Mystic Country Overview
Halfway between Boston, Massachusetts and New York City, Mystic Country is bound south by Long Island Sound, west by the Connecticut River, east by Rhode Island, and north, by Massachusetts. There are 42 individual towns and two world-class casinos in the region. Numerous diverse attractions make Mystic Country New England’s most unique and interesting area to visitors from around the world.
Mystic Country is home to Mystic Seaport, the premier maritime museum in the world as well as Mystic Aquarium, one of the nation's leading aquariums and sea-research institutions. In addition, the celebrated Mashantucket Pequot Museum tells the story of Native American Indians through life-like exhibits and the latest in computer technology.
For art lovers the Connecticut Impressionist Art Trail’s Florence Griswold and Lyman Allyn Art Museums are also here. The former, in Old Lyme, is the historic home of the American Impressionist Movement. The William Benton Museum of Art is Connecticut's state art museum and is located on the grounds of the University of Connecticut (UCONN) campus at Storrs.
The region is alive with galleries, museums, as well as food and art festivals, concerts and plays. The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut Repertory Theater at UCONN and the Spirit of Broadway Theater in Norwich all offer top-quality drama. Live music can be enjoyed at Summer Music at Harkness State Park in Waterford, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony in New London, the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at UCONN and a full series of performances at the Garde Arts Center in New London.
American history abounds in the region: New London was the second largest whaling port in the United States and the restored waterfront park and historic sites in the city, including Fort Trumbull State Park, interpret the area’s history and heritage. America’s only Nobel Prize winning dramatist, Eugene O’Neill (for whom the local theater is named), spent his youth in New London at the Monte Cristo Cottage, which is open to visitors and holds special events throughout the year.
There are also many sites throughout the region which played important roles in the Revolutionary War, including Fort Trumbull in New London, the Revolutionary War Office in Lebanon (headquarters for the Council of Safety), and the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House, where George Washington once slept. The maritime heritage of Connecticut lives on at the US Coast Guard Academy, home to the tall ship USCG Barque Eagle, and at the USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum in Groton. Getting out on the busy waterfront in one of the region's restored schooners is a great way to experience the waters that are such an integral part of the region's history.
Mystic Country offers New England’s only two casinos: Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods, all of which provide the gaming excitement, fine dining, golf, fabulous accommodations and top name entertainment you are accustomed to finding only in Las Vegas!
Forty-five minutes north of Mystic is often referred to as Mystic Country's "Quiet Corner." Here a visitor can experience traditional rural New England, play golf, explore farms, wineries and historic sites while traveling federally designated scenic byways. The Quiet Corner is also home to the Quinebaug Shetucket River Valley National Heritage Corridor, or "The Last Green Valley." This region, which extends into Massachusetts is half the size of Grand Canyon National Park, and is one of 50 sites so designated by the US Congress because of its natural, cultural, scenic and historic attributes.
There are over 8000 rooms available at the casinos and in luxurious Inns and quaint B&Bs, reasonable motels and first class hotels, making Mystic Country truly a destination for all interests, all travelers and all seasons.
For Mystic Country information and/or a comprehensive travel guide please visit Mystic.org or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Telephone: 860-536-8822.
