Mystic Noank Public Library - 3:30 PM Pick
Country Quilt LLama Farm - 2:00 PM
Cohen Skating Center - 5:00 PM
John Satre Memorial Hill - various times Pick
Country Quilt LLama Farm - 2:00 PM
Fairfield Museum - 10:00 AM
The Giggling Pig Milford - 10:30 AM
Country Quilt LLama Farm - 2:00 PM
Cohen Skating Center - 5:00 PM
Country Quilt LLama Farm - 2:00 PM
Grace Farms - 3:00 PM
Shepaug Dam - 9:00 AM
Mattatuck Museum - 1:00 PM
Country Quilt LLama Farm - 2:00 PM
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Free Museums and Free Museum Days in Connecticut
Free museums in Connecticut are the answer to the high price tag on so many family activities. What happens when your toddler age child only lasts 45 minutes and you paid big bucks? Mommy Poppins curated a list of museums in Connecticut that you can visit for free! There are some museums on here we bet you never even knew existed, like the Ballard Institute of Puppetry or the Barker Character and Comic Museum.
Don't miss all the museums on the list that give you insight into Connecticut's history, like the Connecticut River Museum or the Eli Whitney Museum too!
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our Connecticut Museums Guide which offers many first-hand visits by staff, and our Guide to Free Fun Things To Do for Connecticut Kids.
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See all kinds of cool exhibits at these Connecticut museums with free admission. Photo courtesy of the Eli Whitney Museum
Free Museums in Connecticut For All Kids
These Connecticut museums offer free admision for all children throughout the year.
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
- Bellarmine Museum of Art
- Weir Farm National Historic Site
- Yale University Art Gallery
- Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
- Eli Whitney Museum - summer camp programs offered
- Submarine Force Library - Closed on Tuesdays
- CT Antique Machinery Association - by donation, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, May through October
- Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center (Knights of Columbus Museum)
- Wadsworth Atheneum - free for under 17
- New Britain Museum of Art
Some of these free museums offer hands-on fun for Connecticut kids! Earthplace photo by Zoe Brown for the center.
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 1
The littlest kids enjoy free entry to the following Connecticut museums:
- Kidcity Children's Museum
- The Lutz Museum - reservations required
- Stepping Stones Museum for Children - open daily 9-5pm
- Niantic Children's Museum
- Earthplace
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 2
Some museums provide free admission for Connecticut kids under two years of age.
- The Children's Museum - in new location
- New England Carousel Museum - closed Mondays and Tuesdays
- Institute for American Indian Studies - closed Mondays and Tuesdays
- Connecticut Trolley Museum - open April through December
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 3
Babies and toddlers don't have to pay for the following attractions in Connecticut:
- The Maritime Aquarium
- Stamford Museum and Nature Center
- New England Air Museum
- The Barker Character and Comic Museum
Connecticut River Museum photo by Ally Noel
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 5
- Bruce Museum of Arts and Science
- Mashantucket Pequot Museum
- Eric Sloan Museum
- Dinosaur State Park
- Connecticut Historical Society
- Connecticut River Musem
- Connecticut Air and Space Museum
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 6
Free Museums in Connecticut For Kids Under 12
- Florence Griswold Museum
- Mattatuck Museum
- Aldrich Museum - free for under 13 and educators
- Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Updated 1-13-2023; 1-17-2025
Places featured in this article:
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
Bellarmine Museum of Art
Weir Farm National Historic Site
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
Bruce Museum
Yale University Art Gallery
New Britain Museum of American Art
Kidcity Children's Museum
Children's Museum of Southeastern CT
The Children's Museum
Mattatuck Museum and Arts Center
New England Air Museum
The Institute for Native American Studies
The Discovery Museum
Barker Cartoon Museum
