Bridgeport, Connecticut is the largest city in Connecticut. It is located in Fairfield County along the Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River. Bridgeport is a beautiful city to live in and famous for its public parks. The town nickname is “the park city.” Growing up in the historic city of Bridgeport, I enjoyed spending warm summer days exploring the town’s many parks or visiting Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo. The Barnum Museum and The Discovery Museum and Planetarium were other fun places to tour. If you have a chance to visit Bridgeport, Connecticut, I highly recommend visiting Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, The Barnum Museum, and The Discovery Museum and Planetarium.
CONNECTICUT'S BEARDSLEY ZOO
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is open daily and is a wonderful family attraction. For ninety years, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo was the only zoo located in the state of Connecticut. The zoo is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species and strives to preserve wild habitats through education, conservation, and research. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo houses more than 300 animals highlighting mostly North and South American species. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo has an outdoor café, called the Peacock Café, where you can grab a bite to eat. After grabbing some food, you can sit and relax in Picnic Grove. The zoo also has a colorful carousel ride. The zoo also offers live animal feeds from 8:30am-6pm so you can check out what the red panda and spider monkeys are up to at home.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is such a fun place for kids to go and learn all about the different animals housed at the zoo and how to help save the animals that are endangered. They offer programs like Zoo Tots that allow young children (22 months-4 years) to listen to stories, play games, and enjoy zoo related activities. Zoo Patrol offers behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo with knowledgeable zookeepers. Kids get hands-on learning experiences and play games and make crafts. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo will even host your next birthday party or wedding.
THE BARNUM MUSEUM
P.T. Barnum was a man of many talents. He was an entrepreneur, business leader, politician, land developer, lecturer, and author. Barnum was dedicated to the pursuit of freedom and choice. He is best known for his circus known as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” He established the circus at the age of 61 years old as a retirement project.
P.T. Barnum was devoted to the idea of building the Barnum Institute of Science and History. He had a great love for combining entertainment and education and donated his own land, money, and expertise to see to the museum’s success. Unfortunately, Barnum died in 1891 before the museum’s construction in 1893. The museum cost around $85,000 to construct. The Barnum Museum, as it is known today, is located in downtown Bridgeport. The Barnum Museum houses 60,000 artifacts relating to the life of P.T Barnum, Bridgeport, and 19th century America. The museum still holds to Barnum’s original mission for the museum: growing curiosity, creativity, and confidence through instructive entertainment. The museum attracts tourists, researchers, filmmakers, and authors all looking to be inspired by Barnum and his work.
THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM
The Discovery Museum and Planetarium consists of four hands-on museums located in three cities. The four museums are: Discovery Place Science, Discovery Place Nature, Discovery Place Kids- Huntersville, and Discovery Place Kids- Rockingham. Discovery Place Science is located in uptown Charlotte. This museum combines curiosity with activities through educational experiences that help kids discover the wonders of science. Discovery Place Nature is located in Charlotte adjacent to Freedom Park. Discovery Place Nature allows kids the opportunity to discover the wonders of nature through imagination and educational activities. Discovery Place Kids- Huntersville and Discovery Place Kids- Rockingham offer kids hands-on play experiences to enrich their imaginations.
The Discovery Museum and Planetarium have many exciting exhibits for you and your children to explore. In the World Alive exhibit, kids will investigate various habitats filled with unique plants and animals from all over the world. Kids can visit the Thinker Space exhibit where they can explore a workshop designed to help them learn skills like wood-working, sewing, and soldering. They can try out new technologies like laser cutting and 3D printing. In the AI: Artificial Intelligence exhibit, kids will get to explore how AI works, what AI is used for, and potential future uses. There is so much to see and do, you can spend hours at The Discovery Museum and Planetarium learning and imagining.
Bridgeport, Connecticut is a wonderful city to grow up in. It is a beautiful picturesque town that is quiet and spacious. When visiting Bridgeport, Connecticut I highly recommend spending some time at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, The Barnum Museum, and The Discovery Museum and Planetarium. These nearby attractions are bound to please any family member and can offer a day of fun and imagination.