Immersive Experiences in Connecticut

Over 40 species of butterflies showcase a vast array of natural color in this permanent exhibit. Enter their habitat, filled with an Epiphyte tree, button quails and emergence chamber representing various stages of the metamorphosis process.

Embrace your inner nerd at Cloak and Wand: a complete wizarding and witchcraft experience. Find what magic awaits you when you step into this wizarding world. Make sure to stop by the Potion Bar for magical masters (and non-magical apprentices.)

Designed by famous architect Philip Johnson, The Glass House was composed as a home to be surrounded with outdoor landscape. Built in the 1940s, the structure is an architectural marvel for the time. Since Johnson’s passing, the house turned into a museum with various special events and exhibitions offered during summer months. Plus, surround yourself with Greek-Island inspired archicture in the Sculpture Gallery.

In June, embark on a four-day long artistic and musical journey. Spring Hill Arts Gathering features some of the hottest emerging music acts, with headliners Orville Pack, Jake Wesley Rogers and Tank and the Bangas. Beyond live music and dance, SHAG offers additional art exhibitions including the Art Silo, a 360-degree reflective sculpture that’ll make you feel like you’re in another world.

Enter a world of classic monster and horror movies. Life-size, many exact replicas of what the actors wore, are displayed with masterfully themed backdrops. Professional lighting by the Emmy-winning Bill Diamond, and efforts of writer/director Cortlandt Hull take the screams from big screen to real-life.

Witness an artistic vision built over the course of 20 years — a marvelous mural uncovering a visual history of American workers in the past century. Connect with each worker on the mural from three different heights, highlighting the sheer scale of this operation.

The largest dinosaur theme park in New England, The Dinosaur Place in Montville, has 60+ acres with 60+ life size dinosaurs. A zero-depth water park and slide going through a T-Rex are also highlights of this family-friendly, prehistoric adventure.

At Rocky Hill’s Dinosaur State Park, see 500 authentic sandstone dinosaur tracks (one of the largest collections of preserved Jurassic tracks on the continent), explore an arboretum filled with plants from families that flourished during the Age of Dinosaurs, and touch fossils in the Discovery Room.

Surround yourself with Insta-worthy backdrops. With over 20 unique rooms to pose in, take influencing to the next level. Themes like Barbie, Paris and Basketball regularly change for fresh pics every time.

Take a time machine back to childhood nostalgia. Toys and memorabilia from a wide range of pop culture history are everywhere, with entire sections are dedicated to each generation that revolutionized pop culture.

If you’re ready for some mealtime mystery-solving, this interactive dinner spot offers a murder mystery show paired with a tasty four-course meal. Actors are dressed like guests and begin the night seated amongst the crowd – anyone in the room may become part of the show! Enjoy delicious dishes while you watch and find out who done it.

An educational tribute to Connecticut’s history of Native Americans, Institute for American Indian Studies’ primary exhibition, Quinnetukut, tells the 10,000-year story outlining the state’s Native American History. Don’t forget the replica of an Algonkian Village that makes IAIS productive place to both learn and spend some quality time outside. 

Or head to the  Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, which features Life-size 360 degree exhibits, dramatic films, and touch-screen computer programs that put the excitement of the past as close as your fingertips.

Surround yourself in a one-of-a-kind family entertainment spot which features a restaurant, arcade, lounge, and bowling with an ocean-theme atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re under water. The kids will love a day trip or even a birthday party at this unique destination.

Immerse yourself in the healing power of Himalayan salt. Relax and rejuvenate inside salt caves such as Groto Solna, Salt Cave of Darien, Soulshine Salt Cavern, or Salt of the Earth Therapeutic Spa.

Whether you’re a ‘Top Gun’ adrenaline seeker or the complete opposite, learn the intricacies of aviation at New England Air Museum, set in a real airplane hangar. Examine landmark events of aviation engineering, witness the most iconic aircraft ever flown, and even test your skills in an accurate simulation.

Step inside an interactive puzzle. In an escape room, your team will be placed in an unfamiliar environment where you will have to gather objects, find clues, decipher codes, open locks, and solve puzzles to escape within 60 minutes. Will you make it out? Try your luck at spots such as Escape New Haven, Mystified Escape Rooms in Mystic, Mind Factory Escape Games in Bridgeport, Mission Escape Games in West Hartford, or Pursue the Clues in Torrington.

No plane ticket needed to travel to this slice of Germany. East Side Restaurant creates an immersive dining experience where guests feel like they’re actually eating in Germany. Complete with a 36 by 9.5-foot mural of the ancient German city of Heidelberg, waiters in traditional German attire, authentic German cuisine and even tables with snow rails to keep your beverages cold, this spot will take you across the globe.

Enter a world of neon-colored excitement at IT Adventure, “the world’s largest indoor adventure ropes course,” swinging beams, rope ladders, bridges, planks, and a 48-foot “free-fall” jump. In Danbury swing on indoor ropes courses and more at Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park.

Step into the pages of a novel choose a book with a Connecticut setting and then an inn that's in roughly the same location. You'll experience the book so much more fully if you can look up from the page and imagine the characters passing right outside your window. Try these suggested getaways, including the Mark Twain House & Museum, pictured above.

Mystic Dark Room is an immersive show lounge offering unique entertainment experiences, accommodating its guests with all front row seating. Up a winding staircase, past the iron and brass gates, guests escape into a chic metro-loft atmosphere, ornamented with leather couches, private tables, larger than life concert style sets, lighting, and special effects.

A full-dome projector rotates through a series of three movies, allowing you to see stars, planets, and constellations like you could never see from a normal telescope. The night sky never looked so clear. And find more astrotourism destinations here.

What's more immersive than virtual reality? Put on some VR goggles and go on a journey at The Vault in Seymour or Xperiment Virtual Reality in Trumbull or North Haven.

This place is known for lights. Whether it's the holidays or any other time of year, every inch of Cava is decked in themed decorations that change every season. You'll be fully surrounded by glitz and decor — and have lots of great photo-ops!

On Monday nights bring your singing voice and your appetite to Sea Chantey Night at the historic Griswold Inn. The Jovial Crew bring the Tap Room to life with fun sing-alongs and a great sense of humor. Have a bite to eat and surround yourself with the musical spirit that gets the entire crowd singing along. 

Immersive experiences are for the whole family! Discover imaginative play for kids to seven years old, and their favorite grown-ups. You'll be surrounded by interactive, artistically designed exhibits where kids can explore hands-on in cool rooms like a Space Age Roadtrip, “La Piazza”, a pint-sized medieval village called Middleshire, the Toddler Sea Caves, and more.

Check out New England's largest anime store, Arisu Anime. Step into a world of anime and discover a collection of anime, manga, and a plethora of other Japanese treasures including a carefully curated a Japanese food market.  Feel like you've teleported to the heart of Japan when you admire Japanese decor and shop for rare collectibles and exclusive merchandise.