Location: Hamden
Top Things to do in Hamden
- 1. Sleeping Giant State Park
- 2. Yale University Art Gallery
- 3. Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
- 4. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- 5. Farmington Canal State Park
- 6. Yale Center for British Art
- 7. The Only Game In Town
- 8. Yale University
- 9. West Rock Ridge State Park
- 10. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
The 10 Best Things to Do in Hamden, United States
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." The population was 60,960 at the 2010 census. Hamden is a suburb of the city of New Haven.
Restaurants in Hamden
1. Sleeping Giant State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 266 reviews
A beautiful spot to view the autumn foliage.
Reviewed By Paul M - Germany
I've been heading out to the Sleeping Giant near New Haven in Connecticut for the past few years. It's a great place to walk and hike, and if you want it a little tougher, you can veer off the prepared routes and make the going as tough as you like. Just make sure you're wearing some sturdy shoes. There are plenty of steep inclines, and a wonderful old quarry to rummage around. You can spend hours (days) exploring this massive nature reserve with its very own micro-climate. I just wish that the people who take their dogs in there would adhere to the regulations and keep them on the leash. Regardless of where you go these days, you come across selfish, irresponsible, ignorant people who think that rules and regulations don't apply to them. This is especially the case in the USA where so many people believe that they have the right to do whatever they want, regardless of the law. They ruin it for the rest of us. Cycling is also not allowed in the Sleeping Giant, but people do it anyway. Shame on them!
2. Yale University Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 786 reviews
Yale University Art Gallery is the oldest college art museum in America. The Gallery’s encyclopedic holdings of 200,000 objects range from ancient times to the present day and represent civilizations from around the globe. FREE and open to the public. On December 12, 2012, the Yale University Art Gallery celebrated the grand opening of the renovated and expanded museum. The expanded Gallery transforms the visitor experience of both the museum and its esteemed collections. The project united the 1953 modernist structure designed by Louis Kahn, the 1928 Old Yale Art Gallery, and the 1866 Street Hall into one continuous structure while maintaining the distinctive architectural identity of each.
Reviewed By kzsull01 - Windsor, Connecticut
My husband and I visited the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut on Sunday, March 4th, 2018. This museum is excellent and offers a comprehensive view of various types of art. It has quite an impressive and beautifully curated collection of objects. We have visited this museum multiple times in the past and have always found it to be very enjoyable, interesting and educational. Each different type of art on display is in its own gallery, usually having multiple rooms, and has a very nice overview describing the art as well as such aspects as its historical, cultural, political and religious impact, depending on what is applicable. We spent about an hour in the museum this time and did not see all the exhibits. Our focus this time was on the special exhibits on the fourth floor as well as a few of the galleries on the second floor that we did not have the opportunity to spend as much time in as we would have liked during our last visit. It would probably take at least four hours to see the entire museum. This museum is definitely worth the visit and has a very nice added bonus of free admission. The only drawback of this museum is that it does not offer free parking and you may have to pay to park depending upon where you park and when you come.
The ‘Japan’s Global Baroque, 1550 – 1650’ special exhibit was exquisite with elegant objects illustrating the critical role that both imported and domestic goods played in Japanese art and culture during the momentous period of the 16th and 17th centuries. The ‘Pompeii: Photographs and Fragments’ special exhibit highlights the changing representations over time of Pompeii, a city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and since then frozen in time through excavation and preservation. Large-scale photographs of Pompeii are on display and show the ongoing cycles of deterioration and preservation that mark it as a living landscape. Images of reliefs, frescoes, paintings and sculptures as well as fragments of ancient Roman wall paintings and a number of other different types of domestic objects from the period and region are also displayed within this exhibit making it both very interesting and unique. Both these special exhibits were nicely done and worth seeing.
In addition to the special exhibits, we went to the second floor. On the second floor was beautiful European Art, including vibrant Italian Renaissance paintings, a gallery of Dutch Art as well as excellent paintings by such artists as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and many others. Also on this floor was a large collection of Asian Art, including exhibits on the ‘Line as Design in Japanese Art’, the ‘Origin of Chinese Writings’, art from the Safavid (modern day Iranian) dynasty, art of a popular, playful, and powerful Hindu god Krishna, with the ‘Krishna: The Divine Cowherd’ exhibit, and much, much more.
Below I included what we saw during our visit in late November 2017 to give highlights on the remaining galleries in the museum to provide a complete review of the entire museum and all it has to offer, which is definitely quite a bit.
On the first floor we enjoyed the African Art exhibit highlighting major themes that unite different local traditions to understand the aesthetics, meaning, and historical depth associated with this art. On display were many items, including masks, sculptures, statuettes, chairs, jewelry, ceramics, textiles and horns. This was a nicely done exhibit. Also on the first floor was Ancient American Art, with art of the Maya, from Mexico to the Andes. There was also Art of the Ancient Mediterranean with objects providing insights into politics, culture and religion, including statues, coins, wood carvings, vases, ceramic figurines, numismatic curiosities as well as many other artifacts. The next gallery on the first floor was the Dura-Europos (modern day Syria) gallery. Included was Tomb24 in the Necropolis at Dura-Europos. Also in the exhibit was armor, the shrine to the god Mithras, jewelry, pottery and textiles. In addition, there was the first known painting of the Virgin Mary and the earliest surviving house church. All the exhibits on the first floor were very interesting, enjoyable and educational, with much historical significance.
