26 Free Connecticut Museums & Nature Centers

Photo Credit: Barnes Nature Center

Every Connecticut family can use FREE indoor places to take their children – especially during cold winter months like January and February! It’s always helpful if the location has an educational bent as well. For moms looking for FREE indoor places for kids to learn, check out this list:

MUSEUMS:

Southeastern CT:

1. Submarine Museum in Groton 

Eastern CT:

1. HUSKY Heritage Sports Museum in Storrs 
2. Ballard Puppet Museum in Storrs 
3. UConn Animal Barns in Storrs

Western CT:

1. CT Antique Machinery Association in Kent 
2. New England Accordion Connection and Museum Company in North Canaan

Fairfield County:

1. Westport Astronomical Society
2. SoNo Switch Tower & Museum in South Norwalk (an old train tower!)

Greater New Haven:

1. Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven
2. Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven
3. Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven (has dinosaurs!)
4. Dudley Farm Museum in North Guilford

Central/Northern CT:

1. New Britain Industrial Museum 
2. Museum of CT History in Hartford (Free select days)
3. Cabela’s in East Hartford (has a mini-aquarium and mini-natural history exhibits, in addition to a massive exhibit in the middle of the store!)
4. National Helicopter Museum in Stratford
5. Boothe Park Museum in Stratford (a historic homestead)
6. New England Civil War Museum in Vernon

NATURE CENTERS:

1. Barnes Nature Center in Bristol 
2. Ansonia Nature Center 
3. Northwest Park Nature Center in Manchester 
4. Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury
5. Soundwaters Coastal Education Center in Stamford
6. New Canaan Nature Center 
7. 4H Auerfarm in Windsor 
8. Meig’s Point Nature Center at Hammonasset State Park
9. Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center in Wethersfield