Things To Do In Meriden Ct This Weekend

Fun Things To Do In Meriden

Warm temps expected for the weekend

Since 1986 the Town Planner Calendar has been keeping families across America up-to-date about events and other fun things to do right in their hometown.

Delivered free of charge every December to millions of homes across America, our full-sized, full-color calendar is a time-tested and beloved tool for helping families stay organized. The large date blocks are not only loaded with lots of nearby events and fun things to do, there’s plenty of room for you to record your own family’s important events like birthdays, anniversaries, parties — anything you have planned — so everybody in the house can see them whenever they go to the fridge, out the front door, or wherever you choose to display it.

But there’s more! Every calendar is full of coupons from popular local merchants, so you can save money while supporting small businesses right in your hometown.

And don’t miss our beautiful full-color photography! Every month you’ll recognize a new photo from someplace close to home, submitted to us by a local photographer. If you’d like to have your own hometown photos included in our calendar, please contact your local publisher for more information.

If there’s something happening close to home that folks in your neighborhood need to know about, why not submit it to us today? Please note that publication of your event is subject to approval by your local Town Planner publisher.

Free Things To Do In Litchfield County Connecticut

Want to experience the great outdoors and wide open spaces the way Connecticutians do?

Then head to Litchfield County, with more deer than people.

The vast expanses up here mean theres lots of free hiking and exploring to do in the Berkshires of Connecticut.

Tapping Reeve House & Law School in Litchfield, CT

Litchfield is one of the most cute towns in Connecticut.

Wandering along its well-preserved downtown is a delightful, free, thing to do here.

But while youre here, take a short walk away from West Street to one of many firsts in Connecticut, and a top free historic attraction.

Tapping Reeve and his wife, Sally Burr Reeve settled in Litchfield in 1773. Mr. Reeve established a legal practice, to which Aaron Burr came to live with them and learn the legal profession.

As more wealthy locals sent their sons to Reeves practice for legal training, his law profession expanded into Americas first formal law school. By the time the Tapping Reeve House & Law School closed in 1833, more than 1,100 students had matriculated.

Visitors today can experience the life of a Revolutionary era law student with role-playing, interactive and hands-on exhibits.

White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, Connecticut

Have you heard one too many lawyer jokes in your life to want to see how the first American ones were developed?

Then you can do what the locals do and strap on your hiking boots.

Steep Rock Preserve in Washington Depot, CT

Spend A Day In Mystic

If youre looking for a picturesque spot to soak up some history, sail along a quiet harbor, and fill your belly with tasty treats, youll find it in Mystic. An adorable coastal town set along the Mystic River, this charming retreat is a perfect place for a weekend getaway.

Spotted with gleaming sailboats, the town thrives on its nautical history. Once serving as a port for whaling vessels, the popular Mystic Seaport is one of the best museums in Connecticut. Boasting everything from a planetarium to a working shipyard to historic wooden ships and a 19th-century seafaring village, youll need at least a day to fully explore its offerings. Dont worry, theres a restaurant on-site to help quiet those grumbly tummies.

The Mystic Aquarium is also top-notch. In fact, its been deemed one of the best attractions in Connecticut. People come for the beluga whales but stay for the other impressive creatures and exhibits.

Dont miss a visit to the Olde Mistick Village, and make sure youre hungry when you arrive. An outdoor mall designed to represent a 19th-century New England Village, the charming area is filled with themed stores, most of which offer free samples of their delicious wares. With multiple eateries on site, this is one of the best places in Connecticut to visit for a meal.

Also Check: Mystic Ct Visitors Guide

Fantasy Of Lights At Lighthouse Point Park In New Haven

The Fantasy of Lights has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families from all over Connecticut and New England. The mile-long route features over 60 displays and 100,000 lights. Many of the displays are animated and some are fitted with LED bulbs, making them more colorful and vibrant. read more

FREE

Free skating 7-days a week at Winterfest on the east side of Bushnell Park over by the Pump House. Dont have your own skates? Winterfest has free skate rentals too. read more

FREE

Witness the illumination of more than 350,000 twinkling white lights. Enjoy more than 200 figures and buildings decorated with lights in this spectacular display. read more

Wadsworth Falls State Park

A simple 15-minute drive out of Meriden theres natural splendour of a different kind, at a state park with two beautiful waterfalls in its boundaries.

Wadsworth Big Falls and Wadsworth Little Falls are both easily accessed via trails.

On the 16-metre-wide reach of the Coginchaug River, Wadsworth Big Falls tumbles over a 9.1-metre basalt shelf.

Smaller, but a little higher, Wadsworth Little Falls is on the Wadsworth Brook and drops 12 metres down a sandstone flight.

The falls are couched in thick forest coursed with trails for hiking and mountain biking.

In summer a pond here has a small sandy beach patrolled by lifeguards.