On floor 2E there was American Art before 1900, with historical paintings on the American Revolution, including George Washington at Princeton and Trenton and other paintings by John Trumbull depicting such subjects as the Declaration of Independence and the Battle of Bunker Hill. As we continued through the American Art galleries there were portrait miniatures, self-portrait prints, sculptures by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and landscape paintings of multiple places, such as, the Catskills, Niagara Falls and Mount Katahdin, all very beautiful.
There was also quite an extensive collection of American Decorative Art housed in multiple galleries, broken down into time periods, from the 17th century to the present day. In these galleries were many items, such as, furniture, including chairs, chests and highboys. There was also silver, tin glaze earthenware, pottery, dinnerware, and rooms from both a North Branford and a Hebron home, among many other items. In addition, there was an impressive exhibit on American coins, medal and silver from 1670 to the present as well as Benjamin Franklin items on display.
The third floor had an Indo-Pacific Art Gallery, with the art of maritime South East Asia, as well as a Modern and Contemporary Art and Design exhibit with paintings, including some by Pablo Picasso, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts.
We highly recommend this museum. It definitely has a lot to offer, much more than what I have mentioned here. I only provided some highlights in this write-up based on our experience during our visit. We hope that you have the opportunity to visit it and enjoy it as much as we did.
3. Ireland's Great Hunger Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By imirish2016 - Trumbull, Connecticut
So glad we stopped in today. The museum itself is beautiful. We saw paintings and sculptures depicting the famine. They have a 10 minute video which was very informative. Also, in the area, Sleeping Giant park for hiking, and my favorite Irish import store Lucky Ewe is just down the street.
4. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Overall Ratings
5 based on 200 reviews
Reviewed By acukiert - sao paulo, Brazil
This is a fantastic place to visit, although it could be seen in less then an hour. The architecture is fantastic, qnd the books....no words. If you are part of a research protocol, you would have access to some really old books. Simply amazing.
5. Farmington Canal State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By cliffonthego - Hamden, Connecticut
great place to rest during your walk, run or biking. Visit and record your thoughts in the journal contained in the Canal Spirit mailbox. It's dedicated for the Traveler of Life - allowing your journalistic expression or free hand artwork. Rest on the benches and take back the beauty of this area. An area blessed by those who have visited before - a great area to compose your own prayer of thanks for the creation of this earth for all of us to enjoy.
6. Yale Center for British Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 290 reviews
Note: The Center is temporarily closed for building conservation through February 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience. The Yale Center for British Art is a public art museum and world-renowned research institute. Presented to Yale University by Paul Mellon (Yale College Class of 1929), the Center houses the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. The collection of paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, rare books, and manuscripts reflects the development of British art and life from the Elizabethan period to the present day. Works on view include masterpieces by Thomas Gainsborough, J.M.W. Turner, and John Constable, as well as artists from Europe and America who lived and worked in Britain. Perhaps its greatest treasure is the building itself, a masterpiece of modern architecture designed by architect Louis I. Kahn. Located in downtown New Haven, the Center is near many of the city's best restaurants, theaters, and shops.
Reviewed By sundown_10 - Maryland
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the vast collection of British art. The museum presents the works in an artistic way where the art is accessible to view.
7. The Only Game In Town
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By Josh M - Bristol, Connecticut
I am absolutely shocked nobody has reviewed this amazing place in North Haven yet... this place ranks up there as one exciting place, they feature a driving range, three mini-golf courses, (I believe go-karts as well, haven't used them yet) and an indoor arcade its not the easiest place to find, but its worth the trip.... the mini-golf courses are very nice, especially the indoor one which is a glow-in-the-dark version.... black lights and everything.... recommended for couples, or family oriented fun.... we will return as well when we are in the area.
8. Yale University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 657 reviews
One of the country's oldest and most prestigious universities.
Reviewed By Norfaryanti K
I love the architecture of the buildings on this campus. The campus has various facilities catered to the visitors, from the Visitor Center, cafes, restaurants, clothing shops, and others. I recommended the tourist to go for their Visitor tour at the Visitor Center, and you are entitled to 15% discount at the Yale Bookshop.
9. West Rock Ridge State Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By Gunksman - Stratford, Connecticut
This is a cool place. In addition to it being the second largest concentration of rare and endangered species of any park in the state, Peregrine Falcons are making a comeback since this seems to be a favorite roosting/breeding location, and it is an interesting historical site. During the revolutionary war, "In the 17th century, West Rock served as the hideout for Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Gen. William Goffe, two of the three "regicide judges" whom New Haven honors by streets bearing their surnames. They had fled England, anticipating prosecution under King Charles II in the execution of his father Charles I, to New Haven; the rock shelter hideout used by the two is now called Judges Cave. The Regicides Trail is also named with this history in mind."
The gate to the road to the ridge was closed and has been each time I went by. I parked my car at a small lot near the base of the road to the ridge overlook. I hiked up the relatively steep winding road and stood at the south end of the ridge on the overlook of New Haven and Long Island Sound. Great views. Then I got off the park road and hiked along the ridge trail. The trail meanders along the ridge from the south scenic overlook down into he saddle where there's a ventilation building where you can hear the traffic in the tunnel below, and back up the other side for some amazing views looking west. There are a few steep ups and downs along the trail.
There is another part of the park where there is a lake. I didn't explore that area.
10. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 485 reviews
This museum has a diverse collection ranging from Indian artifacts to Egyptian art to a large bird collection.
Reviewed By didr - Connecticut
This museum has inspired many a future archeologist/anthropologist/artist; the displays are well organized and there is lots of fascinating reading material to educate those of us new to much of natural history. Worth visiting over and over again; there is something new to discover with each trip.
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