Best of 2022 - Openings in Connecticut

1. The Christmas Ride at Pumpkintown USA

Pumpkintown USA has been a Connecticut destination for years, delighting kids with a not-so-spooky autumn attraction. This year, the Christmas Ride at Pumpkintown USA opened, extending the family fun through the holiday season.  From the comfort of the family car, kids can saw the familiar pumpkin people in a new, holiday-themed landscape. We loved how Pumpkintown brought their creations into the Christmas Season in 2022. Connecticut's many holiday activities were back to delight families. Old favorites like Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village returned for 2022, as did the holiday magic of Olde Mystick Village. 

2. The Road to Busytown at the Fairfield Museum

Illustrator Richard Scarry created memorable characters with his Busytown franchise. The Fairfirled Museum celebrated his work and connection to the local community with an exhibit dedicated to Scarry's fictional Busytown and the real-life community of Fairfield. The opening gala featured free ice cream, a touch-a-truck activity, the chance to meet some of Busytown's characters, and more. Throughout the year, the Fairfirld Museum also hosted wonderful kid-friendly events like family drawing workshops, a Memorial Day picnic and concert, and a build-a-train workshop.

 
Dino fans sunk their teeth into Connecticut attractions in 2022! Photo courtesy of Jurassic Quest

3. Immersive Experiences across Connecticut

Connecticut hosted some immersive spectacles throughout 2022. Kids were able to travel through time or explore masterpieces up close. Beyond Van Gogh presented families with colossal reproductions of incredible works of art. The Dino and Dragon Stroll brought Connecticut kids on a fantastic journey of the imagination complete with rides and games. Mohegun Sun hosted Jurassic Quest, the world's largest dinosaur exhibit, which returns to Hartford in the spring. Dino fans rejoice!

4. CAMP in Norwalk

Bluey Meet & Greet was one big hit for fans of the cartoon dog. The event included crafts, dancing, photos, and all the toy-driven hands-on fun of the CAMP experience in Norwalk.  Bluey is quite the sensation, a popular theme for birthdays and more. CAMP tops off 2022 with a Noon Year's Eve party, and the mix of play-space and toy store kept Connecticut kids coming back for more throughout the year.

 
Connecticut's budding entrepeneurs shone in 2022. Photo by Patty Diaz, for the Children's Business Festival

5. First Children's Business Festival

This unique experience gave Connecticut kids to hone their business chops while still in grade school. Connecticut's future entrepeneurs had the opportunity to realize their dreams immediately, finding donors, supporters, and fellow movers and shakers at this Norwalk festival. Whether or not the ideas succeeded, the kids who participated learned so much about pursuing their ideas and making their best effort!

Best of 2022 - Milestones in Connecticut

6. Beardsley Zoo turns 100

The Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport has drawn families for generations. Connecticut's beloved zoo turned 100, and the year was filled with fun events and activities. Boo at the Zoo and Bat Week appealed to Halloween fans, while Fairy Tales Day satisfied a younger crowd with storybook characters and a magical experience. The Beardsley Zoo even hosted a concert by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to a roaring crowd!

 
Some Connecticut attractions get better with age. Photo courtesy Meigs Point Nature Center

7. Meigs Point Nature Center Turned 50

Best of 2022 - Connecticut Happenings

11. Connecticut Science Center Exhibits

Whether it's the wildlife stage shows in the summer of 2022 or the 3-D Grinch screenings at the holidays, the Connecticut Science Center kept up its tradition of engaging events. MakeFest at the Science Center was filled with STEM activities, Mummies of the World, and (joy!) LEGOs. Other 2022 events at the center included Bubblemania and NASA Space Day. As 2023 dawns, the Forest of Illusions exhibit continues, while the Connecticut Science Center charts a new year of family fun.

Coolest Kid-Friendly Openings in 2022 Around the Rest of the Country

12. Mommy Poppins Launched in San Francisco and Miami

Our little family grew this year as we added San Francisco and Miami to the world of Mommy Poppins. Our two new sites join NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut, DC, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Orlando, and Atlanta. Also expanding: the cool things you can do on our site. We recently redesigned our search pages with a cleaner, easier-to-use design and new functionality. You can now find camps and classes on your local calendar of events and even buy tickets directly from our website — if an event has a red "Book It" tag, you can purchase tickets immediately, with no added fees. Oh yeah, in our spare time, we also created a new Earth Kids Guide and newsletter. Since the environment is one of the most critical issues facing our children’s futures, we wanted to think and talk about new meaningful and fun activities to engage children and families with sustainability each month.
 
