- Mystic Aquarium was free on 1 day in December 2024, if you brought 1 item for the food pantry per person. Keep an eye out to see when they do this again in 2025!
- Mystic Seaport Museum is free every Halloween day (Oct 31), from 3-6 PM.
- The Springfield, MA museums (including the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, Springfield Science Museum, Michelle and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, and Museum of Springfield History), just over the CT border, are free on the first Wednesday of the month!
- The Niantic Children’s Museum has First Friday Dollar Night ($1/person), which begins at either 5 PM or 6 PM on the first Friday of the month and ends at 8 PM. (Okay, this one isn’t free, but it’s close enough!) This museum is also free for children under age 1.
- The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (by Elizabeth Park, near the border of West Hartford and Hartford) offers free admission for families on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month. On Saturdays from 12-2 PM, a particular craft for children is offered! Children under age 5 are always free.
- The Wadsworth Atheneum art museum in Hartford offers free admission and programming for families from 12-2 PM on the second Saturday of the month. (Children aged 17 and under can always go to the Wadsworth for free!)
- The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London offers free admission on the first Saturday of the month. Children under age 12 are always free.
- The Mattatuck Museum in Torrington offers free admission on the second Saturday of the month and offers a kids art workshop! Children under age 12 are always free.
- Bruce Museum in Greenwich offers free admission on Tuesdays from 10 AM-5 PM (including a morning toddler class)! It is also always free for children under age 5.
- The Connecticut Science Center was/is free:
- On Halloween day (Oct 31) from 10 AM-4 PM, for kids who come in costume.
- For 1 day in January 2025 for Space in the Community Day – check to see if/when they do this again in the future!
- The Lutz Children’s Museum (in Manchester) and Hungerford Nature Center (in Berlin) are free on CT’s annual open house day in June (the 2025 date is June 8). The Lutz is also free for children under age 1.
- Regarding MyGym locations (like the ones in West Hartford, Enfield and Glastonbury), keep an eye out for their annual free open houses in August/September!.
- Playstrong indoor play studio in Windsor also offers a free open house every August – keep an eye out for this!
- At The Children’s Museum in West Hartford, Symmetra (an insurance company) sponsored a free weekend of admission in December 2024 – keep an eye out for if this happens again in the future! This museum is also free for children under age 2.
- The White Memorial Nature Center in Litchfield offers several annual free weeks – keep an eye out to see when these happen!
