Terrific Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut (2024)
Despite living in Connecticut my entire life, I have never been a big fan of the winter season. For many years while growing up, the snow fell hard, it felt gloomy, and the thought of having to bundle up to go out just never seemed worth it. However, as I’ve grown up, I’ve learned to appreciate all the fun things to do in winter in Connecticut.
If you’re visiting there are endless things to do in winter in Connecticut, including wineries, outdoor activities, holiday activities, and cultural fun. I can’t promise that the winter won’t be chilly and gray, but I can promise that winter in Connecticut can be, dare I say it, extremely enjoyable.
Food & Drink Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut
One of the best things about eating and drinking is that the weather generally does not affect those plans. Outdoor dining may be the one exception, but I doubt that anyone is planning on that from November to March. Logically, food and drink activities are some of the best things to do in winter in Connecticut. Our proximity to New York and Boston certainly helps, as those cultural mixing pots trickle into our state.
Connecticut Winter Wine Trail
You may not associate Connecticut with wine, but let me tell you, we have it in spades. And, a lot of it is quite good! I can honestly say that the winter wine trail in CT got us through a few bleak winters. The wine is tasty and you can enjoy it from a cozy seat while admiring the frosty vines outside. I’m starting my list here because this is, without a doubt, my favorite thing to do in winter in Connecticut (spoiler)!
If you’d like to try to visit all of the wineries and vineyards on Connecticut’s winter wine trail, you can pick up a passport at any participating location. They generally become available in January and the contest to stamp them all usually runs through late March/early April.
Connecticut’s wineries cover every corner of the state and everything in between. Each venue has something unique to offer, and each has a different vibe. One of my favorite wineries overall is Hawk Ridge, located in Watertown. They have an expansive property where guests can set up their tables and chairs, plus a generous amount of seating inside and out in their tent as well. This is a great spot for an event, but also perfect to share some warm, mulled wine when temperatures drop.
*Read more about the winter wine trail here
Miracle Pop Up
Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar, with locations around the world. This year for 2023, Connecticut has three locations in Newtown, Portland, and Stratford. Buckle up for a silly cocktail list, with adult beverages served out of Santa mugs and dinosaurs. Each location decorates as well in a sort of “if Christmas threw up” fashion of wacky, over-the-top lights and baubles.
I’ve gone to Miracle for the last two years and it really is a fun and festive time. Each establishment adds its own flair and it’s a perfect excuse to splurge on a tasty drink and feel like a kid again.
CT Restaurant Week(s)
Most of us like to hibernate a bit in the winter and stay home, but discounted dining is as good an excuse as any to get out. One of the best things to do in winter in CT is take advantage of local restaurant weeks.
Dates haven’t been released for 2024 yet, but check out their website to see when Restaurant Week is happening near you! This past year, many towns scheduled it for January or February, including Bethel, Danbury, Mohegan Sun, Stamford, and Mansfield.
Reserve an Igloo
I hate being stuck inside during the winter, so I am a huge fan of any heated patio or space. During the pandemic, these became even more popular as restaurants had to get creative with limited capacity. Try out one of these spots this winter. Be sure to reserve these well in advance since they’re very popular!
❄️ Dockside, Milford
(One of our favorite local bars, how convenient!) They have a jungle and Taylor Swift-themed igloo this year for 2023.
❄️ Sign of the Whale, Stamford
❄️ Foxwood Casino’s Ice Rink and Winter Patio
❄️ Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, Sandy Hook
*This list will be updated as locations confirm their igloos and outdoor seating for the 2023-2024 season.
Winter High Tea in Connecticut
My personal favorite for tea in Connecticut is Tea with Tracy. This has become our go-to for family occasions, celebrating everything here from birthdays to Mother’s Day. The tea menu is enormous, bordering on overwhelming for an indecisive gal like myself. Tea with Tracy has a full lunch menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and grilled cheeses. It also has several tea options with varying combinations of sandwiches, pastries, and beverages. They have two locations, one in Seymour and one in Oxford. In Oxford, you can also enjoy a delicious steak dinner as well.
Connecticut is home to many other places for tea including the Old Lyme Inn, A Spoonful of Britain in Simsbury, The Old Mill English Tea Room in Somers, and Take Tea in Avon.
Festive Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut
Winter may usher in darker days and colder nights, but it also leads us quickly into the holiday season, which easily brightens life back up. One of the best things to do in winter in Connecticut is to take advantage of all of the festive entertainment that this state has to offer.
