The Local’s Guide to Visiting Westport, CT

Westport, Connecticut is an old coastal city located about 30 miles south of New Haven. The town is bordered by Long Island Sound and many other well-known destinations like Norwalk and Stamford. Only a short 50-mile drive from New York City, Westport is a great spot for exploring and has plenty of places to visit and things to do.

Downtown

Start your visit to Westport with a stroll through downtown. Downtown Westport is an eclectic mix of business and pleasure. The town features the old historic charm of New England architecture with a modern cosmopolitan flare. Downtown features art galleries, local small businesses, homemade eateries, fine dining experiences, and so much more. A lover of any city will find entertainment and delight in downtown Westport.

Yale University

Yale University was established in New Haven in 1701, about 35 minutes northeast of Westport. It occupies a large portion of the city. Walking the campus will take you back in time with stately restored buildings and will excite with some of the finest examples of modern architecture.

Yale offers some amazing museum hopping. The Yale University Art Gallery houses an impressive collection of 20th-century art. The Yale Center for British Art boasts of the largest collection of British art outside of the United Kingdom housed in a Louis I. Kahn designed building. The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is a perfect place to visit if you are with children. The dioramas and ancient Mesopotamian artifacts are impressive.

Sherwood Island State Park

Connecticut’s first state park has long been considered one of the most scenic. With close to 700 acres of land, Sherwood Island offers beautiful beaches, dense forests, and abundant wetlands. Along the park are East and West beaches, large enough to avoid overcrowding on even the hottest summer days. The marshland is home to a majority of the park’s wildlife, and a boardwalk trail can lead you there.

Norwalk

Less than 15 minutes south of Westport is the small town of Norwalk, CT. This town offers a lot of fun activities, among them being a visit to the Maritime Aquarium. If seeing over 2,700 marine animals from all around the world does not appeal to you, a visit to the Sheffield Island lighthouse should. Hop aboard a catamaran to explore the nature and wildlife of the island.

There is plenty more to see and do in Connecticut’s coastal cities. These are some of the most popular and should be a starting point for your visit. As you walk the city, you will want to take note of more things to do the next time you are in town.

Originally published on JeffGeschwind.org