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All United States Connecticut

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Connecticut

150 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Connecticut

Updated May 15, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Curio Cabinet
Hartford
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
New Haven
Mummy Pa-Ib at the Barnum Museum
Bridgeport
East Haddam
Danbury
Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store
Middletown
All Cities
  1. Bridgeport
  2. Bristol
  3. Cheshire
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  5. East Haddam
  6. Essex
  7. Farmington
  8. Groton
  9. Hamden
  10. Hartford
  11. Mansfield
  12. Meriden
  13. Middletown
  14. Milford
  15. New Haven
  16. New London
  17. Norwich
  18. Rocky Hill
  19. Salisbury
  20. Stamford
  21. Stonington
  22. Stratford
  23. Waterbury
  24. Windsor
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Connecticut

Holy Land 2016

Waterbury, Connecticut

Holy Land USA

A religious-themed park filled with folk art to bring biblical stories to life that fell into disrepair and now being restored.
Black skull supposedly found hidden in the home of a local politico

Stratford, Connecticut

Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal

The intriguing personal collection of a professional demon-chaser.

Union, Connecticut

Traveler Restaurant

This small-town Connecticut restaurant gives each diner a free book from its vast library.
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

New Haven, Connecticut

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Yale University's home for rare works, including the mysterious Voynich Manuscript.
Curio Cabinet

Hartford, Connecticut

Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities

A wunderkammer hidden on the top floor of the Hartford statehouse.

Stamford, Connecticut

Walker Library of The History of Human Imagination

An Escher-inspired library dedicated to the wonders of the human mind, yet closed to the public.

Waterbury, Connecticut

Abandoned Fairy Village

A miniature village lies nearly forgotten in the forest by the side of a major highway.
Cushing Brain Collection

New Haven, Connecticut

Cushing Brain Collection

A historic collection of abnormal brains in a new, custom-built home.
See All 150 Things To Do in Connecticut

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Connecticut

Union, Connecticut

Traveler Restaurant

This small-town Connecticut restaurant gives each diner a free book from its vast library.
Louis' Lunch

New Haven, Connecticut

Louis' Lunch

While many places make the claim, the Library of Congress says this restaurant is the birthplace of the hamburger.

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant

This last stalwart of the now-forgotten feminist restaurant movement has been serving food in an activist atmosphere since 1977.
PEZ Visitor Center.

Orange, Connecticut

PEZ Visitor Center

The world's largest public collection of PEZ memorabilia.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Connecticut
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

6 Unusual Eats Curiously Cooked Up in Connecticut

For superb pizza, most people look to New York. Excellent burgers are available in every one of the 50 states. But where can you find hamburger recipes caught in the early 20th-century, cooked in steamers or served on toast with absolutely no ketchup allowed? Or, for that matter, fancy cheese made by trailblazing nuns who launched their dairying business at a time when Velveeta was still the norm? Connecticut may be an odd place to designate as a culinary cradle, but the state contains everything from the last of a generation of feminist vegetarian restaurants to what the Library of Congress dubs the very first place to have served up a hamburger. Unique culinary institutions cropped up in every corner of the state. Some have survived, while others have fallen by the wayside (R.I.P. to the Frisbie Pie Company). Here are six remarkable gastronomic institutions in a place that has proved to be fertile ground for unusual eats. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary
Pizza, burgers, and a feminist restaurant: Connecticut has it all.

Explore Connecticut

Abandoned 16
Museums And Collections 15
Collections 13
History 13
Statues 12
Homes 10
Memento Mori 9
Parks 9
Architectural Oddities 9
Ruins 8
Cemeteries 8
Eccentric Homes 8
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Connecticut Leaderboard

Places Added

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    Johnmeszaros
    26
  2. Avatar image for JWOcker
    JWOcker
    16
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    e1savage
    15
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    ghostfilm
    9
  5. Avatar image for Luke J Spencer
    Luke J Spencer
    6

Places Edited

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    ghostfilm
    56
  2. Avatar image for e1savage
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    48
  3. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
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    29
  4. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    25
  5. Avatar image for TheKopasClan
    TheKopasClan
    17

Places Visited

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    e1savage
    96
  2. W
    worldtraveler24
    95
  3. Avatar image for Michael J Bielawa
    Michael J Bielawa
    82
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    ghostfilm
    74
  5. C
    chrissyml
    68

Recent Connecticut Activity

  • N

    nielsm

    wants to go to Connecticut Air & Space Center

  • E

    ehanlon04

    wants to go to Old Newgate Prison

  • M

    mmcamar

    has been to Ingalls Rink

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    mmcamar

    has been to Pirelli Building

  • M

    mmcamar

    has been to Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library

Stories About Connecticut

A sea lamprey that's clearly ready for its close-up—and for a new appreciation of its role in its native ecosystems.

Sea Lampreys, Long Reviled, Are Finally Getting Some Respect

Once dismissed as "ugly," this sucker-mouthed fish plays an important role in its native ecosystem.
by Ted Williams
May 15, 2023
The Patsy Green was built around 1906. A married couple, Henry A. Wise Wood and Elizabeth Ogden, once paddled and sailed the canoe from New York City to Prince Edward Island, Canada.

This Museum's Broom Closet Is Actually Full of Historic Boats

A room meant for mops and buckets is now the best-kept secret at Mystic Seaport Museum.
by John Boudreau
August 10, 2020
Researchers in the Northeast are tracking ticks with a linen cloth and a lint roller.

Researchers Track the Tick Boom With Linen Squares and Lint Rollers

The blacklegged bloodsuckers go on three "quests" in their life, each time seeking a blood meal.
by Isaac Schultz
August 28, 2019
The Sabino on the Mystic River at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut.

This 110-Year-Old Steamboat Is a Floating History Lesson

"Sabino" is the oldest wooden, coal-burning steamboat that still operates in the United States.
by Maria Gallucci
November 2, 2018

One Family's Hidden Museum of Retro-Future Artifacts

Meet the Kleemans and their vast collection of space-age toys and ephemera.
by Lizzie Philip
September 25, 2018
Moving the Yugos would be a challenge.

The Struggle of Keeping a Roadside Attraction Alive

After the death of its founder, the future of Wild Bill's Nostalgia is cloudy.
by Sarah Laskow
March 1, 2018
"We had the coffins, and the giant hand, and he was like, 'Oh do the Chuckie!' Then he added the skulls."

The Wild Legacy of America's Most Eccentric Roadside Attraction

Wild Bill came from a family of die-hard Republicans and clowns, and he created a destination where the only rule is "faster, wilder."
by Sarah Laskow
May 4, 2017

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