How To Spend One Day In Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic is a seaport town known for construction of ships throughout the late 1700’s and into the 1800’s. Today it makes a great Connecticut destination thanks to its charming downtown area and ample entertainment options. 

This popular Connecticut vacation destination became a household name when the 1988 film, Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts debuted — and yes, you can eat at the real Mystic Pizza!

Visiting Mystic for a day and not sure how best to spend your time?

Read on for the top things to do during your one day in Mystic, CT.

This closely follows my exact one day itinerary while visiting during a 9 Day New England Road Trip.

Top Things To Do With One Day In Mystic, Connecticut

Maritime Seaport Museum

Maritime Seaport Museum is the largest maritime museum in the United States and a must-visit during your one day in Mystic, CT.

You’ll find this museum on most “Things To Do In Mystic” lists for good reason.

It’s an outdoor museum with historic ships, a working shipyard, and a huge interactive 19th century seafaring village replica. 

Visitors can even go on some of the ships, which was my favorite part.

They also have a full exhibit hall, classes, boat tours, and games for children… Phew, got that all?

Tip: Be sure to check out the Charles W. Morgan ship, she’s the world’s last wooden whaling ship!

We spent a few hours at this very comprehensive museum, and even did the boat tour, but you could easily spend days trying to see everything here. 

Book tickets in person, or in advance at: Maritime Seaport Museum.

Mystic Aquarium

If you’d rather pass on the seaport museum, or happen to spend your one day in Mystic when the weather is bad, head over to the Mystic Aquarium instead.

Regarded as one of the best aquariums in New England, Mystic Aquarium is home to all sorts of fun sea life. Even including the country’s only spotted seals and New England’s only beluga whales.

Take advantage of their animal encounter programs or simply let your children experience all there is to offer here, including a dinosaur exhibit.

The ticket prices vary, be sure to reserve your tickets online in advance for the best price: Mystic Aquarium.

Shop In Olde Mistick Village

Olde Mistick Village is an outdoor shopping district popular for visitors. 

Designed to mimic an 18th century New England village, this outdoor shopping complex has over 60 local small shops and eateries to choose from.

While here, be sure to enjoy some time around the much-loved duck pond.

Olde Mistick Village has been serving the Mystic community for nearly 50 years.

This popular open air village is free to walk around and pet-friendly.

Explore Downtown Mystic

Restaurants, boutique stores, and shops with yummy treats line Mystic’s adorable Main Street.

We spent about two hours here browsing the local businesses, then grabbed a slice of their famous pizza, followed up by a scoop of delicious ice cream.

When finished shopping and dining, be sure to walk across the draw bridge, Mystic River Bascule Bridge, and explore the cute homes surrounding the downtown area. 

Tip: The area’s historic homes have plaques with the year of their construction and the family who originally lived there. I thought the plaques were so interesting, and don’t worry, they’re large enough to read respectfully from a distance. 

Mystic Pizza 

As mentioned above, the 80’s film sensation Mystic Pizza was based on the real life pizza shop here in Mystic, CT.

The classic film about 3 young waitresses was one of Julia Roberts’ breakout roles on her way to becoming a household name. While you’re here be sure to grab a “Slice of Heaven!”

Most scenes were filmed in nearby Stonington, CT. If you’re a big fan of the movie, check it out, it’s just 4.5 miles away.

Note: If the wait is long at Mystic Pizza, there are numerous delicious pizza joints in the downtown area.

Grab a local brew and enjoy live music at Misfit Club Bar & Brewery or Bank & Bridge Brewing following pizza.

Go For A Boat Tour On The Mystic River

If you have time following dinner, consider a boat ride along the Mystic River.

There’s a few companies offering tour options. Consider a private charter with Mystic River Cruises. Also check out Argia Mystic Cruises for public sails on the last commercial sailing ship left in Mystic or Poet’s Lounge Sailing Charter for a ride on a 40-foot former racing sail boat.

No matter how you hit the water, this is definitely a favorite among things to do in Mystic, CT.

Fun Fact: The name Mystic came from the Native American Pequot’s term “missi-tuk.” Meaning “great tidal river” in reference to the Mystic’s tidal waters.

