No trip to Connecticut is complete without a stop at Mystic Seaport Whether you're adding on to your Mystic Aquarium trip, enjoying the Rhode Island and Connecticut beaches, or looking for a looking for a one-of-a-kind seaside nautical museum, it's a place you don't want to miss. Mystic Seaport is a living museum that provides a snapshot of life on land and at sea in the 19th century. Called "The Museum of America and the Sea", Mystic Seaport is the largest maritime museum in the country and is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.
The re-created seaside village contains all that would have traditionally been found in a moderately-sized 19th-century coastal community. There are over 30 original buildings that have been relocated to this site. These New England-style trade exhibits and businesses include the Geo. H. Stone General Store, Mystic Bank, a cooperage, and a hoopmaker. At the blacksmith's shop you can watch as iron is heated in a fire then hammered by hand into horseshoes and hardware. The Burrows House is a local 1870's home which was saved from demolition by the Seaport and moved onsite. Throughout the village and inside the buildings are townspeople dressed in period clothing who engage in conversation about their lives.
Regularly scheduled demonstrations and events add a special touch to any visit. The presentations cover early pieces of culture such as fireplace cookery, music and sea chanties of the period, and marine survival drills used on the tallships.
The Seaport has a strong focus on education and preservation. The Seaport's current restoration project is in a building that's open to the public. Here you can watch the highly trained professionals as they painstakingly restore old ships. You will learn about the process, as well as the historical significance of the ship being restored.
There are four restored ships afloat in Mystic River that are a part of the museum, and each is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The seaport proudly maintains the Charles W. Morgan, the world's last wooden whaleship. The Emma C. Berry has also been restored, and is one of the last examples of a locally built mid-19th century commercial ships. One of a few remaining sailing schooners from the early 20th century, the L.A. Dunton, took the Mystic Seaport 11 years to bring back to it's original glory. The oldest steam-powered, coal-fired passenger ferry in operation in the United States, called the Sabino, is located at the Seaport and used for its summer cruises on the Mystic River.
Mystic Seaport Museum is also home to the Maritime Art Gallery. The museum focuses on all-things-marine and has a splendid collection of period and contemporary art. Be sure to check out the vast collection of figureheads salvaged from tallships.
The Mystic Seaport museum store has an impressive selection that's worth the visit. They have many local Connecticut gifts and treats, as well as nautically inspired glassware, jewelry and home décor that are perfect for anyone on your list.
After you've finished exploring the Mystic Seaport, stop by Downtown Mystic for a little window shopping, a bite to eat at the famous Mystic Pizza, or a cocktail at the historic Daniel Packard Inne. If you've become so enchanted with the charm of the Mystic area that you don't want to leave just yet, stay another day and check-in at the Inn at Mystic or The Whaler's Inn. If you validate your Mystic Seaport ticket before leaving, each ticket is good for two consecutive days, so enjoy a second look before you leave town.
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