Kid City Museum: Let’s Play Pretend!

Kid City is a magical dream world for kids ages 1 – 8. Each room has a theme (like Pirate Ship, Farm or Main Street) and props that can be played with in many different ways. Where else can kids fly in a hot air balloon, drive a car, or run through a cornfield? When make-believe becomes this real, kids learn about the world in new, exciting, and unexpected ways.  Note that Kid City isn’t a playground—it’s an enriched educational activity that sets kids’ imaginations free.  But some areas do incorporate climbing, sliding, or crawling activities, so your little one has plenty of chances to put his/her excitement to good use. After seeing this place, don’t be surprised if you long to be smaller; founder Jennifer Alexander remembers what it’s like to be a kid, and her astonishing non-profit creation will remind you, too. Older kids can enjoy Kid City, but most visitors are under 5. Rainy days and holidays are busiest, and the neighborhood has ample parking.

Kid City Museum
119 Washington Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 347-0495
www.kidcitymuseum.com

The Glebe House Museum & Jekyll Garden: Learn, Relax, Reflect

Built around 1750, The Glebe House is the birthplace of the Episcopal Church in the New World.  It also boasts the only American garden planned by Gertrude Jekyll, England's most venerated landscape architect.

Set among the Litchfield Hills in Woodbury's historic village center, the Glebe House Museum offers a glimpse of Revolutionary War-era Connecticut. The simple but elegant 18th-century farmhouse is furnished as the home of the Reverend John Marshall, his wife Sarah, and their nine children who lived in the "glebe" during the period. Marshall was instrumental in establishing the American Episcopal Church and defining the principle of separation between church and state.

This unique historical, religious, and cultural landmark will give you a new perspective on the founding fathers. Pause to reflect in Gertrude Jekyll’s magnificent garden, which includes 600 feet of classic English style mixed border and foundation plantings, a planted stone terrace, and an intimate rose allee. The Glebe House & Jekyll Garden is open Wednesdays – Sundays in May through October, and weekends only in November, from 1 – 4 p.m.

The Glebe House Museum & Jekyll Garden
49 Hollow Road
Woodbury, CT 06798
(203) 263-2855
www.theglebehouse.org

 

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center: A Living Monument

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the classic “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and in depicting what life was like for slaves in the South gave renewed energy to the abolitionist movement. For the last 23 years of her life, after the publication of the book, she lived in Hartford, Connecticut, where she was neighbors with fellow American literary icon Mark Twain. That house has now been converted into a museum to tell the story of the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War, and the people who worked for social justice for all Americans. The house is open to the public, with tours every half hour, and hosts a gigantic collection of memorabilia related to the Stowe family, with over 200,000 manuscripts and 6,000 other objects ranging from furnishings and statuary to letters between Stowe and major historical figures of the period. Admission is $9 per person, but it’s a fascinating look into our history that you won’t soon forget.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
77 Forest Street
Hartford, CT 06105
(860) 522-9258
www.harrietbeecherstowe.org

Bushnell Memorial Theater: A Historical Hartford Performing Arts Institution

Touted as Connecticut’s premier performing arts center, Bushnell Memorial Theater is nothing short of an institution for Hartford’s artistically inclined glitterati. For years the arc lights of Bushnell have witnessed the genius of everyone from Katharine Hepburn to The Capitol Steps. The vintage building, which dates back to 1930, hosts over 300 annual events that cover a spectrum of genres from Broadway productions and children’s theatre to comedy and riveting cabaret dances. The impressive premises is decorated with a vibrant art deco interior and one of the nation’s largest hand-painted ceiling murals, and house everything from a state of the art café and gift shop to private dining rooms and luxury suites. Bushnell also doubles as a venue for social causes and public ceremonies. Although it may not be as oppulent as Broadway, the theater is chic, well maintained and allows patrons to catch great performances at affordable prices.

Bushnell Memorial Theater
166 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 987-6000
www.bushnell.org

Foxwoods Resort Casino: A Gambler’s Playground

Vegas, Atlantic City, and Monte Carlo, eat your hearts out: Mashantucket, CT is the worldwide Mecca for gaming. Foxwoods Resort Casino is the largest casino on earth, with over 340,000 square feet of playing space. Roll the dice, spin the wheel, play the ponies, pull the one-armed bandit—it’s all here in larger-than-life, glam-tastic style. But tear yourself away from the tables, because Foxwoods Resort is an impossibly lush playground. Explore three hotels (including the brand-new MGM Grand), 25 dining options, nightclubs, museums, world-class shopping, spas, an ice rink, and theatres hosting A-list stars and sporting events. Outside there’s golf and gorgeous nature trails—but you could live under this 4,700,000-square-foot roof and have a new adventure every day. Kids play in a two-story arcade that rivals the casino itself. Numerous special offers and loyalty programs are available—check the website for details.