Ghost Tour

For those who’d rather stay on land, and enjoy haunted tales, go for a ghost tour instead.

The Original Ghost Walk tour with Seaside Shadows takes visitors through historic downtown Mystic while diving into the town’s spooky, supernatural past.

Mysterious murders, lost seafarers, and scandalous happenings anyone?

This is a really fun way to learn about the interesting history of Mystic.

Book the popular ghost tour here: Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours.

Noank

On your way out of town, be sure to stop by the adorable seaside village of Noank, located just a quick 2.5 miles from Mystic.

The village has gorgeous seafront views and a handful of cute shops and restaurants.

This was definitely a great place for a quick stop during our one day in Mystic, CT.

Where We Ate During Our One Day In Mystic, CT

I eat vegan and my husband eats a meat-based diet so we try to find options which will accommodate both.

During our 24 hours in Mystic, we dined out at:

• Karma Kitchen & Juicery Mystic
• Pizzetta (We opted to eat here instead of Mystic Pizza because they offer vegan options. Unfortunately, Pizzetta is now closed.) 
• Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream

One Day Mystic, Connecticut Itinerary

This is the exact itinerary we followed during our one day in Mystic, Connecticut:

• We arrived late morning and grabbed a quick bite from Karma Kitchen & Juicery Mystic.
• Then visited the Maritime Seaport Museum (Mystic Seaport). We spent 3 hours here and did their boat tour, which was a really nice addition to the day. Even with 3 hours, we barely scratched the surface of things to do here.
• We’d intended to go to Olde Mistick Village next, but it was raining.
• After waiting out the rain, we spent about two hours in downtown Mystic. We walked the shops, looked at the historic houses, walked across the drawbridge and along the Mystic River.
• We then had pizza at Pizzetta (now closed), followed by ice cream from Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream.
• We spent the night at Hyatt Place Mystic.
• On our way out of town, we stopped in Noank Village for about 30 minutes, it was really adorable.

Additional Things To Do In Mystic

Have more time? Consider these additional things to do in Mystic, CT:

• Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
• B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill (open seasonally)
• Mystic Museum of Art
• Bluff Point State Park

For my full list, check out The Top Things To Do In Mystic, Connecticut.

Getting To Mystic, CT

Drive

Mystic is located in southeast Connecticut, directly off I-95. If driving, it’s 1 hour from Hartford, 2.5 hours from NYC, and 2 hours from Boston.

Train

The Amtrak train drops off visitors within walking distance of downtown Mystic, making it extremely easy to visit by train.

Ride directly from New York City, Boston, or many many other Amtrak stations in the Northeast for a quick and convenient getaway.

Ferry

If arriving from Long Island (like we did!) the ferry is the easiest way to get to Mystic, CT.

We took the Cross Sound Ferry into New London. From there, Mystic was just a short 15 minute drive (9 miles).

Fly

If flying into the area, Providence T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Rhode Island is the closest airport to Mystic, about 50 minutes away (44 miles).

Looking for cheap flights? Be sure to sign up for Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) to get cheap flight alerts delivered right to your inbox. It’s a free service I’ve used for years and couldn’t recommend more. 

Getting Around Mystic

Once in Mystic it’s easy to get most places by foot.

The downtown area, Maritime Seaport Museum, and Mystic Aquarium are all within 2 miles. If you plan to explore outside of this area, a car is best. Ride share, such as Uber and Lyft, are readily available for those who aren’t traveling with a car.

For those who are traveling with cars, we found parking to be very easy at most attractions. However, traffic can be bad in the area immediately surrounding downtown Mystic.

Downtown, you will need to pay to park or plan to utilize free street parking nearby, then walk into downtown.

Where To Stay In Mystic

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Mystic, which was just a short drive to all the best places in Mystic and it included free breakfast.

I really enjoyed this hotel and would recommend staying here.

Additional Places To Stay In Mystic:

Below are a few more popular hotels in Mystic:

• Hampton Inn & Suites Mystic
• The Whaler’s Inn
• Holiday Inn Express Mystic

As you can see, there’s so much to do with one day in Mystic, Connecticut.

Any additional ideas or questions? Please leave a comment below or reach out on social media.

Looking for more ideas? Check out my additional Mystic and New England guides below: