Mystic Seaport Museum Mystic Connecticut, things to do one day itinerary
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Day Trip to Mystic Connecticut, Things to Do

Sherianne Higgins·
Connecticut
·4 mins read
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One Day in Historic Mystic Connecticut

It is difficult to determine how to best use 24 hours in Mystic Connecticut, there are so many fun things to see, do, and eat. Mystic Connecticut was made famous by Julia Robert’s first major role in the movie Mystic Pizza. You will also find a living museum, movable bridges, souvenir shops, cider donuts, and lobster rolls. This day trip itinerary is jam-packed with must-see sites and top attractions, including, the Mystic Aquarium, Olde Mistick Village, Mystic Seaport Village, and more. Mystic is a great stop during a New England road trip. Here is how to see the best of Mystic in one day. Enjoy your time out of the office!

READ Two Week New England Road Trip Itinerary: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

Schooner Wharf Mystic Connecticut, one day itinerary things to do day trip
Schooner Wharf

Mystic Connecticut Day Trip Highlights

Mystic Aquarium’s Beluga Whales | Olde Mistick Village | Mystic Seaport Village | Mystic Pizza

Day Trip Itinerary for Mystic Connecticut

9 am Mystic Seaport Museum

Buy your Mystic Seaport Museum ticket online to avoid the line. This is a living museum with exhibitions, performances, and demonstrations scheduled throughout the day. Boat rentals and waterfront cruises are available at an extra charge.

Mystic Seaport Museum Mystic Connecticut, one day itinerary things to do day trip
Mystic Seaport Museum

12 pm Lunch and Souvenirs

Head over to Olde Mistick Village for a burger and Belgian Frites at Jealous Monk. Stop in Franklin’s General Store after lunch and enjoy a piece of fudge. Be sure to taste the honey in Sticky Situations. The Raspberry Honey Butter is amazing and a great gift for your house sitter.

Olde Mistick Village Mystic Connecticut, one day itinerary things to do day trip
Olde Mistick Village

2 pm Mystic Aquarium

Spend the afternoon with Mystic Aquarium’s beluga whales, sea lions, and penguins. Be sure to stop by the animal rescue clinic. Consider participating in one of the aquarium’s animal encounters, do not miss an opportunity to pat a beluga whale’s tongue.

Mystic Aquarium Beluga Whale Mystic Connecticut, one day itinerary things to do day trip
Mystic Aquarium

5 pm Pizza and Historic Downtown

Remember the movie Mystic Pizza? It would be a shame to visit Mystic Connecticut and not stop in for “a slice of heaven”. Walk down Main Street and grab a few last-minute souvenirs. Grab an ice cream at Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream and watch the bridge rise from the boardwalk. The bridge rises 40 minutes after the hour.

8 pm Grab a Beer and Relax

Spend the evening at Barley Head Brewery sampling their craft beer before returning to your hotel.

Mystic Pizza Mystic Connecticut
Mystic Pizza

Additional Things to Do in Mystic Connecticut

Have more time? Supplement this day trip itinerary with these additional things to do in Mystic.

  • Grab an ice cream and take a walk along the Mystic River
  • Watch the Bascule Bridge rise
  • Explore the historic downtown
  • Tour the Spicer Mansion, an 1853 Sea Captain’s Home
  • Watch a live performance of The Little Mermaid
  • Photograph the anchor in Liberty Pole Square
  • Video the moveable Mystic River Railroad Bridge
  • Eat cider donuts at BF Clyde Cider Mill
  • Tour the Denison Homestead
  • Take a food and history tour
  • Take a bike ride at Haley Farm State Park
  • Enjoy a boat tour of the harbor
  • Go for a hike at the Bluff Point Coastal Reserve
  • Stop in Barley Head Brewery for some craft beer
  • Check out the artist community in Noank
  • Eat a lobster roll at Ford’s Lobster

Check the Mystic Connecticut Tourism Board website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.

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Mystic Connecticut Attractions and Day Tours

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21 Responses

  1. You scratched the surface of a town that never ceases to amaze me. I grew up here, and still find nooks and things I’ve never seen before. The town, especially surrounding the marinas and the drawbridge are embracing our nautical heritage. A fun sport is lobster buoy spotting. So many of them wash up every year and we all have the habit of hanging them on our garages and rails as decoration.

    What I enjoy most, as a local, walking the town and looking at the house plackards. Both sides of the river labeled most homes with the year of construction, who originally lived there, and what they did to earn a living. You really get a sense to how the town developed and what our residents did back in their day…

  2. Many of Mystic Pizza’s scenes were shot in the next town over Stonington. As far as I know no shots were ever taken inside the original Mystic Pizza which has been in the same location for over 40 years. Point of note the church on the hill is The Union Baptist Church. When Mystic was a maritime Whalers town the church was lit by kerosene and only half it’s size. A church in Groton CT was added to the current Mariners Church by Horse and rollers by pulling it down and into place. For many years you could see a crack across the ceiling of the Sanctuary ceiling where the bldgs settled and the Horse hair plaster cracked. A reinforcement now covers it. This is also the second steeple having lost the first one in a hurricane. The name “Union Baptist” was derived from the joining of the two churches. There was also a very wide set of stairs leading from the front plaza down to the street. This was removed and replaced with a wall for safety. A very little known fact: there is a real running stream going straight through the middle of the bldgs down the hill. When new stairs leading from the main floor to the fellowship hall and a new boiler was installed in the 70s I was lucky enough to be one of very few people to see the free flowing water before it was ducted and piped up to avoid corrosion and other issues. (My Dad was the lead foreman on the job and I grew up in UBC)
    There is also a Congregationalist, Methodist, Catholic and Episcopalian churches ad well. There is a fee to tour the Mystic Seaport and the Aquarium. The is no fee to go to the Old Mistick Village which used to have a two screen theater, florist, laundry mat. Along with tons of cool retail shops.plus

  3. Mystic Connecticut looks such a beautiful place. The itinerary looks perfect for a weekend trip. I would love to spend time at the Mystic Aquarium and then have a “slice of heaven”! To be honest, I haven’t yet watched the movie Mystic Pizza. But now I will.

  4. Mystic sounds mystic .. never been to USA . So exploring Connecticut is due . Your pictures are great . Loved reading the detail

  5. I love small towns! There’s so much charm and character that the bigger cities just don’t have. Also how great is the name Mystic? What a beautiful place! The Seaport Museum looks incredible! Thank you so much for sharing!

  6. this place looks so cute! I think hanging out with the beluga whales and penguins would definitely be my top pick

  7. The seaport museum is what I would like to visit. It looks rustic and cozy. The seaside town is a nice excursion destination.

  8. I’ve never been to Connecticut, let alone heard of Mystic, so this was an interesting post to read. It’s clear there are many fun things to see and do here like the Mystic Aquarium, these are some great tips!

  9. Mystic Connecticut seems like a perfect place for a family outing. Julia Roberts in mystic pizza sure rings a bell. The seaport museum must have been quite fun with the demonstrations. The beuga whale looks amazing.

  10. With it restaurants & your itinerary, Mystic, Connecticut is a hidden treasure that I’m happy to have discovered. Normally, we bypass Mystic, but during our next time through I’ll make sure we stop to enjoy a “slice of heaven” as well as some of that raspberry honey butter. Lastly, I’d make sure to sample the craft beers Barley Head Brewery has to offer!

  11. Connecticut towns are so dreamy — perfect for a weekend away. I love Mystic! I remember going to Mystic Pizza as a child and the aquarium. Great article there is so much to do in Mystic.

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