Foxwoods Resort Casino
350 Trolley Line Boulevard
Mashantucket, CT 06338
(800) 369-966
www.foxwoods.com

Timexpo Museum: Time For Family Fun

The Timexpo Museum tells the story of the world-famous Timex brand and how it revolutionized the art of clock and watch-making.  From its humble beginnings as the Waterbury Clock Company, founded in 1854, Timex continues to build magnificent timepieces and time-related innovations that change the way we live. Timexpo contains a stunning collection of the company’s work, sure to delight antique lovers, specialists, design enthusiasts, and anyone interested in America’s social history. The museum’s Time Tunnel will transport you into a web of ancient mysteries, and hands-on activities are sure to delight the whole family. Timexpo is open Tues. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for kids (5-12). Children under 5 enter for free.

Timexpo: The Timex Museum
175 Union Street
Waterbury, CT 06706
(203) 755-TIME
www.timexpo.com

Laser Quest: Zap With Your Pals

It’s nice to see that no matter how advanced video games get, there’s still a market for good old-fashioned Laser Tag. The game, introduced in the 80s, gives players a high-adrenaline, no-contact rush that can’t be beat. One of the best laser tag facilities in New England is Hartford’s Laser Quest. A chain with 58 locations in the United States, Laser Quest strives to provide a consistent, respectful and fun experience every time. The Hartford facility is 6,000 square feet, tricked out with great obstacles and architecture to plan ambushes in. The prices are extremely reasonable, with discounts available for frequent players. Some complain that the arena is too dark, but more intense players prefer the atmosphere to the nearby Knight’s Quest, which is more brightly lit. An adjoining video arcade is available if you need a break, as well as a snack bar.

Laser Quest
3005 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06111
(860) 666-2097
www.laserquest.com

Rockledge Golf Club: Play the Day Away at a Stately West Hartford Golf Course

Rockledge Golf Club is Hartford’s premium par 72 golf course, sporting more than 6,400 yards of lush greenery and well-manicured grounds. Apart from a world-class tournament layout, the club also features a panoramic, natural setting along with a spread of other luxurious amenities including two practice greens, a sprawling driving range, golf cart rentals and locker rooms. Though many visit solely for the golf, many food connoisseurs also appreciate the Golf Club for its in-house restaurant and tiny snack bar serving delicious mid-course treats. Rockledge also offers the service of several enthusiastic and experienced PGA professionals who offer both private and group golf lessons throughout the spring and summer. So if you’re looking to drive the ball in style, click here to book your tee time online and get on the course!

Rockledge Golf Club
289 South Main Street
West Hartford, CT 06107
(860) 521-6284
www.golfrockledge.com

 

Callahan’s Bowl-O-Rama: A Family Bowling Center with Stylish Lounge

Callahan’s Bowl-O-Rama doesn’t deviate much from the standard family bowling center cliché—except for the 40-year family legacy behind it. A family-owned business that started on humble farmland, today Bowl-O-Rama is a popular venue for league bowling, private parties and corporate events. After a hard-played session on one of the several alleys, on Thursdays and Fridays you can refresh with a breezy cocktail and karaoke at the hip lounge. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, Bowl-O-Rama also runs an in-house pro shop with nice custom bowling gear and outfits. Looking for a little family fun? The bowling center also features a Sunday Family Special for enthusiastic clans who love a healthy dose of competition.

Bowl-o-Rama
2143 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06111
(860) 666-5411
www.bowloramact.com

Must See Movies Coming Out In the Second Half of 2011

We’re about to start another year of cinematic excellence. 2010 was filled with the likes of Black Swan, The King's Speech, and The Social Network, films that really resonated with audienes. This year sees some incredibly exciting films hitting the screen, so here are a few to keep an eye on.

Super 8 (June 2011). JJ Abrams’ follow-up to Cloverfield features a group of kids who capture footage of aliens at Area 51 and need to figure out what to do with it. Should be pretty cool.

The First Avenger: Captain America (July 2011). The latest comic-book movie tells the tale of Steve Rogers, a super-soldier from World War II who is frozen in ice and wakes up in the present day to battle the evil of the Red Skull.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (December 2011). Based on a series of Belgian comic books and directed by Stephen Spielberg, this much anticipated film tells the story of Tintin and his friends, who find a sunken ship and embark on a treasure hunt.

The Giver (Release date unconfirmed). Lois Lowry’s dystopian future metaphor about a boy living in a world that has eliminated all struggling might be one of the most likely Oscar picks for 2011.

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