Did you know? The helicopter was first invented in Stratford, Conn, by Igor Sikorsky, the founder and creator of the Stratford-based company the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation. … Many claim that frisbees were invented in 1920 in New Haven when Yale students discovered they could toss empty Frisbie Baking Co. pie plates, which were manufactured in Bridgeport.
Ready to head off campus and see what Fairfield County has to offer?
Close to Home:
• The Connecticut Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is a popular nearby attraction. Located at 1875 Noble Ave, the Zoo is open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily and admission is $9. Attached to the zoo are the gardens and Glenwood park; a landscape complete with long sloping lawns, weeping willows and oak trees that sit along Bunnels pond. The garden also has numerous picnic tables overlooking the water.
• For a more surreal experience, Bridgeport is also home to the Barnum Museum at 820 Main St. The museum is a collection of all things Barnum, tracing the circus innovator’s life, that began in Bethel, Conn. This is a permanent exhibit that includes pictures and artifacts, ranging from a piece of cake from Tom Thumb’s mid-19th century wedding to a 6’8” 700-pound taxidermically preserved elephant named Baby Bridgeport that was born in 1882. The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. and Sunday noon-4:30 p.m. It costs just $4 for college students.
• If the Barnum Museum’s scale replica of a five-tent circus gets you interested, the real life-size circus itself is coming to Bridgeport until Oct. 29 at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The show is the 135th edition of the Red Tour to Connecticut and features Bello, named America’s Best Clown by TIME Magazine. Show tickets start at $12 and run Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• If you’re looking for something a little less hands-on, Fairfield’s Community Theater is always showing at least two movies right in downtown Fairfield, with admissions price at only $4 per ticket. The theater has been in Fairfield since the 1920’s, closing on and off in 2001, before finally becoming the community foundation that it is today. Although the movies are not new-releases the convenience and cheap ticket price make it a trip well worth making. The staff is largely student volunteers from both the local high schools and our very own university. Show times and movies are constantly changing so be sure to check out the marquee whenever you’re driving past.
Feeling Brave? Venture out a little further:
• While Stop ‘ Shop can usually cover all of your grocery needs, Stew Leonard’s is an experience all of its own. The Stew Leonard’s at 100 Westport Ave in Norwalk is the world’s largest dairy store, complete with a petting zoo open in the Spring and Summer, an outside all-local farmer’s market, a small restaurant serving hotdogs and ice cream, and a huge grocery store. Walk in the front door and you are confronted with an Ikea-like maze aisle. Above your head animatronic farmyard animals, reminiscent of Disney’s It’s a Small World ride, flip and sing songs. As if that wasn’t enough to keep you entertained while picking up some of the freshest fruits, meats, and drinks available, in the afternoons employees set up kiosks where you can sample everything from Papaya juice, shrimp cocktails, green beans, and nachos to angel food cake topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Stew Leonard’s also has to-go buffet meals so you can grab stuff to eat now, and then make later. This store is worth checking out, if only to be able to claim that you’ve been to the store featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not. • Less than three miles away from Stew Leonard’s is the Maritime Aquarium at 10 North Water St. Two of the aquarium’s most unique features are the Harbor Seal feedings and the IMAX Theater. The seal feedings run daily at 11:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. and allow you to help the employees feed the adorable pups. The movies run daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m.; and the double feature on Friday and Saturday is at 7 p.m. You can get an adventure pass for $16 for both the Aquarium and one IMAX movie, or just catch the movie for $8.50 for one and $11.50 for the double feature. The Aquarium is open every day from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
• A little further down the road is the Stamford Museum and Nature Center at 39 Scofieldtown Rd. Apart from the typical museum collections, the center also has an observatory so you can look to the stars instead! Every Friday night the Stamford Observatory at the Museum opens to the public from 8-10 p.m. for $3. Observe planets, stars and asteroids through the 22-inch Maksutov telescope that is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, the 2nd Sunday of each month at the Museum at 3 p.m. for $3 you can see a planetarium show.
Haven’t found what you’re looking for yet?
Check out www.coastalct.com for more information and events going on all over Fairfield County. And don’t forget there are always events at the Quick center, PepsiCo, or exhibitions going on at the University.
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