Night of Lights Merry Christmas Hayride
If you’re a local you’ve either heard of or been to Legends of Fear in Shelton. But did you know that they shift into Christmas mode once spooky season ends? On select nights from November 25th to December 23rd, they host the Night of Lights.
At this festive attraction, guests travel on a tractor-pulled wagon through tree fields filled with lights and holiday-themed scenery. After this 30-minute Yuletide trip, you can visit with the Clauses, the Grinch, and other holiday characters. Families can also warm up by the bonfire and enjoy seasonal treats.
Hartford’s Holiday Light Fantasia
Holiday Light Fantasia in Hartford is an annual drive-through attraction, transforming Goodwin Park with over 1 million lights. 200 displays depict familiar holiday characters and scenes, celebrating more than just Christmas. Other holidays like Three Kings Day, Hanukkah, and New Years are also showcased.
The dates for 2023-2024 have not been announced but the event usually runs from late November to early January.
Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce, Bristol
Lake Compounce has been welcoming guests since 1846. With that impressive longevity, it should be no surprise that they go big for the holidays. The amusement park boasts Connecticut’s tallest Christmas tree!
Buy tickets for the Holiday Lights, and you’ll see that tree and the light show on it. The sparkling park is also decked out with thousands of lights. Not only can you ride some of your favorite rides, but you can meet Santa Claus and create your own snow globe.
Families can also enjoy festive fried dough, a hot cocoa bar, and build-your-own s’mores. There’s even a holiday cookie decorating station. This is a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit in winter in Connecticut.
Winterfest and Tunnel of Lights
East Windsor’s Winterfest and Tunnel of Lights has been a holiday tradition for 45 years. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is a great place to visit year round but it becomes dazzling as revelers ride trolleys through thousands of twinkling light displays.
You can choose to take a ride in an open or closed trolley, for two different unique and magical experiences. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance and come prepared with cozy clothes and a blanket.
Wonderland At Roseville
I got to see this enchanting spectacle a few years back when my boyfriend was touring me around the shoreline. Call me crazy but looking at lights is one of my favorite things to do in winter in Connecticut, and I find it awfully romantic too.
For 24 years, homeowner Gene Halliwell has been decorating with an estimated half a million lights. Every inch of the property is covered in snowmen, trains, angels, Santa, and more. Stop by 226 Roseville Terrace in Fairfield this upcoming holiday season!
Gingerbread Houses in Kent, Connecticut
Each year the shops and galleries in downtown Kent have a little something special for visitors – magnificently decorated gingerbread houses! This festival typically runs through the month of December on weekends, from Thursday through Sunday.
In past years, there’s been a scavenger hunt aspect to it, with a map and a riddle to solve in order to find all of the impressive baked dwellings. For those who successfully solve them, they have a chance to win a prize. Stay tuned as the details for this year’s festival become available.
Outdoor Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut
Connecticut is home to beautiful mountains and parks, perfect for outdoor winter activities. Skiing is likely the first outdoor activity to come to mind, but there’s also ample opportunity for snow tubing, ice skating, and hiking. Make the most of those precious daylight hours and spend some quality time out in nature. It’s one of the best things to do in winter in Connecticut.
Winter Hiking in Connecticut
As much as I may dislike the cold in general, a hike on a sunny, crisp day has become one of my favorite things to do in Connecticut. The trails are far quieter than during summer’s busy season. After the leaves fall, the views drastically change across the state’s landscape too. A place you visited six months ago could look very different, especially with fluffy snow or a frozen waterfall.
Valley Falls
Located in Rockville, this waterfall is absolutely stunning when frozen over in the wintertime. There are hiking trails that lead to the falls and it makes for a great way to get outside. This is one of the best places to take a winter hike in Connecticut.
Skiing at Connecticut Ski Resorts
New Englanders often flock to Vermont and New Hampshire to marvel at the snowy mountains in winter, but outdoor enthusiasts don’t need to go that far! Skiing and snowboarding are fantastic things to do in winter in Connecticut. These facilities also manufacture their own snow, so if Mother Nature does not provide it, you can still enjoy your favorite activities.
Whether you’re a season pass holder, a first-timer, or you want to try your hand at night skiing, Connecticut’s mountains have something for you, close to home.
❄️ Mohawk Mountain, Cornwall – 26 trails for skiing & snowboarding, night skiing, and snow tubing
❄️ Ski Sundown, New Hartford – 16 downhill trails, 56% of which are rated easy
❄️ Mount Southington, Plantsville – 14 trails and night skiing
Cross Country Skiing
I’m not much of a skier, but I’ve always wanted to try cross-country skiing. Maybe this will be the year! Luckily Winding Trails in Farmington is a full-service ski center with 12.5 miles of trails which are very well maintained.
