Things To Do
Mystic Seaport Museum
The Mystic Seaport Museum is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It features a recreation of the historic Seaport Village, where you can learn about what life was like in this 19th Century maritime economy. It also has 14 exhibition vessels, including the wooden whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, which was built in 1841 and is a National Historic Landmark. In addition, the museum offers public boat tours of the Mystic River (ticket price ranges from $8 to $36, depending on the length of the tour). If you're looking for a sailboat instead, we've heard great things about Argia Mystic Cruises, which offers morning, noon, afternoon, and sunset sails ($60 - $80 per person).
The Mystic Aquarium
The Mystic Aquarium is known for its penguins, sea lions, and beluga whales! After visiting, you might also want to check out the shops and restaurants in nearby Olde Mystic Village.
Adventure Mystic Kayak/Bike Rental
Rent a kayak or paddleboard and take a trip down the Mystic River!
The Shipwright's Daughter
One of our favorite restaurants in Mystic! In 2024, its head chef was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast, and the New York Times named it one of the 50 best restaurants in the country.
Oyster Club
Another one of our favorite Mystic restaurants. It has happy hours Wednesday through Sunday (4 pm - 5 pm) with oysters for $1.25 per and drinks for $6. If there's spots available, we recommend eating in the outdoor space (the Treehouse). If you're looking for additional lunch or dinner recommendations, we've heard good things about Kitchen Little (on Mason's Island), Nana's Bakery and Pizza, Red 36 (has outdoor seating by the water), The Engine Room, S&P Oyster, and Abbott's Lobster (in Noank). We also highly recommend The Port of Call (our afterparty venue).
Sift Bake Shop
A bakery with lots of fun pastries and outdoor seating! We recommend the pecan sticky buns. Be warned: the line is very long after 10:30 am or so.
Mystic Pizza
Okay, so we haven't actually been to Mystic Pizza yet. We've heard the pizza is pretty good, but the real draw is that it's the set of the movie (Mystic Pizza) that made Julia Roberts a star!
Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream
Located right by the drawbridge in the center of town, this ice cream shop has a lot of fun flavors! Again, you may have to wait in line.
Explore Stonington
We highly recommend spending a few hours exploring Stonington (a 15 minute drive from Mystic). You can walk along the water, go swimming at Dubois Beach ($15 for a day pass), and enjoy a drink by the water at Breakwater.
Saltwater Farm Vineyard
If you're wanting some wine after exploring Stonington, Saltwater Farm Vineyard is a beautiful vineyard in the area! Its tasting room is open 11 am - 2 pm on Friday, 11 am - 3 pm on Saturday, and 11 am - 5 pm on Sunday (with live music starting at 3 pm). If you want to do the full Mystic-area wine tour, check out Stonington Vineyards and Jonathan Edwards Winery too!
Harkness Memorial State Park
If you're driving up to Mystic from the south, we'd recommend stopping at Harkness Memorial State Park (about 30 minutes southwest of Mystic). It features beautiful gardens and more than 200 acres of land, including a sandy beach. Also worth a visit is Bluff Point State Park, about 15 minutes north of Mystic, which has 3-4 miles of hiking trails.
Coogan Farm Nature and Heritage Center
Coogan Farm has some short scenic hiking trails and hosts birding events on Saturday mornings!
Sunday Chill at Stone Acres Farm
If you're staying an extra night and want to explore the wedding venue more, return to Stone Acres Farm on Sunday (starting at 3 pm) for the Farm's "Sunday Chill." This event features live music, homemade ice cream, food, and drinks. Earlier in the day, you can drop by the farm stand and pick up fresh produce.