The park is on the former Long Hill Estate that belonged to the conservationist and New York National Guard member Colonel Clarence C. Wadsworth . Wadsworths Classical Revival mansion, dating to 1911, sits just east of the park and is rented out for weddings.

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Holiday Lights Spectacular At The Amp

The family friendly Holiday Lights Spectacular will feature lasers, choreographed lighting, projection mapping, tunnels, and millions of lights. The drive-through experience will take you into the Amp. . Families will be dazzled by projection mapped moments and even be able to drive through a laser light show inside the amphitheater! Drivers will be able to tune their car to a dedicated FM station that will air a curated holiday music playlist. read more

Free Things To Do In Connecticut During Covid

During the pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020, almost anything free and outdoors was fair game.

Major exceptions were state parks, though hiking in state forests were still open to the few who know of them.

Even after the lockdown was lifted in Connecticut, money remained tight. As such, free stuff remained the way to go, either indoors or outdoors.

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Best Things To Do In Meriden

A working town between New Haven and Hartford, Meriden was an important manufacturing centre in the 19th and early 20th century.

The city was most famous for its silver and cutlery, but also producing glassware, guns, musical instruments and kitchen appliances.

Many worldwide icons of industrial design from this time were conceived right here, and theres architectural evidence of Meridens boom days in its grand downtown architecture and the stately residences on Broad Street.

Now, the city deserves your attention for the natural beauty all around.

Cutting through Meriden is the narrow and steep Metacomet Ridge, an epic basalt fault that extends from Long Island Sound as far as Massachusetts-Vermont, 100 miles to the north.

The ridge creates some awe-inspiring scenery at majestic walls of rock with unique microclimates and rare plant species.

Lets explore the best things to do in Meriden:

Ride A Snowbike At Powder Ridge Park

Family trip – Castle Craig Meriden Connecticut

Powder Ridge Park is a perfect place to enjoy the winter in Connecticut. They also have plenty of summer activities, too!

In the winter, the unique thing not to be missed is snowbike riding. This unusual activity is a great way to enjoy the magic of the slopes if youre not a skiier or snowboarder. Its just likeriding a bike!

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Take A Peek Inside Augusta Curtis Cultural Center

Special thanks to Sam Carr of Aerial View Photography for this amazing shot of the Center!

Posted by on Sunday, 23 September 2018

Formed in the year 2000, this century-old Greek Marvel Memorial building is located in the heart of the city. The building holds a special space in the history of Meriden and is deeply rooted in the historically rich background of the greater Meriden. The building has undergone renovation with the purpose of maintaining and preserving the previous library and promoting different cultural explorations across diverse avenues in the community of Connecticut. The citizens of Meriden have played an active role in holding on to this historic glory and raising awareness in making this project a reality.

This golf course in Meriden has been rated as one of the finest golf courses in Connecticut and among the âTen Best Public Golf Coursesâ. This golf club was formally opened in the year 1929. In 1935 the course was further expanded with eighteen holes. Since then this golf course has undergone several design changes in making it what it is today. After the death of the famous golfer George Hunter, the course name was changed to George Hunter Memorial Golf Course from Meriden Municipal Golf Course popularly known as Hunterâs. In recent times, the golf club has hosted many exhibitions and events involving notable celebrities and recognized dignitaries.

Eat A Steamed Cheeseburger

One of the countrys most delicious and hyper-local regional delicacies is the steamed hamburger, found primarily in Meriden, Middletown, and surrounding areas. The quintessential example is at Teds Restaurant in Meriden, which has been using steamed water to cook its burgers since 1959. Ordered with the works, the juicy burger comes encapsulated in cheese, and coated in mustard, mayo, and ketchup, with all the other standard toppings.

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Spend Time At Bluff Point State Park

Bluff Point State Park is an 800-acre park on a largely undeveloped peninsula between the Poquonnock River and Mumford Cove. Here youll discover pleasant trails for biking and hiking, with views over Long Island Sound.

Keep your eyes peeled for plenty of avian wildlife, and if youre into fishing, bring your poles. Potential species to be caught include bluefish, striped bass, summer and winter flounder, blackfish, and more. With a permit, you can also fish for shellfish here.

Things To Do: Ct Foliage Forecast Seasonal Destinations

Connecticut is poised to provide a picturesque backdrop for months of seasonal fun closer to home amid the pandemic.

The Connecticut Office of Tourismsays that because of dry conditions this summer, the states Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is predicting leaf peepers will get to enjoy colors sooner and for a longer period of time this year.

Current conditions are setting the stage for an earlier start to the fall foliage season, with peak color happening not all at once, but lasting several weeks in parts of the state, Connecticut State Forester Chris Martin said in a news release. Only a few regions of the world have seasonal displays of color like New England and Connecticut offers some of the most diverse tree species in the region, which means a wider array of colors yellow, bronze, orange, red and purple for all to enjoy longer.

Follow DEEPs week-by-week Foliage Finder to learn more.

