Calling All Kids

Rock and roll on the Zoomerang or the Boulder Dash, voted the #1 wooden roller coaster in the United States by Amusement Today. It’s carved into the mountainside and features a breathtaking 115-foot drop. Lake Compounce offers 50 rides and attractions, including Crocodile Cove. It features multiple wave pools, water slides, and special areas for young children. With something for everyone, from kids to adults, it's a must-do destination.

Hartford’s premiere kids’ destination will keep them dazzled with more than 165 hands-on exhibits, 10 galleries, a 3-D theater, and Kidspace for the seven-and-under crowd. Experience an immersive exhibit like no other at the Butterfly Encounter.

Fasten your seat belts as this museum in Windsor Locks propels you into the history of aviation. View over 55 aircraft, from historic warbirds to modern jets, in three huge hangars. Your little ones will love the pedal-planes, while bigger kids typically gravitate toward the computer flight simulators. Special events including Open Cockpit, Space Expo, and Women Take Flight are held throughout the year.

A 110,000-gallon shark tank keeps these fascinating creatures behind four inches of glass. Two touch tanks give the kids hands-on excitement, and feeding time at the seal pool always draws an exuberant crowd. Otters, turtles, jellies, and other amazing animals from Long Island Sound make this a great family day. Experience one of the many public cruises, hands-on touch tanks, 4D theater, and more.

Voted one of the best beaches by National Geographic, this New London beach and boardwalk not only offers a spectacular view but also boasts rides, waterslides, a mini golf course, arcade with retro games, Enjoy an Olympic-sized pool, cafe, food court, nature walk, picnic areas, health club and more.

The 2 1/2 hour journey starts on a 1920s steam locomotive that chugs through the Connecticut River valley and ends with a scenic riverboat excursion. But be warned: After such massive means of transportation with all the bells and whistles, the kids might get bored in the minivan.

With kid-pleasing exhibits such as Energy Lab, ColorCoaster, Build It, and Big Adventures: Dinosaurs! This museum in Norwalk is a crowd-pleaser. More than 100 hands-on activities tickle the fancies of the 10-and-under set.

Featuring more than 80,000 artifacts, documents and photos, the biggest draw for kids at the U.S. Navy’s official submarine museum in Groton may be the working periscopes. Walk the decks of the world’s first nuclear-powered sub — the first to reach the North Pole and to journey 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Go nose-to-nose with a beluga whale. Meet a 1,000-pound sea lion at the rollicking Sea Lion Show. Explore ancient shipwrecks. Search for piranhas, tarantulas and poisonous dart frogs in the rain forest. And get creeped out by the Deep Sea 3D Motion Ride.

Home to more than 300 animals, primarily from the Americas. Let the kids roam the New England Farmyard with goats, pigs and sheep. An aviary and tropical rain forest also please. The pop-up viewing areas at the prairie dog exhibit get a lot of laughs.

Climb aboard historic tall ships. Stroll through a re-created 19th century coastal village with enchanting shops around every corner. Check out the working shipyard and planetarium. There’s a lot of ground to cover here, but tell the kids about the tugboats and water taxis, and they’ll come around.

Track dinosaurs in Rocky Hill with one of the largest collections of preserved Jurassic tracks on the continent. The exhibit center is temporarily closed for renovations but the outdoor park areas remain open.

Explore over 1.5 miles of dinosaur-filled nature trails in a family fun adventure park! Encounter over 50 life-sized dinosaurs, get lost in a"MAZE"asaurus dinosaur-themed maze, stay cool in New England’s largest Splashpad, jump and roar through Monty's dinosaur-sized playground and much more.