Adventure
Bear Mountain Scale the highest peak in Connecticut, immerse yourself in the gorgeous Appalachian scenery, dip your toes in streams and small waterfalls along the way. Off of Rte. 41, Salisbury, CT.
Talcott Mountain State Park Hike up to the Heublein Tower to see three states on a clear day, ski the wooded trails in the winter, hit the paths on your mountain bike, pack a picnic for a post-hike snack. Off of Rte.185, south of Simsbury, CT; +1 860 242 1158.
Animals
Audubon Birdcraft Museum Listen to the music in the songbird sanctuary; view original dioramas used by Connecticut's Audubon founder Mabel Osgood; learn how birds are documented, banded and researched. 314 Unquowa Rd., Fairfield, CT; +1 203 259 0416. Fee.
Connecticut Beardsley Zoo Meet Nick and Nora, the zoo's spectacled bears; pop your head up at the prairie dog tunnel; debunk some animal myths with the help of a guide; go on a scavenger hunt to keep track of which animals you see. 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, CT; +1 203 394 6565. Fee.
Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk Snag a look at the slip-sliding river otters, rub the belly of a horseshoe crab, watch the sand tiger sharks glide past, gaze at the glowing jellyfish. 10 North Water St., Norwalk, CT; +1 203 852 0700. Fee.
Mystic Aquarium Sing to the aquarium's Beluga whales (or sign up to swim with them); notice the beautiful and deadly creatures in the venomous fish exhibit; waddle alongside the African penguins. 55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT; 800 572 5969. Fee.
Culture
Barnum Museum Uncover the mysteries about the man behind the "Greatest Show on Earth;" marvel over a replica Fiji Mermaid; learn the truth about Tom Thumb, Barnum's diminutive protégé. 820 Main St., Bridgeport, CT; +1 203 331 1104. Fee.
The Children's Museum Try on a shell in Turtle Town, construct a gravity-powered Lego car, surround yourself in a giant bubble, learn about the animals in the wildlife sanctuary. 950 Trout Brook Dr., West Hartford, CT; +1 860 231 2824. Fee.
Gillette Castle State Park Channel your inner Sherlock Holmes in the home of the actor who portrayed the famous sleuth; search for hidden nooks and crannies; see bizarre space-savers like built-in couches and tables that slide into the wall; walk the Artist Viewpoint trail to see where the Impressionists painted. River Rd., off Rte. 82, East Haddam, CT; +1 860 526 2336.
Kidcity Children's Museum Hoist the sails on the clipper ship from the 1800s, sort the mail in the miniature Post Office, watch your own puppet performance on a monitor. 119 Washington St., Middletown, CT; +1 860 347 0495. Fee.
New England Carousel Museum Survey one of the largest collections of antique carousel relics in the country, watch master carpenters and artists restore carousel horses, participate in an arts and crafts session. 95 Riverside Ave., Bristol, CT; +1 860 585 5411. Fee.
Stepping Stones Children's Museum Build your own bug; find out how water flows by building dams and creating new rivers; mix a hilarious body soundtrack of burps and gurgles. 303 West Ave., Norwalk, CT; +1 203 899 0606. Fee.
Stratford Garbage Museum Meet Trash-o-saurus, a dinosaur made from trash; guess how much the average person throws away in a year; watch recyclables as they are sorted before being turned into new items. 1410 Honeyspot Rd., Hartford, CT; +1 203 381 9571.
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Study thousands of pieces of artwork at the country's first public art museum; take a guided tour of the costumes, contemporary paintings, and traditional crafts on display; attend a performance, film showing, or gallery talk in the evening. 600 Main St., Hartford, CT; +1 860 278 2670. Fee.
Entertainment
Goodspeed Opera House Wander backstage and through actors' dressing rooms on an Opera Tour, enjoy musical performances in the elaborate 19th century Opera House. 6 Main St., East Haddam, CT; +1 860 444 7373. Fee.
