Top Places to Bring a Date in Connecticut

The state of Connecticut offers plenty of top spots for memorable dates. Its scenic countryside offers sleigh or carriage rides. On the streets of Conneticut's charming villages, you can enjoy a wide variety of restaurants and people watching. Dine at a romantic mill or take advantage of Connecticut's vibrant cultural scene. Visit Revolutionary War historical sites or just get silly and go skating or rock climbing or check out the aquarium. Whatever the season, you and your sweetheart can enjoy Connecticut's best date spots.

Connecticut offers leafy forests and snowy fields for romantic excursions. Take a sleigh ride down a country lane in East Haddam, Lisbon or Lyme, snuggling under the blankets and enjoying a cup of hot apple cider to fight off the chill. Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford offers forested trails, wetland boardwalks and gardens, with guided tours and outdoor concerts in the summer. In the fall, head over to Boothe Memorial Park & Museum in Stratford for the Great Pumpkin Festival; the rest of the year, outdoor concerts and plays are performed on the grounds.

Try a romantic skating date at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, and cozy up at one of the fire pits with a hot chocolate afterwards. Daredevils may prefer the indoor rock-climbing gym, Prime Climb. Get your adrenaline going on the 15 snow tubing runs at the Woodbury Ski Area. Athletic types can hang out together at Stamford's Chelsea Piers, where you can swim, skate or challenge your date to a net game.

Take your date to the relaxing Bean & Leaf in New London's historic district for tasty coffee and teas plus live music most nights. New Haven is the place for outdoor food and live music; try the Caseus Cheese Truck or the Tijuana Taco Company. If your date's a chocolate lover you can treat her to handmade treats made with exotic ingredients like lemongrass and lime at Chesire's CocoaShak. Or go all out and book a table at the romantic Mill on the River in South Windsor, which boasts creative food and an unbeatable location.

If your date's the literary type, try the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, with 16,000 artifacts in the beautifully restored home. The Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford offers up historic charm, cooking classes and 130 acres of field and forest. Stroll through Plymouth Center, enjoying the historical buildings in this sleepy, charming village. Alternatively, you can get up close and personal with sharks, seals and sea turtles at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.