101 Family Day Trips and Staycation Ideas Around Hartford
Free activities and splurges that are worth it. The coolest stuff for a staycation in town and road trips for less than a tank of gas from Hartford. Kids Out And About has tons of ideas for family travel, with places to explore, learn, and have fun! Remember, it's always best to follow each link to get details about your visit directly from your destination, since some places operate seasonally or by reservation).
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Explore Gardens & Sculpture Gardens
Get Wild on a Hike
Time Travel Today
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Old Sturbridge Village |
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Historic Deerfield |
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Plimoth Plantation |
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Mystic Seaport Museum |
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Strawbery Banke Museum |
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Connecticut's Old State House |
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Mark Twain House |
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Dinosaur State Park |
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Noah Webster House |
Make Life a Beach
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Friends of Hammonasset Beach State Park |
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Ocean Beach |
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Hole-In-The-Wall Beach - Town of East Lyme |
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Misquamicut State Beach |
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Napatree Point |
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Rocky Neck State Park |
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Sherwood Island State Park |
Splash into Some Water Fun
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Lake Compounce |
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Quassy Amusement and Waterpark |
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Brownstone Park |
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Indoor Water Park New England |
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Great Wolf Lodge - Fitchburg, MA |
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Water Wizz |
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Breezy Picnic Grounds and Waterslides |
Spend the Day at a Museum
Explore These Cities
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Experience Essex |
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Norwalk |
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Town of East Lyme |
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This is Mystic |
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Springfield, MA |
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Official Portsmouth |
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Watch Hill Rhode Island |
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Providence RI |
All Aboard Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Boats!)
Grow Some Fun at the Farm
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Lyman Orchards |
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Strong Family Farm |
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Silvermans Farm |
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Jones Family Farm |
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Fort Hill Farms |
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Gifts of Love |
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The Dudley Farm |
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Flamig Farm |
Play Ball!
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Hartford Yard Goats |
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Bridgeport Islanders |
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Norwich Sea Unicorns |
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Hartford Hawks |
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Hartford Wolf Pack |
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Connecticut Sun Woman's Basketball |
Treat Yo' Self
Connect with Nature
Amuse Yourself at These Amusement Parks
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Quassy Amusement and Waterpark |
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Lake Compounce |
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Canobie Lake Park |
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Six Flags New England |
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Rye Playland |
Talk to the Animals
Monkey Around at the Playground Destinations
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Wickham Park |
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Buckingham Road Park |
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Kids In Motion Playground |
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Enfield Rotary Accessible Playground |
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Sandcastle Playground |
Get Active Indoors
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Stone Age Rock Gym |
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Launch Trampoline Park |
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Ron-A-Roll Indoor Skating Center |
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Whippersnapper's Play Gym |
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Lessard Lanes |
Challenge Yourself
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The Adventure Park at Storrs |
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Empower Leadership |
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It Adventure Ropes Course |
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Complexity |
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Adventure Rooms |
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New Britain Museum of American Art |
Take A Spin On A Carousel!
Limiting our list to 101 ideas meant some great destinations may have been left off the list - if there is something you’d like to see added, email your publisher, Debra Ross, at ross@kidsoutandabout.com.
Most of these destinations are within an hour from Hartford. For those that are a bit farther away:
= Less than 1 hour away
= 1 to 2 hours away
= 2 to 3 hours away
= Just over 3 hours away