I just got back from a short Labor Day weekend trip to Mystic, CT. The trip was nice overall and perfect for one last summer trip.
We left to Mystic on Sunday morning and got to the Mystic Seaport at around 10:30 am. My kids a 6 and 3 (both boys) and had a great time there. We were there until 5 pm when the exhibits closed and could have easily spend another few hours there.
After the Seaport we checked into the Hyatt Place Mystic which had very comfortable and updated rooms. We had a mini Labor Day BBQ courtesy of George Foreman and then took a dip in the pool.
The next morning we went to the Mystic Aquarium. Maybe I was spoiled by some of the other aquariums I have been to but it was a major letdown. There was only 1 show and the aquarium was pretty small. There was a 4D show and a bird feeding section, which both cost money in addition to admission for the aquarium. Judging by the size of the aqurium relative to the cost of the admission, these attractions should really have been included. In any event we were done after a few hours and it was only 1pm.
We met another family there who recommended this place called The Dinosaur Place. It is a 20 minute drive from Mystic (heading back towards NY). It was a really nice place and the kids had a great time there. They have a hiking trail with life size dinosaurs, a maze, playground and a splash pad where the kids spent hours playing.
We stayed there until the park closed at 6pm and then headed back home.