They have everything for novices and experts alike including rentals and lessons.
Snow Tubing in Connecticut
Powder Ridge Mountain Park in Middlefield is great to visit year-round. This past summer we even went to use their zip line and their slip-and-slide. In winter though, Powder Ridge has 20 ski trails, plus runs for snow tubing. You can even reserve a spot for tubing under neon lights at night.
If you want to try something new and unique, they also have snow bikes and snow skates!
Other great options for snow tubing:
❄️ Mohawk Mountain, Cornwall
❄️ Winding Trails, Farmington
Sledding – Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut
Prefer to grab your own toboggan and sled old school? These are great free options for families to bring their sleds for hours of fun.
❄️ Wickham Park, Manchester
❄️ Panthorn Park, Plantsville
❄️ Page Park, Bristol
❄️ Foss Hill at Wesleyan University, Middletown
Ice Skating
Winterfest at Bushnell Park in Hartford offers free skating and rentals so everyone can enjoy one of the most popular things to do in Connecticut in December. This year Winterfest opens on Friday, November 24th, and runs until January. The hours are Monday – Friday from 11 am – 8 pm.
Best of all (in my humble opinion) they offer free skating lessons on Saturdays at 10 am in December and January.
Sleigh Rides
Is there anything more classically Connecticut than a horse-drawn sleigh ride through a country farm? A fun family activity, or a cozy romantic one, there are three farms in the state to choose from.
🐴 Wood Acres Farm, Terryville
🐴 Allegra Farm & Horse-Drawn Carriage & Sleigh Museum, East Haddam
🐴 Cedar Knoll Farm, Lisbon
Farm Animals & Maple Syrup
Brooksvale Park in Hamden is one of the best places to visit in Connecticut in the winter. It has hiking trails and a barn where you can see horses, sheep, chickens, and other animals. During the late winter, the staff at Brooksvale make maple syrup and you can visit their sugar shack too.
Beardsley Zoo
You may not think of the zoo as a winter activity, but it’s time to rethink this one. Many animals are more active and visible in cooler temperatures and with fewer crowds, you’ll be able to see and do more.
Indoor Things to Do in Winter in Connecticut
Practice Your Ninja Skillz
Located in Danbury, CT Thrillz is an adventure park where kids and adults can buy a “Fly Time” ticket and try their hand (or their feet) at familiar obstacles seen on Wipe Out or American Ninja Warrior.
Guests can also reserve spots for laser tag by calling ahead, or add on a VR rollercoaster experience to round out their day. Jumpz trampoline park next door can also be bundled into your ticket too.
A good friend of mine spent last New Year’s Eve here with some kiddos and had a fabulous time. Look it up if you find yourself in western Connecticut.
Connecticut Museums
The Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven
The Knights of Columbus Museum has an exhibit of Christmas trees that are decorated by elementary school students all over the state. It also has an exhibit of nativity scenes from all over the world, making this an educational activity showcasing local and global traditions.
Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, New Haven
At this museum, you’ll find the skeletal remains of a Brontosaurus-Apatosaurus which is very rare indeed. The Babylonian collection contains over 45,000 tablets and the Anthropology collections include local artifacts from Connecticut and exotic items from around the world.
The museum is currently being renovated and will reopen in 2024. In the meantime, you can explore their collections from the comfort of your home on their website here.
Osborne Homestead Museum, Derby
The Osborne Homestead Museum honors the life and accomplishments of Frances Osborne Kellogg, a businesswoman and conservationist. From November 24th – December 16th, the museum is transformed. Volunteers creatively decorate each room of this historic building with a theme that changes each year. This year the theme is “Holiday in the City”. They also have twilight tour hours on Friday evenings.
Indoor Ropes Course
Fun Fact: Connecticut has the largest indoor ropes course in the world! And it’s inside a furniture store. Strange huh? If you haven’t been to a Jordan’s Furniture before, that in and of itself is an experience and a great way to spend a winter afternoon in New Haven, CT.
The facility is brimming with cargo nets, rope bridges, ladders, and more, with 100+ challenges on four levels. Smaller children can use the Little It and Zip It course. Big kids and even bigger kids (adults) can try their hand at the It and Zip It course.
