Along with being home to Yale University and the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Connecticut has several interesting museums and aquariums.
These include places with magical-sounding names like the Mystic Aquarium and Flamig Farm, which is quintessential to quaint New England.
While the state of Connecticut is small and not heavily populated, there are plenty of places to go if you want to see animals from all around the world. Find out more with a review of the nine best zoos and aquariums in Connecticut.
Plan your upcoming trips to enjoy a tour of each of these locations when you are in CT or New England on a leaf-peeping drive.
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8 Best Zoos and Aquariums in Connecticut
Mystic Aquarium
The Mystic Aquarium in Stonington, Connecticut is a leading aquarium for seeing marine life in the region.
If you love white beluga whales, you can see them at the Mystic Aquarium–and nowhere else in New England.
The aquarium has sea lions, African penguins, and jellyfish you can touch in a shallow tank.
In addition, the massive complex has dinosaur and Titanic exhibits that expand your concepts of aquarium features.
Consider sea life in the Jurassic period and what kind of sea creatures lived around the sunken Titanic.
Mystic Aquarium also provides an educational and exciting way to learn more about marine animals and aquatic plant life.
Become one with underwater landscaping as you walk through the exhibits and imagine yourself swimming with the fishes.
Learn all there is to know about Connecticut flora and fauna, as well as exotic species from around the globe.
Maritime Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, CT near Long Island is another excellent example of a public aquarium.
Here are more than 30 marine life exhibits covering local sea animals in miniature displays of their native environment.
There is also a touch tank where visitors can get a feel of jellyfish and stingrays.
The Maritime Aquarium is also an Estuary of National Significance and one of the best places to find educational enrichment opportunities for grade school students.
School programs and summer camps are top highlights for visitors to Norwalk, CT.
Sign up for camps for your children early in the year to make sure they get this experience.
Beardsley Zoo
Next, here we have the first zoo of animals on this list, including mammals and dry two-legged beasts at Beardsley Zoo.
This zoo is in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where you can also ride on one of the only remaining carousels in the state.
Experience an old-fashioned zoo at Beardsley in Bridgeport for a rousing good time for all ages.
As an older establishment, the zoo has been open for more than 99 years.
Animals at Beardsley Zoo are extensively diverse, with everything from African giant millipedes to yellow-banded poison dart frogs.
You can also see a legless lizard, a Brazilian ocelot, and an American bison.
This zoo is considered the most extensive zoo in the state of Connecticut.
Expect to have the most varied experience of seeing diversity in wildlife from both American and exotic species.
Beardsley Zoo also has summer camps for children, as well as educational training for adults. Get more out of the zoo if you live near Bridgeport, CT, one of the state’s biggest cities.
Highwire Deer and Animal Farm
Highwire Deer and Animal Farm is in Woodbury, Connecticut, just outside of Orenaug Park.
The deer and animal farm is a petting zoo that is open to the public, while they are closed temporarily in January 2023.
Both exotic and non-exotic animal species, including deer, are living at this animal farm.
Visitors are provided with an educational tour and an open-air experience with feeding and petting various animals.
This includes typical farm animals that can be found in anyone’s backyard.
While not a zoo that is large and in charge, this petting zoo is perfectly suited for small groups and younger children who are being introduced to animals for the first time.
If you are homeschooling or looking for a fun day out that does not take a lot of time, opt for this smaller petting zoo.
Instead of spending all day finding a place to park and walking through crowded animal exhibits, you can spend quiet time interacting with animals in a safe space.
SeaQuest Trumbull
SeaQuest Trumbull sees more than 2 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited aquariums in Connecticut.
Located in Westfield Trumbull, CT, SeaQuest is open every day except for major holidays.
While not a petting zoo on the sign, SeaQuest Turnbull offers several interactive experiences where you can touch all kinds of animals.
This includes Asian otters, Amazon river sloths, and stingrays.
Visitors get to snorkel with stingrays and other marine life underwater.
A safari tour rounds out the zoo and aquarium experience at SeaQuest Turnbull in Connecticut.
Spend your birthday party here at the aquarium, hanging out with a wallaby instead of flying to Australia.
You save money and the planet while still getting to meet and greet with animals from the land down under.
Riverside Reptiles Education Center
If you prefer reptiles and amphibians to furry four-legged animals, go to Riverside Reptiles Education Center.
This is a wildlife aquarium in Enfield, CT that houses hundreds of animals.
However, you can also spend your birthday and have a party at the center along with these slithering snakes and slow-moving turtles.
The facility is also an educational center that provides virtual programs, as well as in-person group sessions.
