Are you looking for something fun to do this weekend? Perhaps you’re in the New England area and want to take a road trip with kids? If you said yes and yes, then you’ll love the feature today. We went to Groton, CT and today I’m going to share a few places to check out in that area. 

First off, we decided to book a stay at Super 8 by Wyndham Groton CT since we tend to like their Vermont location. Figured it’d be a shot in the dark, but what would two nights be? 

The answer is horrible. The photo above is fine, but there was something nasty in the shower, looked like poop. Everything was covered in some sort of grime. The carpet was pretty rough, and the place just smelled awful. The list could go on, but I will stop. Just don’t stay there!  

I highly advise if you’re going to take a New England road trip with kids to the Groton, CT area that you do not stay at that Super 8 in Groton CT.

I’m not even a picky person, but I wouldn’t shower at this place for TWO NIGHTS. It was rough. 

We made up for the bad New England accommodation with a day trip though. Our original plan was to explore Camp Hero, NY. Sadly the plan didn’t happen, since the Long Island Ferry is far beyond our budget. I swear, we were totally killing it with this whole “getaway for the weekend with kids” idea. Not!

Once again, we had to make the best of this New England road trip with kids and research other places to check out. It was then that we found some awesome spots to check out. 

USS Nautilus

1 Crystal Lake Rd, Groton, CT 06340

The home of the historic ship USS Nautilus is located in Groton, CT and it’s free! The Submarine Force Museum is full of historical information. With movies every hour or so that you can learn more about the subs of our past. As a history lover, I was in heaven here.

Thankfully the kids enjoy stuff like this too so we toured the USS Nautilus while we were at the museum. This self-guided audio tour is rather fun! The eldest kiddo and I stayed a little further back from the boys and their dad during the tour to really take it all in. I’ll share more about this tour on another date here on the blog. 

Hearthstone Castle in Danbury, CT

18 Brushy Hill Rd, Danbury, CT 06810

If you’re up for a little hike into the woods, then you’ll enjoy checking out Hearthstone Castle in Danbury, CT. I really wasn’t super impressed with this location as it’s been graffitied and such. We also visited during dusk with mosquitos biting the middle kiddo. It is a sight to see though if you go during daytime hours. 

It’s open to the public during daylight hours. There were some people here when we went near dusk, but they were friendly. Just a few people checking out the castle as we were. 

Seaside Sanatorium a Connecticut State Park

Seaside Dr, Waterford, CT 06385

This place has a pretty sad background too, but it’s a beautiful location open to the public. You’re not allowed to swim in the water, but the kids walked out on the pier to freak this Mama out of course.

Yup, that’s my kids down below in the photo (well the oldest and youngest, the middle followed along later).

This was a long-serving medical facility but it closed down. Many people have died here, which makes it even more spooky! I’d love to have someone allow us to tour the inside, someday. I will be sharing more about this place with more photos in the future on my blog too. 

Holy Land USA Waterbury

60 Slocum St, Waterbury, CT 06706

Last, but certainly not least, we decided to hop on over to Holy Land USA where an old theme park was. At least, that’s what we thought this place was. The place is really neat, and they’re trying to rejuvenate it I do believe. It was neat to see the old statues that have fallen as well as this new cross that’s been placed atop the hill. 

I will most certainly be sharing more photos of this area, as well as more about the story and our experience at Holy Land USA in Connecticut in the future on the blog. For now, just enjoy this as one of the ideas to stop to enjoy for free during your New England road trip with kids. 

There you have it, how we made the most of our New England road trip with kids in Groton, CT. Now, if we can just plan a trip to Camp Hero, NY without having to deal with high priced Long Island hotels on the peninsula and high-cost ferry rides!