# Visiting Hartford and New Haven with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> The Peabody Museum and the Children’s Museum are both a short walk from the New Haven Green. In Hartford, the Science Center sits on the riverfront. Here’s a plan with nap time built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/llms.txt

## Top 2 can’t-miss spots

- **Yale Peabody Museum** (Downtown New Haven, 170 Whitney Avenue): Closed Mondays. Cost: Free. Site: https://peabody.yale.edu/visit
- **Connecticut Science Center** (Hartford riverfront, 250 Columbus Blvd): Check the site for hours and tickets. Site: https://ctsciencecenter.org/

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Connecticut Children’s Museum (Opens at 10am Fri–Sat · Downtown New Haven, 22 Wall Street · $12 per person). https://www.childrensbuilding.org/
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Yale Peabody Museum (Free, near the Green · Downtown New Haven, 170 Whitney Avenue · Free). https://peabody.yale.edu/visit

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Connecticut Science Center (On the Hartford riverfront · Hartford riverfront, 250 Columbus Blvd). https://ctsciencecenter.org/
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Hartford Public Library (Downtown Hartford · Downtown, 500 Main Street · Free). https://hplct.libnet.info/events

## Where to stay

- **Downtown New Haven** (walk): The Peabody, the Children’s Museum and Ives Library are a short walk apart. Near Yale Peabody Museum, Connecticut Children’s Museum and New Haven Free Public Library.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Modern Apizza** (Pizza, East Rock): Brick-oven New Haven pizza. https://modernapizza.com/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **Yale Peabody Museum**: Indoors.
- **Connecticut Children’s Museum**: Indoors.

## Practical tips

- Driving: I-91 links Hartford and New Haven, about 40 miles apart.


## Happening this week

- **Story Time at the Yale Peabody Museum** (1pm) at Yale Peabody Museum. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/#e-story_time_at_the_yale_peabody_museum
- **Halloween on the Hill at Hill-Stead** (Sat 12–4pm) at Hill-Stead Museum. See the event page. https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/#e-halloween_on_the_hill_at_hill_stead
- **Storytime Costume Parade in West Haven** (Fri 10:30–11:30am) at West Haven Public Library, Main Library, Connie Sacco Room. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/#e-storytime_costume_parade_in_west_haven
- **Trick or Treat at Miller Memorial Library** (Sat 2:30–4pm) at Miller Memorial Library, Children’s Department. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/#e-trick_or_treat_at_miller_memorial_librar
- **Family Sensory Storytime at Hartford Public Library** (Fri 11am–12pm) at Downtown Library, Hartford Public Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/#e-family_sensory_storytime_at_hartford_pub

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Hartford and New Haven: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Hartford and New Haven for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Hartford and New Haven kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Hartford and New Haven guide lists 6 places we checked for little kids, plus 3 free places and 4 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 3 library systems. This week’s list has 11 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Hartford and New Haven](https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/hartford-new-haven/).

### Where should we stay with a toddler?
Downtown New Haven keeps the Peabody, the Children’s Museum and the library within a short walk.

### What if it rains?
The Peabody, the Children’s Museum, the Science Center and the libraries all work.