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

Visit the extraordinary Glass House and see where art and architecture intersect. Built in 1949 by renowned architect Philip Johnson, the house’s exterior walls are made of glass, with no interior walls. You could, as Johnson said, see sunset and moonrise at the same time, standing in the same place. The house led to the building of 13 other “pavilions” on the 49-acre pastoral property over several decades, including the Sculpture Gallery, Painting Gallery, Studio, Ghost House and Pavilion on the Pond. Owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it also houses a permanent collection of remarkable 20th century paintings and sculpture as well as temporary exhibits and outdoor sculptures. Self-guided tours are offered April through December, and occasional public programs are also presented.

Privacy, beauty – and being close to great things to do: Those features make the Stanton House Inn a must for visitors to Greenwich. It’s a short train ride to New York, or car ride to the maritime pleasures of Mystic, but you’ll find plenty to do right in Greenwich, from walking the beach and trails at Greenwich Point Park or playing tennis in Binney Park to visiting Putnam Cottage of Revolutionary War fame, shopping on Greenwich Avenue, attending a concert or play or watching a polo match. Ask at the inn about the best route to view the town’s mansions. At the inn itself, with its luxurious 20 rooms and suites, there’s an outdoor pool, manicured lawn for bocce and badminton and gorgeous gardens to stroll through.

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

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.

Weir Farm National Historic Site on Nod Hill Road in Wilton is one of two national historic sites that preserves and displays a place for the visual arts. (The other is the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire.) From 1882 to 2005, Weir Farm was the home and workplace of three generations of painters, starting with J. Alden Weir. Visitors today can view the Weir home and studios, take guided walks of stone walls and painting trails, and enjoy the rotating art exhibits. In April 2020, the farm was featured in the newest coin produced by the U.S. Mint in its American the Beautiful Quarters program. The grounds are open year-round; hours at the Visitor Center vary seasonally. Phone: 203-761-9945

Connecticut Audubon Society’s Birdcraft Museum in Fairfield is an intimate natural history museum with its own songbird sanctuary. This family-friendly museum offers first-class natural history programs and exhibits to bird lovers of all ages. Planted in 1914 as a refuge to attract, and harbor migratory and resident birds, the six-acre site has sheltered more than 120 species of birds. A bridge over a pond on the property allows close-up views of the sanctuary and its inhabitants. Visitors can observe a honeybee hive, a collection of African animals, and other changing exhibits, and attend scheduled demonstrations of bird-banding in spring and fall.

Greenwich Audubon Center at 613 Riversville Road in Greenwich offers lots of recurring classes and programs that encourage people of all ages and physical abilities to enjoy the center and its lessons about nature. All year round, the center offers activities like Nature Yoga with Brittani Kelly, emphasizing nature around us and the health of the environment; Family Yoga, which welcomes kids to join the experience; and Sensory-Sensitive Saturdays, welcoming people with extra sensitivities who would like to enjoy learning about nature in a quiet and soothing space. Check out the center’s events pages to learn more. These are great activities for cold-weather and warm-weather seasons.

Greenwich Audubon is offering in-person, outdoor private adventures for groups of up to 8 people at the Audubon property at 613 Riversville Road in Greenwich or at Grass Island Park on Greenwich Cove. The adventures may include bird watching or bird counting, owl prowls, guided hikes, and exploration of ponds and wetlands.

Stamford, just a hop and a jump from the New York border, is a beehive of antiques stores, and a place where antiques lovers could get lost and put a grave dent in the checkbook. Among the places that are named in the upper strata of Stamford antiques shops are Avery & Dash Collections on Jefferson Street; Stamford Modern on Pacific Street; Hamptons Antique Galleries on Canal Street; Hidden Galleries on John Street.