New England is such a gem in the summer, including Mystic Connecticut. You can easily visit Mystic from Boston, and spend the day or an entire weekend. The Mystic Village is one of the most quaint museums in the area, and you can even rent kayaks for an incredible view from the water for free! Some of my favorite small towns in New England are also a short drive away from Mystic including the idyllic Stonington, Noank, and Essex. If you’re looking for the best places to visit in Connecticut, here are the best things to do in Mystic, CT, and more!

What To Do in Mystic CT: A Comprehensive Guide

Mystic always makes the list of top coastal towns in New England, and it’s easy to see why! Mystic, CT is a hidden gem and definitely worth a visit in the summer. Not only is Mystic incredibly charming but its nearby towns of Stonington and Essex are equally charming. If you’re looking to visit Connecticut and wondering what to do in Mystic, CT, keep reading for everything and anything you need to know!

24 Best Things to Do in Mystic

1 Best things to do in Mystic: Mystic Village Connecticut

Mystic is always listed among the top ten New England towns to visit, and it’s easy to see why! Located right outside downtown Mystic is the Mystic Seaport Village and Museum. This maritime museum feels like an old, harborside village. The village features dozens of real, historical New England homes and buildings that come from across the New England area and are maintained by the museum.

2 Mystic Village Connecticut: Explore the harbor

One of the best things to do in Mystic CT is take a rowboat out around the harbor. You can actually do this at the museum at no extra charge. The views are lovely I highly recommend it! Mystic Village Connecticut also features the last wooden Whaleship in the world, built in 1841 its even older than the USS Constitution! The museum staff ensure safety first and provide life jackets, but the rest is up to you! They ask you to stay close to the harbor, but you can take the boat out as long as you like! There is also a restaurant on site that serves alcoholic beverages, if you’re looking for what to do in Mystic CT this is one of the best spots!

3 Rent a kayak or paddle board on the Mystic River

Rent kayaks or paddle boards from Adventure Mystic, located right across from The Engine Room at Schooner Wharf. If you have your kayak or paddle board, do a bit of research but there’s potentially a public launch area next to the south entrance of the Mystic Seaport Museum. If you decide to rent, don’t forget to enjoy the views of the river at Schooner Wharf!

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4 Things to do in Mystic CT: Walk around downtown

Mystic has a small coastal town feel, and you can easily walk the downtown area within an hour. Make sure to stop at Mystic Knotwork. This shop is a tourist favorite and America’s first knot shop.

5 Enjoy a lobster roll at the iconic Ford’s Lobster

Even though Cape Cod offers some of the best waterfront dining, Ford’s has such a wonderful ocean side restaurant experience. Not only is this one of the most instagrammable places in Connecticut, but make sure to grab a seat along the ledge. You’ll be able to marvel at all the boats coming and going from the residential marina area. Ford’s Lobster even had a specific docking area and staff can take orders and deliver right to customers in their boats!

6 Relax and enjoy a drink at Grey Sail Brewing

Technically located in Rhode Island, Grey Sail Brewing has the cutest outdoor space! They have a large brick oven perfect for pizzas and lots of picnic tables to enjoy. This brewery would be perfect for groups!

7 Beaches in Mystic: Visit Williams Beach Park

This small seasonal beachfront offers ocean views in Mystic. When looking for what to do in Mystic, CT, this is the best beach option.

Looking to visit some of the best beach towns in New England or the idyllic islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard? Here’s a comprehensive guide to Nantucket and everything you need to know to visit Martha’s Vineyard!

8 Fun Things to Do in Connecticut: Visit Noank

Make sure to visit this charming coastal village right outside of Mystic. This village is fairly small but has great views, especially at Main Street Dock and Beach. Don’t leave without visiting Ford’s Lobster, Abbott’s Lobster, and/or Costello’s Clam Shack.

9 Sip a glass of wine and star gaze at Red 36

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Mystic, and I would highly recommend it! Make sure to try and book a reservation, however in the summer they do have a wonderful outdoor space with adirondack chairs that are first come, first serve! This restaurant also has deck space available for those traveling by boat.

10 Enjoy the beer selection at The Engine Room

This is a Mystic favorite, and have a great beer selection!