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John Zaffis Museum Of The Paranormal

John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal

This eccentric museum, packed with paranormal oddities and collectibles, is one of many fun things to do in CT.

Owned and curated by paranormal expert John Zaffis, who has nearly 45 years of experience in the field, the museum is home to hundreds of relics associated with famous hauntings, rituals, spirits, and witchcraft.

If paranormal activity and artifacts tickle your fancy, youll want to visit the John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal its one of the top things to do in CT.

Of note, the museum contains suspicious artifacts collected in connection with unusual and inexplicable, paranormal occurrences.

Some of the unique items youll see on your tour include spooky clowns, marionettes, a haunted Grandfather clock, and more.

Though not for the faint of heart, John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal, like the proprietor himself, is something of a Connecticut phenomenon.

This museum is certainly top in entertainment!

Address: Stratford, CT 06615, United States

Follow Your Favorite Food Truck

Connecticut is home to tons of food trucks. This new trend has provided CT with some of the most delicious food. They used to be native to only larger cities but have now made their way across the entire state.

It may be hard to explain but its a common rule that most food that comes from a food truck seems to have an extra boost of deliciousness. If you have never had the chance to experience the tasty treats from any Connecticut food trucks, you now have a checklist of places to check out.

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Magic Of Lights At Pratt & Whitney Stadium

The Magic of Lights is a spectacular drive-through holiday lights display using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Enjoy the all-new drive-through Blizzard Tunnel as well as returning favorites including 12 Days of Christmas, Winter Wonderland, and The Night Before Christmas. read more

Santa Claus will join the Maritime Aquariums dive team for some underwater holiday cheer. read more

Uss Nautilus Submarine Force Museum

FORECAST: Mid-week storm could impact holiday travel

The Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT will amaze children and adults alike while offering a unique look into history, science, and innovation.

The Submarine Force Museum in Groton makes for the perfect day trip. Both entertaining and educational, youll have a blast while simultaneously learning about the role that Connecticut has to play in protecting America.

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Things To Do In Connecticut This Weekend: Maple Sugaring Cuddly Animals Special Olympics

It’s mid-February, and that means the time is just about perfect for making maple syrup! This traditional sweet requires only maple tree sap, cold nights, and lots of firewood. And you can see it made before your eyes during demonstrations this weekend in Greenwich, Woodbury, and Burlington. If you’re looking for even cozier outdoor fun, try cuddling some animal friends. Finally, for those who love the thrill of competitionand want to expose kids to some seriously inspiring athletesthe Connecticut Special Olympics Winter Games are happening this weekend at numerous sites across the state.

Don’t forget to check out our and Winter Fun Guide for even more inspiration. To keep up with the latest family-friendly events and activities, sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on , and . Have a fantastic weekend!

Witness Lush Greenery At Doctor Francis Giuffrida Park

Taken last night from the ridge, facing west

Posted by Giuffrida Park on Wednesday, 13 June 2018

Located in the north of East Meriden, Francis Giuffrida Park has an elevation of 95 meters and is a perfect getaway for long hikes. The park offers a beautiful view of the wetland meadow and the quiet reservoir. A hike to the Chauncey Peak can let you experience the spectacular views of the surrounding area. All these ridges are extremely steep and hence one needs to be cautious of the wet and snowy weather. Apart from the trails that climb to the ridgelines, there are other trails as well with similar terrain. Consider the season you choose to arrive at this location for a safe hike.

The Meriden Land Trust provides a complete guide with a proper hiking description for all visitors. The hiking trail is 3-meters long with an elevation of 410 feet . The initial 322 meters is very steep and might need crawling up the hill but, as you gradually descend to the north, the terrain is relatively flat. The hiking starts from the parking area heading towards the edge of the lake with a visible view of Chauncey Peak gradually crossing through the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail as you head east towards the base of the dam.

Address: 701 Westfield Rd, Meriden, CT 06450, United States

Opening hours: 24 hours

Price: Free

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Best Things To Do In Meriden Connecticut

The town of Meriden is located in what is known as the crossroads of Connecticut, situated around two hours between Boston and New York City and approximately twenty minutes from New Haven and Hartford. There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation in town, including the Hubbard Park, the Giuffrida Park, and the Meriden Lions Club Park. Several annual festival and events also take place throughout the year in Meridens parks. Meriden, Connecticut is also home to museums, unique shops, historic places, and delicious food. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Some restaurants are currently offering pickup only. Hours/availability may have changed.

Start Planning Your Trip To Connecticut

With so many fun things to do in Connecticut, itll be hard to narrow down your top choices.

Hopefully, youll be spending enough time in the Constitution State to check out some of the amazing attractions listed herein.

With attractions and activities galore ranging from outdoor nature preserves and farms to wild and crazy amusement parks to history-rich sights and everything in between, Connecticut is truly a tourists paradise.

So pack your bags and enjoy making memories to last a lifetime during your visit to the Constitution State.

Happy travels.

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