CONNECTICUT - New Haven/South Central

Over 80,000 items including toys and character collectibles from 1873 to present; Western, TV and advertising collectibles; cartoon memorabilia; official musuem for Celebriducks, the California Raisin and Gumby; sculpture gallery. Admission: Free.

Interactive, innovative and inclusive museum with eight rooms of hands-on exhibits, observation bee hive, the Great Green Room from Goodnight Moon, and a pint-size post office. Admission: $5 per person.

Museum focusing on Eli Whitney's life, his inventions and his legacy. In addition to historic exhibits, the museum also holds a water learning lab and outdoor study areas. The barn, built in 1816, is the site of special events throughout the year. Admission: free; charge for programs.

Connecticut's oldest house (1639) and New England's oldest stone house, built as a minister's home and town stronghold, Colonial Revival restorations 1903 and 1930s. 17th- to 19th-century furnishings, museum shop, visitor center. National Historic Landmark. Admission: Adults, $4; seniors, $3; children age 6-17, $2.50.

Permanent exhibits detail the history of New Haven from 1638 to the present. Of particular interest is the exhibit of tableware from 1640 - 1840. The museum also contains a library, photo exhibit and gift shop. Admission: $2 adults, $1.50 seniors and students.

Former estate of Frances Osborne Kellogg. Elegant Colonial Revival home (1850), original antiques and fine arts. Formal rose and flower garden, English rock garden. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Admission: Donation requested.

Brontosaurus and Stegosaurus haunt the Great Hall of Dinosaurs, where Rudolph Zallinger's famous Age of Reptiles mural spans 108 feet. Live animals inhabit, exhibits on Native America, Ancient Egypt, human origins, birds, minerals, meteorites. Gift shop. Admission: Adults, $7; seniors, $6; students and children aged 3-18, $5; free admission Thursdays, 2-5 p.m. from September to June.

Ride vintage streetcars through scenic woods and wetlands. View exhibits on the trolley era and tour the trolley collection. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Admission: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; children age 2-15, $3; under 2 free.

Designed by Louis Kahn, the museum houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. Its foundation is the gift of paintings, drawings prints, rare books, manuscripts, and sculpture donated by Paul Mellon (Yale class 1929). Admission: free.

More than 800 16th- to 20th-century musical instruments documenting European and American music tradition. Concert series September to April. Admission: $2 donation.

Founded in 1832, with more than 185,000 objects dating from ancient Egypt to the present. Paintings by van Gogh, Manet, Monet and Picasso, one of the finest collections of American paintings and decorative arts; changing exhibitions. Free admission.