Best things to do in Stonington

See one of the United States' largest outdoor beluga whale exhibits at Mystic Aquarium, and get close-up with sharks, sea lions, penguins, octopi, and other ocean critters. Get hands on at touch exhibits where you can feel a reptile, stingray, shark, or crustacean. For an additional fee, you can get even closer during an animal encounter program with an African penguin, beluga whale, or even feed stingrays. Children and grownups can take educational programs at the aquarium to find out more about the marine life and conservation practices. Bring your own food and dine at the outdoor picnic area or try out the on-site cafe, which offers burgers, pizzas, snacks, wraps, and so on.

The largest maritime museum in the world, Mystic Seaport Museum is home to a collection of historical ships and boats. Along with seacraft, a re-creation of a 19th-century fishing village is one of the attraction's most popular spots. The museum is housed in 60 historical commercial buildings where traditional crafts are still made the same way they were when the town was founded.

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel and casino complex owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on their reservation located in Ledyard, Connecticut. Including six casinos, the resort covers an area of 9,000,000 sq ft (840,000 m2). The casinos have more than 250 gaming tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and poker, and have more than 5,500 slot machines. The casinos also have several restaurants, among them a Hard Rock Cafe. It has been developed since changes in state and federal laws in the late 20th century enabled Native American gaming on the sovereign reservations of federally recognized tribes.

Foxwoods has two hotel towers, with a total of 2,228 hotel rooms; and an arcade for children and teens. The original tower, the Grand Pequot Tower, opened in 1997, while the second opened in 2008 as the MGM Grand. It was re-branded the Fox Tower in 2013. In 2015, a retail complex, known as Tanger Outlet Mall, opened between the two hotel towers with 85 stores featuring luxury goods.

Step back into the 18th century at Olde Mistick Village. All the mall's shops are housed inside recreated houses typical for 1720s New England. Most offer locally produced goods that can't be found anywhere else. Peruse everything from clothes and accessories to handcrafts and food. The village has a selection of restaurants, and a theater shows movies and hosts live performances. Throughout the year, you can happen upon many events, exhibits, and festivals here. Even though this isn't a typical mall, modern facilities are available, along with plenty of parking space.

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The Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer House is a historic house museum in Stonington, Connecticut, built in 1852 - 54. The house is a transitional style between the Greek revival and the Victorian Italianate. It was built for Nathaniel Brown Palmer (1799–1877), who was a seal hunter, a pioneering Antarctic explorer, and a major designer of clipper ships. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Threatened with demolition, it was acquired by the Stonington Historical Society in 1994, which operates it as a museum devoted to Palmer.
The Palmer House is set on a point of land separating Quanaduck Cove from Lambert Cove to the north of Stonington's central village. It occupies a 4acre plot of land, all that is left of extensive Palmer family holdings. It is a roughly square wood frame structure, three bays wide and 2-1/2 stories in height, with a kitchen ell. The roof is hipped, with a gable at the center of each facade. At the center of the roof is an octagonal cupola with windows providing a 360-degree view. The main entrance is sheltered by a flat-roof portico supported by pairs of fluted and tapered Corinthian columns, with paired paneled pilasters flanking the double door. The windows on the main facade are framed by molded cornices with consoles. Roof lines of the main roof, portico, and cupola have dentil-like consoles and brackets. The interior of the house follows a central hall plan, with four rooms on each floor. The public rooms have particularly well-executed plaster, woodwork, and marble decoration. Of particular note is the captain's study on the ground floor, which features built-in cabinetry with shelving for nautical charts with mahogany-veneered paneled doors.

Stonington Vineyards is one of the first wineries in Connecticut, located mid-way between New York and Boston, right outside the quaint Stonington Borough. Our vineyards are situated on south-sloping, well-drained glacial soils. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean provides us a maritime microclimate not unlike the Bordeaux region with a long and relatively cool growing season; perfect for growing Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

Our winery was constructed in 1989 and renovated in 2014, incorporating modern winemaking technology with a sophisticated tasting room. From the start, Mike McAndrew has garnered the reputation for producing quality, European-style wines that have won numerous awards over the years.

Located on 58 acres of sprawling lawns with rolling hills of vines and sunset views, Stonington Vineyards is an exceptional location for special events. The newly renovated Tasting Room, stone patio and pergola covered deck is the perfect spot for a cocktail reception, while the gazebo offers an intimate place to exchange vows before guests make their way into the tent for dinner and dancing.

Stonington Vineyards hosts numerous events throughout the year including Pre-release events, concerts, festivals and more! Visit our website for the most up to date information.

The Submarine Force Museum offers self-guided tours with a chance to learn about the history of submarines and their role as part of the U.S. Navy. Climb aboard the USS Nautilus--launched in 1954, the Nautilus was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. Before it was decommissioned in 1980, it cruised under the ice of the North Pole, participated in NATO exercises, and joined in the naval quarantine of Cuba. The Nautilus offers self-guided audio tours. The museum houses a collection of smaller submarines, including a Japanese midget submarine (plus related items, such as periscopes), and a large library featuring a collection of books, documents, and photographs relating to the development of submersible crafts.