Things To Do

With its panoramic coastal views and well-protected harbors, Branford is fast becoming a popular destination for many travelers.

Our historic Town Green is graced with charming shops, historic homes, and fantastic restaurants to tempt every taste. Once known as the Old Boston Post Road, U.S. Route 1 spans the length of Branford. This historic byway includes not only remnants of times gone by, but many of the town's foremost places of interest, as well as numerous craft and antique shops.

Along our shoreline you'll find spectacular views, boating, and other recreational activities. Discover our treasured Thimble Islands as you take a cruise from the town dock in Stony Creek, or enjoy more than 3,500 acres of woodlands and lush salt marshes on miles of hiking trails and recreational space. Hikers, cyclists and kayakers are among our most frequent visitors.

We invite you to come explore our dynamic town…

Branford Festival

The Branford Festival is a three-day extravaganza of music, food, crafts, and activities for the whole family, held each June on Father's Day weekend. The fun includes concerts, a food court, pancake breakfasts, Craft & Business Expo, road race, kids activities, talent shows, and more! An eagerly awaited event each year, the festival is often seen as the unofficial kick-off to the summer.

Branford Town Center
Reminiscent of yesteryear, Main Street and the historic Branford Green are "must see" items on every visitor's list. Complete with sidewalk cafes, a wonderful array of restaurants, and charming shops and boutiques, a walk through Branford Center is a delightful way to spend an afternoon. View some of the finest Colonial and Victorian architecture, and see a classic New England town green. No doubt you'll feel the warm hospitality of our charming community.

Dining Out

These days, Branford seems like a mecca for truly great places to eat! No matter what you're in the mood for, we guarantee you'll find it right here: Indian, Mexican, Italian, French, Japanese, and Chinese, as well as classic New England seafood, steak houses and contemporary American cuisine. Many of our eateries have garnered quite a reputation and some have been reviewed in such publications as The New York Times, ZAGAT restaurant review and Connecticut Magazine.

Harrison House
124 Main Street, (203) 488-4828
The Branford Historical Society maintains the Harrison House and its barn, set on two lovely acres of land. A fine herb garden is tended by the Branford Garden Club. One of the rooms in the house is set aside as a museum room for Branford artifacts, memorabilia, and archives. Here, periodically, exhibits are held and Branford families are encouraged to bring their ancestral records, products, pictures and collections. The Society is dedicated to the discovering, preserving and showing of Branford's heritage.

Scenic Route 146

For a different view of Branford, Scenic Route 146 winds through some of Connecticut's loveliest natural settings, much of which is now protected open space. This historic highway begins at Branford Center and continues on into Guilford. Along this relaxed and charming "country drive" visitors catch panoramic vistas of Long Island Sound and lush salt marshes.

Shore Line Trolley Museum

17 River Street, East Haven, CT, (203) 467-6927
The Shore Line Trolley Museum is a National Historic Site and the oldest operating trolley museum in the United States. Incorporated in 1945, it now boasts a collection of nearly 100 vintage vehicles, as well as artifacts and documents from the trolley era. A three-mile trip aboard a fully-restored vintage trolley car, over the original tracks of a trolley line in operation since 1900, is complemented by a guided tour highlighting the museum's extensive collection of vintage vehicles.

Stony Creek & The Thimble Islands
"Characteristic charm," and "independent individuality" is how Dave Driessens, a town historian, describes Stony Creek, a unique village located within the borders of Branford. Truly a change of pace from fastly growing Branford proper, here visitors catch a glimpse of life before strip malls and chain stores. A quiet harbor neighbors the main street through Stony Creek, dotted with shops, restaurants and the Stony Creek Puppet Theatre.

Just off-shore are "The Thimbles," a chain of islands called "the beautiful sea rocks" by the Mattabec Indians. Twenty-three of the 365 islands are inhabited, and they range in size from less than a half acre to 12 acres. About 85 homes, mostly from the Victorian era, occupy these unique islands. Several tour boats bring visitors up close to many of these islands, their history and their legends.
Seal Watches in late winter give visitors the opportunity to see migrating Harbor Seals that visit the Thimbles from December through early May.