Kids got their fill of slime in 3 locations in 2022. Sloomoo Institute photo by Lauren LaRoche

13. Sloomoo Institute  — NYC, Atlanta, and Chicago

The Sloomoo Institute is a slime lover's paradise and an over-the-top sensory experience. After starting life as a pop-up in NYC, it’s now a permanent 8,000-square-foot space your kids will want to visit again and again. No worries if you can’t make it to New York, as Sloomoo opened in Atlanta and Chicago before the year ended. With the massive popularity of the idea (we’ve had editors visit in all three locations, and all their kids agree this is fun to the 9th degree), we suspect there will soon be outposts everywhere.

14. Rise NY — NYC

A brand new experience has opened close to Times Square that takes visitors on a breathtaking simulated aerial tour of New York City. With your feet dangling from the full-motion seats, you soar and swoop through the city, its landmarks, and all its seasons in RiseNY’s awe-inspiring love letter to the Big Apple. Hit all the tourist destinations at once…

15. Retro Roller Skating Rink at Rockefeller Center — NYC

Think you can only strap on skates at Rockefeller Center at Christmas? That's no longer the case, and we got the scoop on summer skating at Rockefeller Center. (Also, here are the best restaurants near Rockefeller Center, so your family won't wander into a tourist trap and can get some actually tasty eats.)

16. There's a Brand New Sesame Place — San Diego

One of our LA writers visited the park before it opened and got the inside story on what kids love about the country's newest theme park. There's a water park element to the place, too, which is open year-round, and it's definitely one of the best amusement parks in the US for kids under 5.

17. Dig World TX — Houston

This construction-themed adventure park opened this year near Houston. Here kids can operate the equipment instead of just watching: drive skid steers, dig dirt with excavators, and more. (Now Diggerland in NJ isn't the only construction-themed theme park!)

18. Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex — Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL

This new, 50,000-square-foot, multi-level attraction at Kennedy Space Center opened in March. It gives space fanatics of all ages first-hand views of modern-day spacecrafts such as a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and Orion Crew vehicle. The main concourse features a 4D motion theater offering four different journeys. It's as close to outer space as you can get without paying for a ride on a tech billionaire's rocket.

19. Stranger Things Experience — Atlanta and Los Angeles

Any teen parent will tell you that finding the outings that they will not only agree to go on (with parents, not friends), but will rave about afterward, are few and far between. Well, this is one outing tweens and teens love. It consists of a walking adventure with an interactive storyline told by the cast of the TV show, a 3D VR adventure that just might make you scream, and a trip to the Starcourt Mall, where you can enjoy Scoops Ahoy ice cream and very cool photo ops.

Harry Potter's Wizarding Wall met the expectations of fans of all ages. Photo by Jennifer Marino Walters

20. Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience — Westchester and DC

Harry Potter fans, rejoice! Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is a magical walk-through that takes guests along a nighttime woodland trail filled with creatures, characters, and scenes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Spectacular lighting and sound effects, mist, and interactive elements make visitors feel like they've truly stepped into the Wizarding World.

21. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Experience  — Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando

At this one-of-a-kind hotel experience, guests stay aboard a starship for a two-night adventure. The journey begins on a launchpad with a simulated blast off into space. The launch paddocks at the Halcyon starcruiser, where guests have their own passenger cabin complete with bunk beds and a galactic view. Young Jedis can get a sneak peek of the inner workings of the ship, encounter stormtroopers in the ship's atrium, wield a lightsaber, and navigate the ship with the crew's help. Cheap? No. An incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience? Yep.

22. The Dr. Seuss Experience — Traveling show

This traveling show is one our Houston editor caught when it was there, and she said it’s as if the books have come to life. The show moved to Colorado and will continue touring the US from there. The experience gives kids a chance to see, hear, feel, and experience their favorite settings from nine of Dr. Seuss’ stories as they go from room to room to interact with each installation.

Did we miss any of your favorite new openings? Let us know on Facebook!