We are lucky enough to have some great children’s museums in Connecticut. One of our favorites is the simply-named The Children’s Museum in West Hartford. This place started off more than 100 years ago as a one-room display in Elizabeth Park and has grown substantially over the years. It’s the fifth-oldest children’s museum in the nature and has plenty to offer visitors, including live animals, a planetarium, and even a life-sized sperm whale you can walk inside!

Please note that The Children’s Museum is preparing to move to a different location in late 2022. The eventual home will be just a few blocks away from the current space, but a temporary museum about 70% of the size of the original will be set up in a nearby synagogue.

The museum's mascot is Conny the whale, a life-sized sperm whale playscape that has resided in front of the museum for decades.
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Conny is 60 feet long and represents the whaling industry's extensive history in Connecticut. The sperm whale is the state's official state animal.
You can walk inside of Conny and in the summertime, he cools visitors off by shooting water from his blowhole.
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Conny is quite popular locally, and people were horrified at the prospect that he might be destroyed when the museum changes locations in late 2022. Thankfully, as of July 2022, it appears that he will be moving with the museum.
Conny's not the only critter at The Children's Museum, though! The small wildlife sanctuary houses many animals, such as turtles, opossums, lizards, and snakes.
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Many of the animals are comfortable being handled and serve as educational ambassadors to teach visitors about their species.

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The Dinosaurs In Your Backyard is a fascinating exhibit about the prehistoric creatures that once roamed Connecticut.
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You'll find models, informative displays, and more. It's a must for kids that love dinosaurs!
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Most of the exhibits here are geared towards kids under 8, but you can find several shows at the planetarium that are suitable for older children.
The Children's Museum/Google Maps
This is one of our favorite children's museums in Connecticut and it's definitely worth a visit if you have little ones!
Anatolie Criucov/Google Maps

For more information, check out The Children’s Museum website.

Have you ever been to The Children’s Museum in Connecticut? Share your experiences in the comments!

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The Children's Museum, 950 Trout Brook Dr, West Hartford, CT 06119, USA