Deciding on your weekend excursions? Here’s 7 Must-Visit Places in New Canaan. Zen spots, nature centers, history, art, culture – New Canaan has it ALL going on! Pick one or do all seven for an epic day trip!
7 Must-Visit Places in New Canaan is sponsored
1. Grace Farms
A place to be mindful and in the moment…
We said wow about a thousand times as we toured around Grace Farms. Why have we not been here sooner?!
Grace Farms is a humanitarian and culture center sitting on 80 beautiful acres. It’s free and open to the public 6 days a week. They offer a wide range of programs that span across their initiatives which are; nature, arts, justice, community, faith, and design for freedom. Their humanitarian mission is to end modern slavery and forced labor around the world. Like we said, wow!
The River building (designed by the Pritzker-prize-winning firm SANAA) winds its way down the natural landscape and features five separate glass rooms with breathtaking 360-degree views.
Book your next business meeting there, visit for afternoon tea, enjoy a show or tour, attend a workshop, and so much more!
2. The Glass House
If you like architecture, art, nature, mid-century modern, history…this one’s for you
The Glass House was designed by the world-renowned architect, Philip Johnson, as his own residence in 1948. This is minimalism at its best. He designed his house so that he’d be completely immersed in nature. Heaven!
Besides the Glass House, there are 14 other structures Philip Johnson designed on the property, including a very cool underground painting gallery with spectacular works of art.
VISIT – Make sure you book a tour in advance. You’ll park in New Canaan and take a shuttle from the Visitor Center + Design Store at 199 Elm Street to The Glass House grounds to begin your tour.
3. New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
Learn how our past peers lived
Park once then explore the grounds at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society – there are eight historical buildings on the property! We especially loved the 1845 Cody Pharmacy (picture yourself shopping many, many decades ago!) and the old school house. There’s a walking trail that brings you to all the exhibits with interactive signs that help make this a great family-friendly outing!
Lunch stop!
Make no mistake, there are plenty of cute boutiques, restaurants, and shopping in downtown New Canaan, but we’ll leave that for another post!
No matter what, take a break for lunch at one of the many fabulous restaurants in town! We stopped in at Rosie’s, and it was amazing!
4. New Canaan Nature Center & Trails
Always make time for a nature stop, we say!
The New Canaan Nature Center offers a lovely place to commune with nature & wildlife. Stop at the visitors center first to learn about the local environment then get outside and explore the acres of trails, ponds, marshes, a huge greenhouse, wildflower gardens, a sugar shack, a bird sanctuary, an animal farm, and so much more!
Got kids? Bring them here!
5. New Canaan Library
A library like you’ve never seen before!
This is no ordinary community library! New Canaan’s library boasts 42,000 square feet of thoughtfully designed spaces for kids, teens, and adults. Read, learn, take a cooking class in the teaching kitchen, visit the MakerLab, see a performance, or sip a coffee from the independent coffee shop inside! We also love the thought of taking our favorite book and curling up on the rooftop terrace overlooking downtown New Canaan.
Within the stunning grounds of Waveny Park…
Visit…
6. The Town Players of New Canaan
Catch a performance
The Town Players of New Canaan is a small but mighty theater company, around since 1946! In the 80s, they took over the old powerhouse building in Waveny Park and transformed it into an intimate 115-seat community & professional performance space. They put on five main stage shows every season, along with a holiday show, readings, and concert events. Need a place to put on your own performance? Rent this spot!
7. The Carriage Barn Arts Center
Feed your creative side!
The Carriage Barn Arts Center is a beautiful gallery space, in an equally beautiful location. They have different art shows (local artists and juried shows) changing every month. If you’re interested in exploring your own artistic side, they’ve got loads of workshops going on, from fine art to bottle painting. And check out their events and lectures for more entertaining things to put on your social calendar!
Lastly, a huge thank you!
To Laura S. Budd, Executive Director at New Canaan Chamber of Commerce – Laura not only put this perfect day trip together but ALSO drove us around. We had so much fun with you, Laura, thanks again!
7 Must-Visit Places in New Canaan is a sponsored post