Lyman Allyn Art Museum — Attraction in New London

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum was an unexpected treat. My family planned a short beach getaway. Unfortunately, our plans for the beach were thwarted by inclement weather. On a whim, we decided to check out the museum. The Lyman Allyn Museum was one of the highlights of our trip. It was amazingly child friendly. Both my 7 year old and 4 year old loved the art scavenger hunt. The loved winning their prize pencils. We all liked exploring the collections of American art from many eras ranging from the Colonial Era up to contemporary time. The basement was devoted to children's education and enjoyment. There were displays of antique toys including a large scale dollhouse. There were also instruments, educational toys, and comfortable cushions. Outside, there are large scale sculptures. We liked exploring the grounds. The Lyman Allyn provides a great child friendly cultural experience for the...

I'm not a very "cultured" individual, so it wasn't quite my speed, but it was still a very nice way to spend a cold or rainy day.

There are three floors, the top floor was by far the best and the largest with not much of the room taken up by anything but art. The main floor had several exhibits as well, and the lower level focused on a children's area as well as conference/training rooms.

The exhibits generally followed a theme with several peices following a specific artist, subject or geographical area. Their website has press releases on most exhibits as they come out. I was able to see the Emil Carlsen (mostly oil works), and the JFK exhibits. Many of the exhibits tell a story so it's useful to travel through them the correct direction, which I messed up...

Another Connecticut gem in the crown of art museums. Lyman Allyn always has interesting changing exhibitions of current artists as well as their permanent collections. They have free events monthly and it's a great place to bring the kids. Parking is free and there's a picnic table out front if you're coming from some distance and want to have a bite to eat before you leave. Be sure to pack your own food for the picnic because there are no restaurants within walking distance. Also within walking distance is the Connecticut College Arboretum so if you're looking to extend your visit this is just a short walk up the street. It's a great place to visit from...