Connecticut is home to some pretty cool places, but did you know that we have a soda factory? Home to the best soda in the world, you won't want to miss your chance to take this totally awesome soda factory tour! This tour is about more than history or industry, it's also about tasting something delicious!
Avery's Beverages in New Britain has been making soda inside this barn for over a hundred years!
Cream and Birch Beer are just a couple of the fan favorite flavors you can get here. This machine is a bottle washer, but wait until you see the syrup machine. It can fill three bottles at a time!
Every tour comes complete with a visit to the mixing room, but that's not all. You can invent your own flavors by picking the syrups and hand shaking the bottles. The tour includes three bottles and an official soda makers apron!
Think you can guess the flavors behind names like Kitty Piddle and Bug Barf? The picturesque grounds, the factory tour, personal bottles, and a reading of your future are all waiting for you at the barn. I guess that's why you "always ask for Avery's!"
See even more of this one-of-a-kind craft soda factory in this short video!
Did you love checking out this soda factory? Then you'll love these must visit destinations hiding all around the state!
Haunted places in Connecticut are certainly not in short supply. If you are a fan of the paranormal, the Nutmeg State is the place to be - we've got all kinds of places where goblins and ghosts allegedly lurk! One spot that's spookier than most is the Yankee Pedlar Inn in Torrington. This now-defunct hotel has not welcomed guests in years, but the building (and urban legends) surrounding it still remain. It's so scary that a horror movie was even filmed here! Check out the story of arguably one of the most haunted places in Connecticut!
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The Yankee Pedlar Inn was once one of the most popular hotels in Torrington, Connecticut. It was originally opened by Frank and Alice Conley in 1891, though it was called the Conley Hotel at the time.
It was said that the original owner, Alice Conley, passed away in room 353 of the hotel. Guests reported hearing her roaming the halls, perhaps still checking up on her tenants each night before bed. Those brave enough to stay in room 353 have reported hearing strange sounds in the night. Even in other rooms, guests claimed to have had strange dreams while staying in the hotel, or seeing lights cut on or off on their own accord.
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The hotel has such a spooky history behind it that it was the filming location of a 2011 horror film called The Innskeepers.
Fittingly enough, the movie is about a haunted hotel in its final weeks of operation.
The Yankee Pedlar Inn closed down in December 2015 for what was supposed to be a 7-9 month renovation period. The work that was needed was much more extensive than originally thought, and the historic property has still yet to reopen. Sadly, its future remains uncertain.
Check out this trailer from the movie The Innkeepers - you can see quite a bit of the hotel just from the scenes featured here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRNJy3i0_C4
Did you ever stay at The Yankee Pedlar Inn when it was open? If so, what did you enjoy the most? Would you agree that this is perhaps one of the most haunted hotels in CT? Do you visit other haunted Connecticut spots when you travel? We'd love to read about your experiences in the comments section below!
Old psychiatric hospitals can be terrifying places. In the past, society didn’t have the kindest methods of dealing with people suffering from mental illness — many treatments now considered outdated (like lobotomies and electroshock therapy) were everyday occurrences. As a result, it isn’t uncommon for mental hospitals to be the subject of rumors of ghosts and spirits. If you believe in the paranormal, places that institutionalized the mentally ill for decades seem likely to be haunted, and Connecticut is not immune to such rumors. In the 1900s, the Constitution State was home to the infamous Norwich State Hospital. While most of the buildings associated with the hospital are now demolished, the area is said to be among the most haunted places in Connecticut. In fact, it’s not hard to imagine that spirits could still linger around the old grounds. Come along as we tell you everything we know about it...if you dare!
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The Norwich State Hospital opened in 1904 and operated until 1996. At its peak in the 1950s, the hospital housed over 3,000 patients.
The hospital treated a variety of patients on its large campus. There were wards for the mentally ill, violent, geriatric, adolescent, and epileptic, as well as a ward for patients with tuberculosis.
Over 40 buildings were housed on the 70-acre property. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its status as a prominent mental hospital.
Paranormal investigators reported a great deal of ghostly activity throughout the facility, particularly in these tunnels. The television series "Ghost Hunters" visited in 2010. The show portrayed mysteriously moving objects and floating orbs.
Over the years, all of the buildings associated with Norwich State Hospital have been demolished. Not much stands nowadays and there is little to commemorate the history of this important spot.
As you can imagine, before the buildings were razed, the site attracted many illegal trespassers and ghost hunters. Visitors to the site reported feeling cold chills and sensing electromagnetic pulses.
What are your thoughts on Norwich State Hospital? Do you believe the hospital could have been haunted? How does it rank among the most haunted places in Connecticut? Ever seen any ghosts in CT? What's your favorite haunted place in CT? Share your theories with us!
Looking for more interesting places in Connecticut to explore? Pay a visit to Trusted Tours and Attractions, where you’ll find plenty of options for day trips in Connecticut.
Are you perhaps thinking about taking a Connecticut vacay soon with your friends or family? Then consider booking your flight via the Dollar Flight Club.
If you’re still in the mood for more Connecticut adventures, take a look at this video:
