Things To Do In and Around New Haven
New Haven is a small coastal city in Connecticut, known for being home to Yale University, a vibrant food scene (Italian, Hispanic and Asian food), and the surrounding natural beauty of the Long Island Sound and the Metacomet Ridge. It is a walkable city with world-class museums, pizza, and parks all within easy reach. Find some of our recommendations below in case you plan to stay longer than just for the wedding itself:
The Peabody Museum of Natural History
Dinosaurs, meteorites, gemstones, and more are exhibited at the wonderful Peabody Museum of Natural History, a pleasant 15-minute walk away from our wedding venue. Our favorite exhibition is the gemstone collection on the third floor, including many from Cindy's hometown in China. Admission is free.
State Parks in the vicinity
East Rock Park is a 45-minute walk from our wedding venue through a pleasant neighborhood, offering beautiful views of New Haven. West Rock Ridge and Lake Wintergreen, where the above photo was taken, is a 10-minute drive from our wedding venue, offering hiking trails, a historic hiding place of revolutionary Englishmen, and again, beautiful vistas of New Haven and the Long Island Sound. Sleeping Giant State Park is a 15-minute drive from our wedding venue, offering extensive hiking trails.
Sterling Memorial Library
Yale's main library is a beautiful Collegiate-Gothic cathedral with a Hogwarts-feel. Wander through hidden courtyards, explore the millions of books in the bookstack tower, and find secret messages that students and visitors leave to one another hidden in the historic mailboxes.
Connecticut Coast
New Haven lies on the Long Island Sound, along a coastline dotted with beaches, lighthouses, nature preserves, small islands, and more. One can find interesting wildlife (Martin once found a nightmarish Horseshoe Crab stranded on the beach—a "living fossil"), the "submarine capital of the world" (Groton, CT), and dramatic rock formations as one gets closer to Rhode Island in the east.
Yale University Art Gallery
The Yale Art Gallery, a two-minute walk from our wedding venue, offers thousands of world-class art pieces exhibited in a beautiful mix of neo-classical and modern architecture. Admission is free.
Beyond New Haven
New York City, Boston, and Providence are all within a 2-3 hour travel radius. The White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Catskills of New York, and more are all within a 3-4 hour travel radius. If you have the time, we highly recommend exploring beautiful New England. Feel free to ask us for concrete recommendations.