Can you believe that I’ve lived just under 2 hours from Mystic my entire life and never visited? Now that I have I don’t know what I was waiting for! I’ve put together this comprehensive Mystic, CT Travel Guide to help you plan your trip to this classic New England destination! Get insider tips on the best things to do, where to stay and where to eat so you can have the best trip possible.
Mystic, Connecticut is a classic New England maritime village most known for it’s significant seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years and it’s quintessential New England charm. It is a major New England tourist destination due to it being home to the Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport and the pizza shop that inspired the film “Mystic Pizza”.
Mystic is located in the southeast corner of Connecticut just 10 miles from the Rhode Island border. The village itself is divided by the Mystic River between 2 towns – Stonington on the east and Groton on the west. It’s located directly off I-95 making it very easy to get to by car and not far from many major Northeast cities, just 1 hour from Hartford, 2 1/2 hours from New York City and 2 hours from Boston.
Mystic, CT Travel Guide
Things to Do in Mystic
Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration
- 55 Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355
- Mystic Aquarium is home to thousands of species of marine mammals, fish, invertebrates and reptiles. It is one of the only two US facilities holding Stellar sea lions and the only place in New England with beluga whales.
- Check their website for different events happening there throughout the year.
Mystic Seaport Museum
- 75 Greenmanville Ave, Mystic, CT 06355
- Mystic Seaport is the largest maritime museum in the United States and houses a collection of ships and boats along with a recreation of a 19th century seaport village with many historic buildings and rare restored commercial structures.
- It is also one of the first living museums in the United States that showed how people lived.
- Home to the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving wooden whaling ship.
- Check their website for different events, workshops, classes and exhibits happening there throughout the year.
Olde Mystik Village
- 27 Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355
- Open air village filled with unique shops and restaurants. A few of my favorites include Alice’s Haunted Little Bookshop, Becca Rose, Cloak and Wand, Deviant Craft Coffee & Donuts, Jealous Monk and Mango’s Wood Fired Pizza Co.
Downtown Mystic Shops
- W. Main St. Mystic,, CT 06355
- Historical downtown Mystic is home to many boutique shops, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and much more. Some of my favorite places include Northswell, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream, Desert Rose, Young Buns Doughnuts, Rise, Sift Bake Shop and Bank & Bridge Brewing.
- You could easily spend a couple hours walking around Main St. and Water St. shopping and eating!
Mystic Drawbridge
- E. Main St, Mystic, CT 06355
- Also known as Mystic River Bascule Bridge, the famous Mystic Drawbridge connects the Groton side of Mystic with the Stonington side of Mystic.
- It is a functioning counterweight drawbridge that raises to allow boat traffic to pass through the Mystic River and carries both vehicle and foot traffic directly into the tourist district.
Adventure Mystic
- Adventure company offering unique paddle boarding, biking, kayaking and snowboarding adventures.
- Check their website for different events happening there throughout the year.
Mystic River Cruise
- Considering Mystic is a maritime village specifically known for it’s seaport it’s no surprise that there are many different boating options available.
- Mystic River Cruises, Sabino Steamboat and Argia Mystic Sailboat Cruises are just a few options leaving right from the center of the village.
Ghost Tour
- While Mystic might not be as spooky as Salem, there is a LOT of supernatural history here!
- There are many guided tours to choose from, but my picks are the Guided Ghost Tour of Downtown Mystic at Night, Guided Graveyard Tour by Moonlight, Spirits of Mystic Cocktail Pub Crawl or the Paranormal Pub Crawl Beer Tour! If you’re visiting during the holiday season they also have a Ghosts of Christmas Past Downtown Walking Tour that sounds really cool!
B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill
- 129 N Stonington Rd. Mystic, CT 06355
- Clyde’s Cider Mill is the oldest steam powered cider mill in the United States and family owned and operated since 1881.
- They sell sweet cider, hard cider, wine, cider donuts and local goods.
- Clyde’s is seasonal and opens on September 1st every year and typically close at the end of November! Check their website for days and hours of operation.
Where to Stay in Mystic
The Whaler’s Inn
- 20 E. Main St. Mystic, CT 06355
- Modern boutique hotel located in downtown Mystic spread out over 5 buildings from different historical eras.
- Amenities include free wi-fi, free parking and discounted tickets to area attractions.
Harbor View Landing
- 8 Casino Rd, Mystic, CT 06355
- A collection of cottages with private decks and direct waterfront access right on the banks of the Mystic River. Walkable to both downtown Mystic and Noank Village.