11 Enjoy views of the water at S&P Oyster

This restaurant is located right on the water and has the cutest garden area. It is right across the street from The Whaler’s Inn, if you’re looking for the best place to stay in Mystic, Connecticut!

12 Grab breakfast at Lis Bake Shop

For a quick breakfast stop at Lis Bake Shop. They have a decent amount of outdoor seating and depending on where you sit you can even get a good view of the Mystic River! I would highly recommend the cinnamon rolls and mocha coffee drink!

13 Have breakfast in Mystic CT at Sift Bake Shop

This bakery is one of the most popular places for breakfast in Mystic, and they often have a line out the door!

14 Enjoy the patio at Barley Head Brewery

Order some takeout food and head to this spot. Even though they do not serve food, they allow you to bring food in. Dogs are also welcome!

15 Visit the iconic Mystic Pizza

Located downtown and right off Main Street, this pizza spot is famous for the 1988 movie featuring Julia Roberts.

16 Take a ride to Stonington: Admire the old charm on Water Street

Located right outside Mystic, Stonington is maybe even more idyllic than Mystic.  If you visit in June and can witness the roses in full bloom it’s quite incredible. Water Street runs right through the historic area of Stonington and is the perfect spot for a walk.

17 Beat the summer heat at the beach

If you’re walking from the main area of town and continue on Water Street, you will hit Stonington Point and Dubois Beach. Even though this beach isn’t the largest, it will help you beat the summer heat. Even though there is parking on Water Street, there were quite a few parking spots at the beach as well when I visited. One side of Stonington Point features Dubois Beach. If you’re going to relax at this beach for the day, you will enjoy views of the beautiful Stonington houses along the shoreline. Keep in mind if you are a non-Stonington resident a beach pass for the day is $10, you can read about how to get one here. The other side of Stonington Point is partially rocky with no beach, but you’ll find locals having a picnic out of the back of their cars and enjoying the view.

If you’re looking for other beach towns, here are 28 of the best beach towns in New England; advice from myself as a local Bostonian!

18 See Stonington’s Lighthouse

Even though the Stonington Lighthouse Museum is currently under construction, you can get a few glimpses from the sidewalk. Stay tuned for the renovations of this old stone lighthouse.

19 View Stonington from Dodge Paddock

After you’ve spent a few hours at the beach or are heading back into town from Stonington Point, head to the nature preserve Beal Preserve. Walk from Water Street to Wall Street and the end and enjoy views of the water. There are a few benches at this spot to sit and enjoy the view. This area faces east, and might be a good spot to see the sunrise?!

20 Don’t forget to snap a photo at the famous Noah’s Diner

This restaurant and the famous mural are thanks to the 2012 movie Hope Springs with Meryl Streep. There are multiple filming locations in Stonington, you might want to research before planning your trip if you’re a fan of the movie! Don’t forget to get a quick snapshot of the famous mural on the side of the restaurant.

22 Have a drink in the summer sun at Dog Watch Cafe

A popular restaurant in Stonington, this cafe has outdoor seating in the front and back. This place is always busy, but if you opt to sit outside in the front of the building versus out back on the water you’ll have a better chance of being seated faster. The food is excellent. If you do end up sitting out front you can walk around back to get a glimpse of the water and small harbor the restaurant overlooks. I would be curious to know what inspired the name, but I would assume dogs are welcome!

23 Don’t miss Stonington’s  Saltwater Farm Vineyards

If you’re looking for what to do in Mystic CT and some of the best places to visit in Connecticut, make sure to stop at Saltwater Farm Vineyards. Feel free to bring a chair and a picnic lunch and spend there. This place is perfect for groups!

24 Enjoy outdoor dining at the Griswold Inn in Essex

The Griswold Inn is such a gem in the town of Essex. Even though Essex isn’t as close to Mystic as Stonington is, it’s still a wonderful place in Connecticut to visit. Make sure to enjoy the outdoor seating area at The Griswold Inn, or spend a night at this quaint hotel!

Here are a few other posts you may enjoy:

Best Day Trips from Boston: A Summer in New England

28 Best Beach Towns in New England: Guide from a Local!

Best Things to Do in Nantucket: A Weekend on Nantucket comprehensive guide

One Day in Martha’s Vineyard: How to get to Martha’s Vineyard

Best Waterfront Cape Cod Restaurants: Top 10 Restaurants with a view!

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