New Haven, Connecticut is a walkable college town packed with culture, food, and outdoor views. From Yale University and world-class museums to famous pizza and scenic overlooks, here are the best things to do in New Haven for a perfect weekend.

Do you know there is no real name for a person from Connecticut? Someone from Virginia is called a Virginian, Washington a Washingtonian, etc. Someone from Connecticut is a . . . . Connecticutter? Most people say they are Nutmeggers (we are the Nutmeg state) or simply New Englanders. But there is no official word!

Attraction	Best For	Time Needed
East Rock Park	City views & hiking	30–60 min
Yale University	History & architecture	1–2 hours
Yale Museums	Free cultural stops	30–60 min
Peabody Museum	Kids & dinosaurs	1–2 hours
Wooster Street	Pizza & Italian food	1+ hour
Beinecke Library	Architecture lovers	30 min

The Best things to do in New Haven

East Rock Park- Best View in New Haven

To help you get the lay of the land, and to see a beautiful display of reds and oranges, drive up East Rock mountain, and be rewarded by the view of the city. You can pick out Yale campus, Long Island Sound, and many surrounding neighborhoods. While you are there, you can picnic at one of the many picnic benches. There are also great hiking and running trails leading all over the park!

Plan on 30 minutes

Wooster Street: Famous New Haven Pizza

Wooster Street is probably aptly named Little Italy in New Haven. Italians who had immigrated through Ellis Island at the turn of the last century made their way to New Haven and became the largest immigrant group in the area. As they settled in Italian neighborhoods, the cultural phenomenon known as pizza began to make its mark on New Haven.

If you are not from the area, you probably had no idea that pizza is big business in the Elm City.

 

A story of pizza rivalry unfolded in the early 1900s on Wooster Street that has continued through today. Two of the top contenders for the New Haven pizza crown are on Wooster Street: Pepe’s (voted by thrillist.com as best pizza in the country for 3 years running) and Sally’s. (We will talk more about pizza in our good eats section) Other Italian eateries line the street, and you can’t walk down this street without running into some deliciousness.

Plan on 10 minutes to walk around or longer if you are going to eat.

Tip: while you are waiting for your food, there is a playground on that street

Yale University

Although New Haven is more than just Yale, Yale does dominate a lot of the things to see and do in New Haven. Yale University was founded in 1701 and is well known as one of the best universities in the world. It was built to represent the great universities of the old world, particularly Cambridge.

 

Tours are offered almost every day of the year, and I really recommend the architecture tour. If you choose to just look around Yale instead of do a tour, you will still see plenty. Pay attention to the architecture of the different doors. That alone could be a tour.

 

 

Plan on 1-2 hours depending on the tour

Yale Museum of British Art/ Yale Art museum

These two museums are right across the street from each other and are both free!

Now, if your kids are like my kids, museums are not high up on their list of fun things. However, when a museum is free you can take them in for 10-15 minutes and leave without remorse. I slightly prefer the British art museum to the Yale Art museum, but they are both great.

Plan on 30 minutes to an hour

Peabody museum of natural history

This is a museum your kids will like!  It was recently completly updated and is better than ever. New Haven has its very own Dinosaur Museum and its is situated in an old Yale building. The impressive displays will keep your entire family interested.

Plus admission is free!

My kids love this museum because it has dinosaurs! They also love the ancient Egypt exhibit and the hall of minerals.

Plan on 1-2 hours.

Beinecke Library

This is a must see in my book because of the architecture alone.  This is Yale’s rare book library and is one of the largest repositories of rare books.

The main part of the library has no windows but the walls are made out of square slabs of thin marble. When the sun shines, the entire library is filled with a gentle glow. It is gorgeous. It is free to the public, and children are more than welcome as long as they use their inside voices.

While you are there you can check out an original Gutenberg bible.

Plan on 30 minutes.

What to eat in New Haven

If you are a food lover, New Haven is the town for you. This small city boasts more restaurants than days of the year. So, in trying to pick the best, I was flummoxed in trying to pick the most authentic New Haven meal that you can have. Bear in mind that there are many fabulous places to eat.

New Haven Style aPizza

As I mentioned above, pizza is the food to eat in New Haven. It even has its own special name, abeetz (which means pizza in Italian). The pizza has its roots in Naples and is a thin crust with a slightly chewy texture. It is generally cooked in a coal fired oven at very high temperatures (which results in a slightly charred crust).

 

If you want authentic abeetz, head over to Wooster Street and hop in line for Pepe’s pizza. Order the white clam pizza (the best pizza in America according to thrillist.com) or the fresh tomato (summer availability only) and wash it down with locally-produced Foxon Park Birch beer. You will truly taste New Haven in that meal.

 

Want to know the best pizza based on some unscientific research? Read our Best Pizza in New Haven article.

 

If you have kids who want some more traditional toppings, my recommendation is Modern Pizza. They have more topping options and more seating space, so it’s a great place for kids. It is every bit as delicious as its Wooster Street competitors.

Arethusa Farm Dairy, New Haven

This is my very favorite ice cream in all of Connecticut. It is produced in a dairy in Northern Connecticut and sold in the New Haven scoop shop.

 

What makes Arethusa special is that they concentrate on a few flavors but make those flavors perfect. Don’t go in here looking for ice cream with tons of candy or swirls of caramel and marshmallow. They don’t cover up their perfection with add ins.

 

Try the strawberry or chocolate and be prepared to have the best ice cream you have ever had. A waffle cone with a generous scoop of ice cream is only $3.75. You will find yourself going back a few times before your New Haven weekend is over.

 

 

FAQ: Visiting New Haven, Connecticut

Is New Haven worth visiting?
Yes. New Haven offers a unique mix of Ivy League history, free museums, outdoor views, and one of the best food scenes in New England.

How many days do you need in New Haven?
One full day is enough to see the highlights, but a weekend allows time to explore Yale, eat well, and enjoy the city at a relaxed pace.

Is New Haven good for families?
Absolutely. The Peabody Museum, East Rock Park, and walkable downtown make it great for kids.

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