Learn all there is to know about reptiles and amphibians while visiting the Riverside Reptiles Education Center.
Field trips are super fun at this 13,000 square feet indoor aquarium plus 4,000 sq. ft. of space with animals outdoors.
Not for the squeamish who are afraid of creepy crawling critters, this reptile education center is actually aimed at solving that problem.
If you are leading a Boy or Girl Scout troop, or other children, consider hosting an event at the Riverside Reptiles Education Center.
Hands-on reptilian education is the best way to get over your fear of snakes or lizards.
Action Wildlife
Action Wildlife in Goshen, Connecticut is where visitors find more than 350 different species of exotic animals.
There is a petting zoo where you can also feed and pet most of these wild or domesticated animals.
A gift shop and exploration center along with a museum create a welcoming retreat for a day out in Goshen.
See local rescue animals in this wildlife sanctuary, which is home to a functional game farm as well.
Note that in January 2023, Action Wildlife was temporarily closed, which may be COVID-19 related or due to the season.
When open, the wildlife sanctuary takes in local and regional animals that need a home or medical care.
You might also see wildlife rescues that came from homes where they were formerly pets.
Sometimes pet owners don’t quite understand what they are getting into when they buy an exotic turtle or snake, which is why the wildlife sanctuary comes into the picture.
Flamig Farm
Flamig Farm, located in Simsbury, CT, is a small family-sized farm and petting zoo.
Unfortunately, this is petting zoo number three in this state, which was temporarily closed in January 2023.
When opened, this facility on Shingle Mill Road featured a Farm Store where you could buy eggs.
By the way, when you look up at the big red barn at Flamig Farm you will see something quite interesting.
The word “EGGS” is written backward in white on the red siding.
They know, by the looks of their website, that this is the case and it is not a typo.
In terms of a zoo, the Flamig Farm features a walk-through petting zoo, as well as a haunted farm experience in the fall.
The zoo houses alpacas, guinea fowl, potbellied pigs, llamas, pigeons, peacocks, and ponies–plus many more types of farm animals.
See these farm animals work and play while living on an actual farm at Flamig, “home of the big backward EGGS sign.”
8 Best Zoos and Aquariums in Connecticut – Summary Table
| Zoos and Aquariums | Address |
|---|---|
| Mystic Aquarium | 55 Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355, USA |
| Maritime Aquarium | 10 N Water St, Norwalk, CT 06854, USA |
| Beardsley Zoo | 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06610, USA |
| Highwire Deer and Animal Farm | 68 Park Rd, Woodbury, CT 06798, United States |
| SeaQuest Trumbull | 5065 Main St Ste 1106, Trumbull, CT 06611, USA |
| Riverside Reptiles Education Center | 132 S Rd, Enfield, CT 06082, USA |
| Action Wildlife | 435 Torrington Rd, Goshen, CT 06756, United States |
| Flamig Farm | 7 Shingle Mill Rd, West Simsbury, CT 06092, United States |
Connecticut Safety Overview
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- OVERALL RISK: LOW
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- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the state of Connecticut’s official zoo?
The Beardsley Zoo is considered Connecticut’s zoo, which means it is the most official state zoo in CT.
Therefore, if you are interested in visiting the Connecticut zoo, go to Beardsley Zoo.
While not named the official Connecticut zoo, this is by far the biggest and most thorough zoo for land animals in the state.
Are petting zoos open year-round in Connecticut?
It turns out that most of the petting zoos in Connecticut are not open in January.
This may be because of the winter weather.
When there is a great deal of snow out on a working farm, it is the worst time to visit.
You really don’t want to pet or feed anything at the petting zoo when it’s freezing cold out.
This is the greatest time for germs for humans, which are compounded by animal illnesses.
Do CT zoos offer summer camps and educational sessions?
Yes, whether you are in grade school or working in biology-related jobs, there are summer camps and educational learning opportunities in CT.
The zoos, such as Beardsley Zoo, provide a way to train professionally in a safe setting.
This is a good resource for biologists, zoologists, animal researchers, and veterinarians, as well as students studying in college to work for zoos or farms.
Are there outdoor aquariums in Connecticut?
Connecticut is located in the upper northwest corner of the US where there is the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern shore.
The city of New Haven borders the sea and the local culture of CT is filled with marine animals and ocean life.
Visiting outdoor aquariums in this state is also possible thanks to the waterways, including rivers and lakes that are accessible to aquatic animals in aquariums.
You can go to outdoor exhibits at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT.
There are rivers and tanks that are accessible to the open air and home to marine life living in the area, as well as animals brought from out of the state.
See animals in their natural setting and in the sunlight as they play and feed.
