Fairfield opens the door to New England with unusual museums, mansions, and more

The coastal Fairfield region of New England is the gateway to the region from New York and its neighbors. The overture to Fairfield is the beautiful mansions of Stamford and Greenwich, where seaside marinas and restaurants are tucked in among town beaches, and shopping is upscale, especially on Greenwich Avenue, sometimes known as the Rodeo Drive of the Northeast. A list of notable museums in the region has to begin with the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, home of the world-famous circus impresario of the 19th century. The Bruce Museum in Greenwich focuses on the arts and nature science and the Lockwook-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk invites visitors to tour this 62-room Victorian house, called America’s first chateau. Attractions for children and animal lovers include the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, and Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, and the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. And for an archetypal introduction to New England, how you cannot do better than a lighthouse – in this case the historic lighthouse and nature preserve on Sheffield Island, Norwalk.