Yale University
Yale, a member of the Ivy League, is one of the oldest
universities in the country and one of the most distinguished in
the world. Its beautiful campus is home to a wealth of stunning
architectural achievements as well as multiple museums, exhibition
spaces and theatres. Visitors might browse the Beinecke Rare Book
and Manuscript Library or take in a performance of the Yale Glee
Club. The Mead Visitor Center, located at 149 Elm Street, welcomes
visitors from all over the world and is a good starting point. The
centre offers free guided tours led by undergraduate students, but
groups of 10 or more will need to book a private tour in
advance.
Connecticut Hall Yale University
Freedom Schooner Amistad
Long Wharf Pier in New Haven is the homeport of the Freedom
Schooner
, a faithful recreation of the schooner involved in
the 1839 Amistad Incident, in which a group of Africans being
transported to the Caribbean as slaves revolted and took over the
ship. The Amistad was seized by the US government, and the Africans
eventually won their freedom in a landmark case before the US
Supreme Court. Some will know the ship's story from Steven
Spielberg's powerful 1997 film of the same name. Today, the replica
ship sails the world on peace missions, but it is open to the
public when it is in port at New Haven and gives visitors a chance
to have a hands-on experience of history. Check out the official
website listed below for information on where the schooner can be
found.
Freedom Schooner Amistad
Jeremy Pierot
Peabody Museum of Natural History
The stunning exhibitions of the Peabody Museum of Natural
History are sure to amaze visitors of all ages. In addition to the
Great Hall of Dinosaurs, visitors can discover Egyptian mummies,
sabre-toothed cats and Native American artefacts. Although the
museum has all the old-fashioned staples of a natural history
museum, efforts have been made to keep it modern and entertaining
for children and there are a number of interactive stations in the
Peabody. Multiple youth programmes are held during the summer and
there are some temporary exhibitions and special events at the
museum. Check out the official website listed below for more
information.
Opening time: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12am-5pm. Closed
Monday.
The Peabody Museum
Ragesoss
New Haven enjoys something in between a humid continental and a
humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. New Haven's
situation on Long Island Sound means that winters are milder, with
less snow accumulation than inland, and summers are typically hot
and humid. The coldest month is January, with temperatures
averaging between 22°F (-5°C) and 37°F (3°C), while summer
temperatures frequently exceed 90°F (32°C), although they usually
average more comfortably around 77°F (25°C). Rainfall is fairly
evenly distributed throughout the year.
The best times to visit New Haven are summer, when the New Haven
Green comes alive in the evenings with the Music on the Green
concert series, and autumn, when 'foliage season' in New England,
complete with fresh apple cider, pumpkins and cranberries at the
farm stands, attracts many visitors to the region.
Exploring New Haven by foot is enjoyable, particularly in the
area surrounding the university. Various walking tours start from
the Yale Visitor Center. The downtown area is serviced by a free
electric trolley system, operating Monday to Saturday, and
departing every 15 minutes or so between late morning and early
evening. CTTRANSIT bus service is also available and the network
covers most of the city. New Haven has been working to make parking
more convenient and there are various off-street lots and garages.
A Parcxmart card can be used to pay for metered on-street parking
and is very useful for anybody hiring a car to get around New Haven
and surrounding areas.
New Haven is a vibrant mixture of lofty academia, natural
beauty, historic charm and fun student life. Its music and arts
scene packs in more diversity and greater quality than perhaps any
other city of its size in the US.
Young visitors to New Haven will love the lively student
culture: they can dance until dawn in the Crown Street club
district and relax the next day at one of the city's many
coffeehouses. Less adventurous visitors can enjoy upscale shopping
and fine dining, watch a free performance of the Elm Shakespeare
Company in Edgerton Park, or visit the Peabody Museum of Natural
History. For a taste of New England's seafaring history, visit the
famous Freedom Schooner Amistad, which docks at Long Wharf Pier
when it isn't voyaging around the world. Exploring the Yale
University campus is an absolute must as the grounds encompass so
much of the best architecture and scenery of the city, as well as
enshrining much of its history.
No visit to New Haven would be complete, however, without
sampling what, for many, is its most enjoyable traditional product:
New Haven is the birthplace of the American pizza. Age-old
contenders Sally's and Pepe's pizzerias, each with an army of
fiercely loyal New Havenites, have been battling for the 'best pie'
title for more than 60 years.