- Access to newly built dock, lawn, kayaks, paddle boards, bikes and lawn games.
Hilton Mystic
- 20 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355
- 4 star hotel conveniently located right off I-95 across the street from Olde Mystik Village and the Mystic Aquarium.
- Amenities include a heated indoor pool, fitness center, free parking and free local shuttle service.
Hyatt Place Mystic
- 224 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355
- 3 star hotel located right off 1-95 just one mile from downtown Mystic and across the dress from Olde Mystik Village.
- Amenities include an outdoor pool, free parking and a 24-hour gym.
VRBO home rentals in mystic
- When I visited I opted to rent a house via VRBO because I was traveling with my family and brought all of our dogs. We rented THIS house and can’t recommend it enough! It had 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms was located just one house away from the river and was walking distance to everything downtown. We truly had an amazing time.
Where to Eat in Mystic
The Shipwright’s Daughter
New American restaurant by 2024 James Beard Chef Award Winner, Chef David Standridge. The New York Times named it one of their 50 best restaurants in America in 2024 and it’s consistently named one of Connecticut’s best restaurants among receiving many more awards. The moment you plan your trip to Mystic make a reservation at The Shipwright’s Daughter. If you take any piece of advice from my Mystic, CT Travel Guide have it be to make a reservation here!
Oyster Club
Creative boat to table restaurant with daily changing menu from James Beard Award nominated Chef, Renee Touponce. Another must visit in Mystic, the moment you plan your trip, make a reservation here.
S&P Oyster Restaurant & Bar
Upscale waterfront restaurant where New England seafood meets South American flavors, proudly serving tourists and locals alike for over 30 years.
The Mariner
Nautical themed seafood restaurant right on Main St. in downtown Mystic proudly serving the Best Lobster Roll in town!
Sift Bake Shop Mystic
French bakery offering a wide range of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods and arguably one of the hottest spots in all of Mystic. Every morning there is a line out the door so get there early if you have your eye on something specific.
Drawbridge Ice Cream
Ice cream parlor serving small batch, homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet steps away from the historic Mystic drawbridge since the 1800s.
Young Buns Doughnuts
Brought to you by the team behind Sift Bake Shop, Young Buns Doughnuts prepares classic and seasonally inspired doughnuts and coffee drinks. Just like at Sift, they tend to sell out everyday, so get there early if you have your heart set on something specific!
Friar Tuck’s Tavern
Traditional Irish tavern serving burgers, wings and more traditional pub food with a large variety of beer on tap. Open late!
Red 36
Large, waterfront restaurant and bar with elevated seafood centric American menu.
Engine Room
Rustic eatery by the restaurant group that brought you Oyster Club, The Port of Call and The Treehouse located in the restored Lathrop Marine Engine building! They have the widest selection of craft beer and bourbon in the area. We went here for brunch and it was awesome, highly recommend!
Mix Rooftop restaurant & Bar
Mix Rooftop is located about Sift Bake Shop, has a panoramic view of the Mystic River and is now open year round. They serve brunch of Sunday (with pastries from Sift and doughnuts from Young Buns), dinner and happy hour from Thursday to Monday and bar service during the day on Friday and Saturday.
Best Time to Visit Mystic
I truly don’t think there is a bad time to visit Mystic. However, in my opinion the best times would be either be Summer or Fall. Summer is the most popular. So, prepare for hotels to be booked well in advance and the town itself to be much busier, but don’t let that deter you from visiting it’s still very much a hidden gem and doesn’t get as crazy as other New England coastal tourist towns.
My perfect favorite time to visit Mystic is during the Fall, specifically September and October, when the weather starts to cool down and the leaves are starting to change. We visited at the end of October and it was absolutely perfect weather.
How to Get to Mystic
By Car
The most popular way to get to Mystic is by car. It is located right off I-95 and very easy to get to. Once you’re in Mystic though you will do a majority of your exploring by foot especially if you are staying downtown.
Mystic is also a great place to stop on a larger New England Road Trip. Pairing it with other great New England destinations like Salem, Boston and Newport would make for an amazing trip! (Tap on each city for travel guides similar to my Mystic, CT Travel Guide!)
By Train
You can reach Mystic by train via Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service.
By Plane
The closest airport to Mystic is Providence, RI, which is about 45 minutes away. Other airports include Hartford’s Bradley International Airport, Boston’s Logan International Airport and New York City’s JFK and LaGuardia Airports.
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Location: Mystic, Connecticut | Photos: myself
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