Highest-rated free things to do in Connecticut by visitors

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Connecticut.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Connecticut using data from . Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

You may also like: Highest-rated IPAs in Connecticut

Tripadvisor

1 / 30

#30. Tarrywile Park & Mansion

- Rating: 4.6/5 (179 reviews)
- City: Danbury
-

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. Tanger Outlets Foxwoods

- Rating: 4.1/5 (244 reviews)
- City: Mashantucket Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

3 / 30

#28. Hubbard Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (200 reviews)
- City: Meriden
-

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Gouveia Vineyards

- Rating: 4.2/5 (362 reviews)
- City: Wallingford
-

Tripadvisor

5 / 30

#26. Castle Craig

- Rating: 4.5/5 (84 reviews)
- City: Meriden
-

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Bushnell Park

- Rating: 4.2/5 (207 reviews)
- City: Hartford
-

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. West Hartford Reservoir

- Rating: 4.7/5 (211 reviews)
- City: West Hartford
-

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Greenwich Avenue

- Rating: 4.3/5 (209 reviews)
- City: Greenwich
-

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Devil's Hopyard State Park

- Rating: 4.2/5 (147 reviews)
- City: East Haddam
-

Tripadvisor

10 / 30

#21. Bluff Point State Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (214 reviews)
- City: Groton Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Yale Center for British Art

- Rating: 4.7/5 (368 reviews)
- City: New Haven
-

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Connecticut State Capitol

- Rating: 4.6/5 (234 reviews)
- City: Hartford
-

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Enders Falls

- Rating: 4.4/5 (64 reviews)
- City: Granby
-

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Niantic Bay Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.5/5 (111 reviews)
- City: East Lyme Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

15 / 30

#16. Jones Family Farm

- Rating: 4.5/5 (252 reviews)
- City: Shelton
-

You may also like: Best public middle schools in Connecticut

Tripadvisor

16 / 30

#15. Old Wethersfield

- Rating: 4.6/5 (70 reviews)
- City: Wethersfield
-

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Sleeping Giant State Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (307 reviews)
- City: Hamden
-

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. USS Nautilus

- Rating: 4.8/5 (169 reviews)
- City: Groton Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. East Rock Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (186 reviews)
- City: New Haven
-

Tripadvisor

20 / 30

#11. Mystic River Bascule Bridge

- Rating: 4.4/5 (807 reviews)
- City: Mystic Mystic Country
-

You may also like: Coldest Octobers in Connecticut since 1895

Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. Elizabeth Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (432 reviews)
- City: West Hartford
-

Tripadvisor

22 / 30

#9. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

- Rating: 4.8/5 (286 reviews)
- City: New Haven
-

Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. Silver Sands State Park

- Rating: 4.3/5 (435 reviews)
- City: Milford
-

Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. Historic Downtown Mystic

- Rating: 4.4/5 (717 reviews)
- City: Mystic Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

25 / 30

#6. Yale University

- Rating: 4.6/5 (838 reviews)
- City: New Haven
-

Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. The Submarine Force Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (907 reviews)
- City: Groton Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Mohegan Sun

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1,522 reviews)
- City: Uncasville Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Yale University Art Gallery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (996 reviews)
- City: New Haven
-

Tripadvisor

29 / 30

#2. Olde Mistick Village

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1,768 reviews)
- City: Mystic Mystic Country
-

Tripadvisor

30 / 30

#1. Foxwoods Resort Casino

- Rating: 3.9/5 (3,448 reviews)
- City: Mashantucket Mystic Country
-

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

You may also like: Best counties to retire to in Connecticut

爆料TV