[SteveM85]

Aquariums or activities like ski or sailing lessons make more sense for fams with younger children . They already have a Kid City type place nearby, it's just called Stepping Stones. No need to go all the way up to Middletown.

New Haven and Hartford attractions require patience and longer attention spans. Those are one and dones.
Can you imagine hangry toddlers and grade schoolers in the Yale British Art museum, good luck with that.
- what time is it
- I'm hungry
- can we go, when are we leaving
- how much longer
- I have to go potty

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I’m not sure what you mean. Other than the Science Center and Convention center, what’s different in the 2 areas as far as regional draw? The Shubert at the very least draws from a larger area.

Did you forget that Hartford has The Bushnell, Hartford Stage and Theaterworks which draw a LOT of people from all over the state and western Massachusetts? Add in the Playhouse on Park and Connecticut Family Theater in West Hartford and Little Theater in Manchester. Theres a lot of live theater in greater Hartford.

[hvexpatinct]

I am equidistant from Hartford and New Haven. I found that we spent more time in greater Hartford with little kids. Easier to plan around attention spans, potty breaks, places to run around. With older kiddos we are more likely to do the attractions in New Haven.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Did you forget that Hartford has The Bushnell, Hartford Stage and Theaterworks which draw a LOT of people from all over the state and western Massachusetts? Add in the Playhouse on Park and Connecticut Family Theater in West Hartford and Little Theater in Manchester. Theres a lot of live theater in greater Hartford.

I mean, same in New Haven area. Tons of venues

[StevieB160]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

I am equidistant from Hartford and New Haven. I found that we spent more time in greater Hartford with little kids. Easier to plan around attention spans, potty breaks, places to run around. With older kiddos we are more likely to do the attractions in New Haven.

Like this, having younger kids and living exactly 30 minutes from the center of Hartford and 30 minutes from center of New Haven, we have been to Hartford more often so far. I think the situation might be different for older kids. Most of places in New Haven city limits mentioned in this thread are not really for very small children if I'm correct. Off top of my head in Hartford, we've been to Science Center about 8-10 times, XL Center twice or three times for kids shows, Bushnell once for Disney show and then Elizabeth Park a couple times (although technically in West Hartford but on the border). For New Haven, we went once to West Rock Park and then I guess Ikea once. Well, technically they were born in New Haven if that counts.

I think the difference in visits for ages like 6 or 7 and under is that one has XL Center which can get the Disney on Ice, Paw Patrol, Circus type events and other doesn't have such an arena and one has Science Center and other doesn't.

[reslinal]

Originally Posted by hvexpatinct

I am equidistant from Hartford and New Haven. I found that we spent more time in greater Hartford with little kids. Easier to plan around attention spans, potty breaks, places to run around. With older kiddos we are more likely to do the attractions in New Haven.

This is very interesting, what attractions in New Haven do you guys go to when kids are older?

[reslinal]

Originally Posted by StevieB160

Like this, having younger kids and living exactly 30 minutes from the center of Hartford and 30 minutes from center of New Haven, we have been to Hartford more often so far. I think the situation might be different for older kids. Most of places in New Haven city limits mentioned in this thread are not really for very small children if I'm correct. Off top of my head in Hartford, we've been to Science Center about 8-10 times, XL Center twice or three times for kids shows, Bushnell once for Disney show and then Elizabeth Park a couple times (although technically in West Hartford but on the border). For New Haven, we went once to West Rock Park and then I guess Ikea once. Well, technically they were born in New Haven if that counts.

I think the difference in visits for ages like 6 or 7 and under is that one has XL Center which can get the Disney on Ice, Paw Patrol, Circus type events and other doesn't have such an arena and one has Science Center and other doesn't.

This is our general experience as well, we also went to the New England Air Museum couple times and some events at Convention Center. Besides the IT Adventure park in Jordan and the Yale museums/galleries and state parks (which Hartford has its own too), we don't really know what other big attractions New Haven has for families with younger kids.

[reslinal]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

I can't wait for the Peabody to reopen.

I don't think one city is particularly better than the other and both are accessible to each other. If you live north of Hartford, New Haven becomes far. Not sure at what point west Hartford become inconvenient, but we live 20 minutes east of New Haven and are members at the CT Science Center. With membership comes a few reciprocal months at other places, including Mystic Aquarium. We are taking advantage of that this weekend. Middletown has Kids City. That's terrific for younger kids.

I agree that if we consider attractions in Mystic and Essex regions, then yes there are a lot of big attractions there as well. Coming from FFC, we just don't think them as in New Haven area, but I guess if you live in Madison etc, they are much closer to you compared to someone in Greater Hartford.

[reslinal]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I’m not sure what you mean. Other than the Science Center and Convention center, what’s different in the 2 areas as far as regional draw? The Shubert at the very least draws from a larger area.

Besides those two, I guess Hartford also has bigger museums closeby such as New England Air Museum, which my kids love; and even Wadsworth Museum, which surprisingly grabbed my kids' attention pretty well due to the variety of things there. There are also more fun and varied events for kids at XL center (we are actually thinking about coming to Hartford area again this month for the monster truck show) and convention center. The area also has some interesting smaller museums around (new england motorcycle museum, a similar trolley museum, carrousel museum etc) that are fun to visit for kids and worth the trip if we combine those attractions with something else.

Again this is only to compare Hartford and nearby area with new Haven, if we consider Essex or Mystic area as well then yes there are certainly a lot of big attractions there as well.

[reslinal]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

Aquariums or activities like ski or sailing lessons make more sense for fams with younger children . They already have a Kid City type place nearby, it's just called Stepping Stones. No need to go all the way up to Middletown.

New Haven and Hartford attractions require patience and longer attention spans. Those are one and dones.
Can you imagine hangry toddlers and grade schoolers in the Yale British Art museum, good luck with that.
- what time is it
- I'm hungry
- can we go, when are we leaving
- how much longer
- I have to go potty

We have started ski lessons for our kids for couple years now but they are still too young for sailing. We always thought the ski resort we go to is in the Greater Hartford area just because it's in the same general driving direction for us, but I just checked map and I guess it's not considered as greater hartford?

Hartford attractions like Science Center (which is superior to stepping stone unlike other general kids museums) are actually pretty good for multiple visits for young families, and there are some varieties in the events at XL center and Convention Center that make us keep coming back. New England air museum also is surprisingly big and interesting that we did repeat visits.

But other than those I agree that the other museums in Hartford/New Haven area are just visit once and done deals.