As of this writing in November 2023, they are running a Friday night special! Each Friday from 4 pm – 9 pm, guests can purchase a two-hour ticket for the price of a one-hour ticket!
Winter Sporting Events in Connecticut
This year the UCONN men’s basketball team won its fifth national championship. Courtside seats at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs can be pricey, creeping over $200, but fans can score upper-level seats for $5+.
With game tickets like that, this is a very affordable indoor thing to do in winter in Connecticut.
Axe Throwing
Montana Nights has three locations in Southington, Orange, and Newington. All three locations have a bar, and Square Peg Pizza is served at both Orange and Southington.
Karting and more at Supercharged Racing in Oakdale
While we’re on the subject of axe-throwing, you can do that here too, in addition to speeding around the world’s largest indoor multi-level karting track. On Thursdays, they combine both tracks to create a super-track, and on Fridays they offer discounted races.
If that’s not enough exciting indoor winter activity for you, they have a Wipe Out Ninja course and trampolines. It’s really a one-stop shop!
Duck Pin Bowling in Connecticut
Another semi-rare activity unique to Connecticut is duck pin bowling. The regulation variety is only played in nine states. And even though many have described it as a nostalgic game that’s dying off, we still have several options throughout the state.
🎳 Danbury Duckpin Lanes
🎳 Woodlawn Duckpin Bowling, West Haven
🎳 Laurel Lanes, Winsted
🎳 Johnson’s Duckpin Lanes, Hamden
🎳 Lucky Strike Lanes, Mansfield Center
🎳 Highland Bowl, Cheshire
🎳 Devon Duckpin Bowling, Milford
🎳 Ducks on the Ave, Hartford
FAQ – Things to do in Winter in Connecticut
What is Connecticut like in winter?
On the coast in Connecticut, winters are generally warmer and more mild. Inland, the winter weather feels much colder. From December to March, the average temperature usually falls below 46°F (8°C). Generally, much of the state will see snow by late November. There are always exceptions though, like in 1987 when Bridgeport saw its earliest snowfall on October 4.
Normally January is the snowiest month and towns can get over 5 feet of snow throughout the season. The last few years have been much more wild, but Connecticut weather is anything but predictable so you honestly never know what you’ll get.
Are CT beaches open in winter?
Yes, Connecticut’s beaches are open to all in the off-season. At most beaches parking is free in winter. Hammonasset Beach State Park, Jennings Beach, and Ocean Beach Park are all great options for exploring Connecticut’s coastline.
🐕 Bring your dog for a beach walk since they’re not allowed on most beaches in the summer!
What is there to do on winter break in CT?
During your winter break from school, be sure to spend time with friends and family. As a group, you can enjoy so many things to do in winter in Connecticut. Go skiing or snowboarding on a nearby mountain. Get tickets to a basketball or hockey game. Or try a ropes course or adventure park to burn off some energy.
How do I prepare for winter in CT?
Although recent winters have been relatively mild, it’s still smart to ensure your property and home are prepared for those intense, worst-case-scenario storms.
🚩 Prepare the outside of your home. Clear rain gutters and ensure the roof is free of leaks and strong enough for heavy snowfall. Trim any overhanging tree branches that could damage your home.
🚩 Keep the cold out of your home. Insulate the walls, install storm windows, or cover windows with plastic.
🚩 If you have a fireplace, have it checked. If you have oil, ensure you have auto delivery or a good sense of how much fuel you have. Service the furnace, especially if it’s on the older side.
🚩 Consider a home energy assessment. Many companies will do them for free or for very cheap. My father did one recently and it’s been amazing how much he has saved in heating and cooling over this last year.
Does it snow in December in Connecticut?
Sometimes! Winter is unpredictable in Connecticut but snow can begin in November. Most years, many parts of the state will get snow in December. Connecticut residents are always excited for a White Christmas but it’s not a guarantee.
Snow is more common inland. On average they’ll get 15 inches in December but the shoreline can get 5 inches or less during this month.
Where can I play in the snow in CT?
You can play in the snow anywhere! Parks and beaches are open and mostly free during the winter. Those public spaces often have great hills for playing and sledding too.
Is Connecticut nice in winter?
Compared to other New England states, Connecticut often experiences less severe weather and less snow than its neighbors. As a lifelong Connecticut resident, I’ve learned to love and appreciate Connecticut winters more and more.
While living in Boston, I found those winters to be much more oppressive and long. Maybe it was all those frigid, windy days waiting for the T?
Looking to escape the cold? Why not book a winter getaway?
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Featured Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash
