Submitted by Mary Beth Lawlor on Sun, 09/02/2018 - 9:25am Fun Things to Do With Kids This Autumn in Connecticut Making leaf piles to jump in, finding that perfect pumpkin, going on fall hikes, driving through "leaf showers," going apple picking, getting lost in corn mazes, going to Fall Festivals and carnivals, and let's not forget Halloween - so much fall fun in CT! Here's a list based upon our ever popular 120 Things to Do with Kids in Connecticut Before They Grow Up. It's filled with great places to visit and fun things to do all over the state this fall. 1. Visit Mystic; it's fun anytime of the year. The sea lion show at the Mystic Aquarium is particularly entertaining. While in the area make sure to hit up the fun shops in Olde Mistick Village. 2. Experience a replicated Algonkian Village at the Institute of American Indian Studies. 3. Meet friendly costumed animal characters along the Enchanted Forest candlelit trail during this non-scary event at the Audubon Society in Sharon. 4. Relax, and take a step back in time in a restored vintage 1920s train coach while taking a 20-mile round trip ride on the Naugatuck Railroad from Thomaston Railroad Museum of New England. 5. Go see a show at the art deco Warner Theater in Torrington built in 1931. 6. Explore New England’s woodland environment at Roaring Brook Nature Center. 7. Create a wooden sculpture in Village Center for the Arts in New Milford’s Drop In Artist Studio. Clay building and paint-your-own pottery is also available. 8. Enjoy a concert at the Ridgefield Playhouse – check their website for a list of performers. 9. Check out the exhibits at the Children's Museum in West Hartford. 10. Go for a mellow scenic 10 mile family bike ride starting at the Kent Boarding School, winding along an Indian Reservation and the Appalachian Trial before reaching Bulls Bridge, one of the few working covered bridges in CT. Check out the beautiful and powerful waterfall while there. 11. Find your pumpkin at Angevine Pumpkin Patch in Warren. 12. Pick your own apples at Beardsley’s Cider Mill and Orchard in Shelton, CT. and one of these other great orchards. 13. See one of the amazing productions at the Bridgeport Theatre. 14. Be a spectator at the annual Thanksgiving Parade in Stamford – complete with floats and enormous balloons. 15. Go apple picking at Karabin Farms. 16. Visit the Danbury Railway Museum which offers history lessons, train rides (seasonal) and hands on learning. Fun for train fanatics and their parents! 17. Eat apple fritters at the Southington Apple Harvest. 18. Check out the vintage cars at a gathering of the Caffeine and Carburetors Club in New Canaan – six Sunday morning throughout the year – check their website for dates and times. 19. Enjoy a hayride at Warrup's Farm in Redding. 20. Head to Bridgeport to check out the PT Barnum Museum. Learn about the famed circus, its creator, and many of its famous performers. 21. Gaze in awe at the Hot Air Balloon Festival. 22. Dress up and enjoy a show at the Bushnell Memorial Theater. 23. Smell the roses at Elizabeth Park’s rose garden. 24. Go pumpkin picking at Scott's Yankee Farmer in Gales Ferry. 25. Let your imagination run wild at the Imagine Nation Museum. 26. Spend the day playing in the Treehouse Arcade while the parents win cash at Foxwoods Casino. 27. Learn about the prehistoric times at Dinosaur State Park. 28. Go to Beardsley Zoo, CT's only zoo! 29. Check out a fun exhibit at the CT Science Center. 30. Take a hike and check out these scenic waterfalls. 31. Get your pumpkin at the absolutely unforgettable Pumpkintown U.S.A. 32. Try not to get lost in one of Connecticut's awesome corn mazes. 33. Enjoy some not-so-scary Halloween fun in Fairfield or Hartford. 34. Come out to Old Wethersfield and attend CornFest. 35. Take a ride in the Nutmeg state to see the amazing fall foliage. 36. Travel back in time to the Medieval ages at the Connecticut Renaissance Fair. 37. Put on your fairie wings and check out the Florence Griswold Museum's delightful Wee Fairie Village. 38. Explore what is in a pond in the autumn at the Pond Exploration at the Conn. Audubon. 39. View the sky with the free Star Party at the White Memorial Conservation Center. 40. Come with the family to Bristol's annual Mum Festival. 41. Go apple picking and then apple baking with apples from Lyman Orchards. 42. Enjoy a corn maze or a hay maze at the Fair Weather Acres Fall Festival and Corn Maze. 43. Celebrate Autumn's arrival at the Great Pumpkin Festival. 44. Create a family masterpiece at Muse Paintbar. 45. Take your little pilot to the New England Air Museum for an open cockpit day. 46. Hang out for a while at Soarin' Indoors indoor rope course. 47. Take a hayride at the Lutz Museum's annual Farm Day at Fish Family Farm. 48. Close out the drive-in movie season with 'Reel Nostalgia' at the Southington Drive-in. 49. Come out to the annual Touch a Truck Event hosted by Troop 115. 50. Try some hot and spicy chili at the Richman Chili Challenge in Simsbury. Originally published: 9-3-2-16 Photos: lawlor, Coe, Martindale ConnecticutKidsPreschoolersTweens & TeensFall Activities Mystic Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd 06355 Mystic , CT 41° 22' 23.7576" N, 71° 57' 11.3724" W Connecticut Inst. of Native American Studies 38 Curtis Rd 06793 Washington , CT 41° 36' 38.4012" N, 73° 19' 30.7056" W Connecticut Children's Museum 950 Trout Brook Avenue 06119 West Htfd , CT 41° 45' 43.0344" N, 72° 44' 12.6564" W Connecticut Warner Theater 68 Main Street 06790 Torrington , CT 41° 48' 6.4728" N, 73° 7' 16.0536" W Connecticut Roaring Brook Nature Center 70 Gracey Rd 06019 Canton , CT 41° 50' 29.0292" N, 72° 52' 54.5664" W Connecticut Village Center for the Performing Arts 12 Main Street 06776 New Milford , CT 41° 34' 40.9584" N, 73° 24' 37.0368" W Connecticut Ridgefield Playhouse 80 E Ridge Road 06877 Ridgefield , CT 41° 16' 56.1432" N, 73° 29' 34.494" W Connecticut Angevine Pumpkin Patch 40 Angevine Road 06754 Warren , CT 41° 43' 33.3768" N, 73° 19' 33.276" W Connecticut Danbury Railroad Museum 120 White Street 06810 Danbury , CT 41° 23' 52.5192" N, 73° 26' 59.676" W Connecticut Karabin Farms 89 Andrews Street 06489 Southington , CT 41° 35' 58.1928" N, 72° 49' 48.4644" W Connecticut Caffeine and Carburetors 77 Pine Street 06840 New Canaan , CT 41° 8' 39.1308" N, 73° 29' 53.4624" W Connecticut Warrups Farm 11 John Read Rd 06896 Redding , CT 41° 19' 24.2508" N, 73° 23' 1.9752" W Connecticut PT Barnum Museum 820 Main Street 06604 Bridgeport , CT 41° 10' 32.3904" N, 73° 11' 17.358" W Connecticut Beardsley's Cider Mill 278 Leavenworth Road 06484 Shelton , CT 41° 20' 0.4308" N, 73° 9' 2.5092" W Connecticut Kent Boarding School 1 Macedonia Road 06757 Kent , CT 41° 43' 36.8796" N, 73° 28' 56.766" W Connecticut Bushnell Theater 166 Capitol Avenue 06106 Hartford , CT 41° 45' 46.0728" N, 72° 40' 49.2924" W Connecticut DInosaur State Park 400 West Street 06067 Rocky Hill , CT 41° 39' 6.48" N, 72° 39' 23.2776" W Connecticut Elizabeth Park 1561 Asylum Road 06117 Hartford , CT 41° 46' 34.5576" N, 72° 43' 5.3544" W Connecticut Imagine Nation 1 Pleasant Street 06010 Bristol , CT 41° 40' 11.8164" N, 72° 56' 44.9448" W Connecticut Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Avenue 06610 bridgeport , CT 41° 12' 31.9284" N, 73° 11' 1.9176" W Connecticut Pumpkintown USA 93 East High Street 06424 East Hampton , CT 41° 35' 15.9108" N, 72° 29' 36.9348" W Connecticut CT Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd 06103 Hartford , CT 41° 45' 53.2476" N, 72° 40' 7.7736" W Connecticut Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South Street 06238 Coventry , CT 41° 45' 51.4188" N, 72° 20' 45.69" W Connecticut Farmington Mini GOlf 1048 Farmington Avenue 06032 Farmington , CT 41° 44' 6.9396" N, 72° 50' 15.9288" W Connecticut Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme Street 06371 Old Lyme , CT 41° 19' 32.5452" N, 72° 19' 36.6708" W Connecticut Scott's Yankee Farmer 436 Boston Post Rd 06333 Gales Ferry , CT 41° 24' 20.592" N, 72° 4' 35.1156" W Connecticut New England Air Musem Fair Weather Acres Soarin' Indoors Fish Family Farm Southington Twin Drive-In Theater Lyman Orchards 32 Reeds Gap Road 06455 Middlefield , CT 41° 29' 50.0388" N, 72° 42' 53.1" W Connecticut New England Air Museum 36 Perimeter Road 06096 Windsor Locks , CT 41° 56' 49.4916" N, 72° 41' 27.7548" W Connecticut White Memoial Conservation Center 80 Whitehall Road 06759 Litchfield , CT 41° 42' 55.8432" N, 73° 12' 56.1456" W Connecticut Southington Twin Drive-In Theater 995 Meriden-Waterbury Tpke 06052 Southington , CT 41° 33' 54.8352" N, 72° 52' 48.306" W Connecticut Sourin Indoors 422 North Main Street 06042 Manchester , CT 41° 47' 44.0664" N, 72° 31' 46.1172" W Connecticut Fair Weather Acres 1146 Cromwell Avenue 06067 Rocky Hill , CT 41° 38' 21.3468" N, 72° 40' 33.5208" W Connecticut
