave about how wonderful this aquarium is and I just didn’t feel like it measured up to other aquariums that we’ve visited. It was also spring break and it was EXTREMELY crowded. I think this might be a one and done visit for us.
At this time, advanced tickets are still recommended. When planning your visit, make sure to check the website for any available discounts.
Mystic Seaport Museum– Our family enjoyed this museum way more than I ever anticipated. As a happy coincidence, our visit took place during “Pirate Days” (this event typically takes place in April). For an additional fee, our kids each received a kit and searched for clues to find the “treasure” and they each got a prize of their choice. Naturally, our boys chose hooks for their hands. They didn’t last long, but they served their purpose and the kids enjoyed using them while we were there.
There were lots of period type buildings to explore as well as the ship. There were also demonstrations, music, stories, crafts and more. Our boys really enjoyed trying out the old style toys. They each got to try their hand at traditional wooden stilts and hoop and stick games.
We took our cues from the kids and left when they started to get tired/cranky and the chilly weather started to get to us. We’ve learned in the past, it’s just not worth pushing forward because their moods and level of cooperation aren’t going to improve if they’re already reaching their limits for the day. We easily could have spent more time here exploring and plan to go back someday.
We took some time to explore “Olde Mistik Village”. It’s free to walk around this charming open air village and there are many little shops to stroll through. If you or a family member is interested in magical items or Harry Potter type themes, then I would suggest visiting the Cloak and Wand shop. It has a lot of fun items and a “Potion Bar” to get drinks.
Venture into town and take a walk down Main St. There are lots of great stores and some restaurants to visit. We stopped by Mystic Knotwork. They make the sailor knot bracelet “famous since 1957”. The owners are incredibly friendly and lovely to chat with. If you don’t see an item in the colors that you prefer, they will work with you to create your own piece. They took the time to make knotwork bracelets for our boys in their school colors at no additional cost and now our kiddos have really neat souvenirs. The shop is also reasonably priced and the bracelets were only $7.50 a piece.
Roger Williams Park Zoo– Located in Providence, RI and approximately 45 minutes from Mystic, CT. It was so close, we decided to take a day trip while in the area visiting Mystic. It also gave us a chance to check off RI in our endeavor of visiting all 50 states. This is one of the oldest zoos in the US and a participant in the AZA reciprocal admissions program. This means that if you have a membership at another participating zoo, you can enter this zoo at a discount. Check for participating zoos at https://www.aza.org/reciprocity?locale=en.
This zoo is on the small side, but it’s really well done and I was impressed with everything they have here. Our kiddos enjoyed themselves, and one of their favorite activities was brushing the goats.
Let’s talk Food!
The Mystic Diner and Restaurant- Located across the street from Old Mystik Village. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but the food was decent and the prices were reasonable. Our kids are super picky eaters, but everyone could find something they liked here. Our 7 yr old loved it and if it were up to him, we would have eaten here every day.
Go Fish Seafood Restaurant- Located near Mystic Aquarium in Old Mystik Village. We really enjoyed the food and I had the best calamari I’ve ever had! The seafood was great and they had other options on their kid’s menu for our non-seafood eating children.
Deviant Donuts- Located within Old Mystik Village. These are fun specialty donuts. If you like fun flavors and lots of frosting, then this is the shop for you! Since we went during Pirate Days, our donuts were all pirate themed.
Mystic Pizza- I would be remiss to not mention this pizza shop when visiting Mystic Ct. Many people visit here as it was featured in the film “Mystic Pizza”, although I don’t believe the actual movie was shot here. We did not try the pizza, but if you’re a fan of the movie, you’ll probably want to add it to your list of stops.
Sift Bake Shop- Located just off of Main St. (on Water St.). The owner/chef is the 2018 winner of Food Network’s “Best Baker in America”, Adam Young. We stopped a couple of times during our stay and tried several of the desserts. Not only do they taste incredible, but some are even works of art! My personal favorite was the “Go Bananas” dessert, I highly recommend it! We gave it 10/10 stars and apparently many other people do as well because when we arrived, the line went out the door to the sidewalk.
There were lots of activities to choose from to keep our family of five happy and busy during our trip. The children all had a great time and even asked if we could come back someday!
Have another great experience to share? Leave a comment below and let me know!