History
Connecticut River Museum Imagine what it would be like to submerge in America's first submarine, revisit the area's ivory trade and ship-building history, get your sea legs with seasonal exhibits and programs that tie into Connecticut nautical history. 67 Main St., Essex, CT; +1 860 767 8269. Fee.
Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center Get goosebumps as you travel into a simulated glacial crevasse; see an ancient caribou hunt come alive; learn phrases of eastern Algonquian languages; watch films depicting the conflicts that arose when Dutch and English settlers first arrived. 110 Pequot Trail, Mashantucket, CT; 800 411 9671. Fee.
Old State House View a bizarre collection of items, from a unicorn's horn to George Washington's button, at the Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities; explore an interactive exhibit spanning 300 years of Connecticut history; take a guided tour and marvel at the life-size portrait of Washington himself. 800 Main St., Hartford, CT; +1 860 522 6766. Fee.
Museum of Connecticut History See models of the Colt firearms that made Connecticut famous, admire the handiwork detailed in the Freedom Trail Quilts, embark on a scavenger hunt to explore the museum. 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford; +1 860 757 6535.
New England Air Museum Experience a full-motion flight simulator, explore over 100 aircrafts through the museum on a family scavenger hunt, and visit on Open Cockpit days to sit in the cockpit of a real plane. Bradley International Airport, 36 Perimeter Rd., Windsor Locks, CT; +1 860 623 3305. Fee.
Peabody Museum of Natural History Scope out skeletons of prehistoric creatures, search for poison dart frogs in the rainforest habitat, climb inside an Egyptian mummy's tomb for dazzling remnants of a pharaoh's life. Whitney Avenue and Sachem St., New Haven, CT; +1 203 432 5050. Fee.
U.S.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum Learn about Bushnell's Turtle, the submarine first used in the Revolutionary War; look through a periscope to survey the Thames River; watch submarine films and climb aboard the world's first nuclear submarine. 1 Crystal Lake Rd., Groton, CT; 800 343 0079.
Nature
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Encounter owls, hawks, and falcons in the outdoor flight enclosures; check out insects and amphibians up close in the Natural History Museum; hike the woods, wetlands, and meadows; view the hundreds of pink Lady's Slippers that bloom each May. 109 Pequotsepos Rd., Mystic, CT; +1 860 536 1216. Fee.
Hammonasset Beach State Park Hunt for crabs along the rocky coast, visit the nature center for guided wildlife walks, hook some bluegill, listen for the call of the loons on a misty morning. Boston Post Rd., Madison, CT; +1 203 245 8743.
Kent Falls State Park Bask in the mist of waterfalls after trekking on the trails, cross a covered bridge, enjoy a stunning view from the top of the cascades. Off of Rte. 7, Kent, CT; +1 860 927 3238.
Lighthouse Point Park Hike up to the lighthouse, take a spin on the carousel, cool off in the water along the shore, examine specimens you may find in the Long Island Sound at the ranger's station. 2 Lighthouse Road, New Haven, CT; +1 203 946 8790. Fee.
Project Oceanology and the Lighthouse Program Board a ship to visit the New London Ledge Lighthouse, pull in a trawl net from the ocean to see its contents, spot seals that have traveled from Maine to Fishers Island Sound. 1084 Shennecossett Rd., Groton, CT; +1 860 445 9007. Fee.
Rocky Neck State Park Angle for a wide variety of fish; search for crabs off the pier; camp, hike, bird watch, and swim along the wide sand beach. 244 West Main St., Lyme, CT; +1 860 739 5471.
Science
Dinosaur State Park Marvel at the 500 dinosaur tracks available for viewing and learn how these tracks were discovered; walk through life-sized dioramas of the Triassic and Jurassic periods; wander the arboretum and hiking trails on the grounds. 400 West St., Rocky Hill, CT; +1 860 529 8423. Fee.