10 Great Things to Do in Fairfield Connecticut for every age and taste

At Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., we create an environment that inspires lifelong learning. Our museum offers engaging and educational exhibits with indoor AND outdoor experiences that give children, families and educators twice the space to discover, learn, and grow. Our Energy Lab includes hands-on exhibits that teach how the sun, the wind, the force of water, and the burning of fossil fuels produce energy. Tot Town is an imaginative world shrunk down to toddler level. Our Build It! exhibit lets children explore architectural design and construction. We've got tools they can use to pretend to finish walls, paint with brushes and rollers, apply carpeting, and more. After a visit, youngsters will see their world in a whole different way.

The Bruce Museum, sitting high on a hill overlooking Greenwich Harbor, is both elegant and accessible. Changing exhibitions of both art and science are on view in the recently renovated main galleries, and in 2020 include a major show of works by noted Danish artist Laurits Andersen Ring and a science exhibition highlighting recent scientific discoveries through a combination of stunning imagery and real biological specimens. The museum’s permanent science galleries close in early 2020 for a year-long renovation in anticipation of the museum’s transformative expansion project, with groundbreaking on a building addition slated for summer 2020. The museum’s Seaside Center, in nearby Greenwich Point Park, hosts family activities special presentations on the first Sunday of the month that are free and open to the public.

Plan to bring your young ones – or adults with a love of exotic animals – to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo at 1875 Noble Avenue in Bridgeport. One of the state’s top family attractions, the zoo displays 300 animals: condors, tigers, ocelots, wolves, a giant anteater and a golden lion tamarin. The zoo is open daily and the carousel is open Thursday through Sunday. Feed your brood at the Peacock Café then go on for further explorations. Special areas include a tropical rainforest, an aviary, and a New England farmyard. This is a great activity for bad-weather days. Zoo is open daily, year-round. 203-394-6565

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens at 151 Brookdale Road in Stamford welcomes people every day from dawn to dusk to explore 12 gardens and many trails (with your dog, if you like), and to enjoy champion trees, gardens, wildflower meadows, red maple wetlands and boardwalks, and woodland walking trails. The arboretum’s Silver Center hosts art displays and summer concerts. Come for botany classes and doggy happy hours. Events, classes and concerts. Trail map. 203- 322-6971

Every scenic drive in Connecticut is just a little bit better when you travel with some tasty bites of fine chocolate.? Chocolate is an internationally adored food, and Connecticut's chocolatiers will show you why -- if you're not a chocaholic already! Connecticut's Chocolate Trails include lots of delectable treasures all over the state. From handmade holiday chocolates, to freshly-made exotic deliciousness, this list of chocolatiers is a must-taste New England tradition. Just follow the map!

With about 200 antiques dealers under one roof, the Stratford Antique Center on Honeyspot Road is a place where antiques buffs can become blissfully lost. The center is located off I-95 in Stratford and is locally known as the “big blue building.” It houses 16,500 square feet of antiques and collectibles. Browsers will enjoy the numerous dealer floor spaces and display cases, making this a great shopping attraction for anyone looking for things to do on an afternoon or weekend. 203-378-7754.

Boothe Memorial Park & Museum on Main Street in Stratford sits on an idyllic, 32-acre site in the north end of Stratford by the Housatonic River, which was the estate of the Boothe family for many generations. There are many architecturally unique buildings and attractions on the grounds as well as a new, handicapped-accessible playground with two climbing walls. The annual Great Pumpkin Festival is a huge attraction in the fall, while outdoor concerts and Shakespearean plays beckon visitors in the spring and summer. Tours of the historic buildings are seasonal (May - October). The park is open and free of charge year round. 203-381-2046.

The folks who run Stamford Museum and Nature Center at 39 Scofieldtown Road Stamford have a genius gene for making farm life, the outdoors, nature and the sky a fascinating adventure for young children and families. The science and nature attraction is on a 118-acre site and it encompasses a working farm, hiking trails, picnic area, a playground, art galleries, and a planetarium with observatory and regularly scheduled events describing the heavens above. Many special seasonal events and things to do for families include maple harvest, Easter egg hunts, and fall activities. Property includes the Bendel Mansion & Galleries. Open all year, with hours change seasonally. Phone: 203-322-1646.