Entertainment

Thanks in part - but not entirely - to the presence of Yale University, New Haven boasts an amazing volume of arts and entertainment for a city its size. It has world renowned museums, orchestras and theaters. Dance clubs and night clubs showcase local and nationally known musicians. The quaint colonial towns that surround New Haven, with their steepled churches and town greens, antique shops and historic homes, add their festivals, fairs and community theaters to an already rich mix.

Performing Arts

It is tough to know where to start when talking about the culturally rich entertainment scene in New Haven. The New Haven Symphony the fourth oldest orchestra in the nation, draws from the rich talent pool of Yale's renowned music department. Similarly, the Yale Repertory Theatre has close ties to Yale's drama department, and there is much cross-fertilization with New Haven's other famous professional theatre, the Long Wharf .

Broadway-bound plays premiere at The Shubert where the majority of Rogers & Hammerstein musical premiered as well as stage plays by Tennessee Williams. The Yale Cabaret is a well kept secret, showcasing the work of Yale students to the accompaniment of some of the best food in town. Sprague and Woolsey Halls host some 300 concerts a year sponsored by the Yale Graduate School of Music.

On a more formal note, if you prefer ties and tails as opposed to a lawn chairs and mosquitoes, the Chamber Music Society at Yale presents concerts of fine chamber music throughout the year. The New Haven Gaelic Players presents well-known works of Irish playwrights.

Live Music

The Elm City has a long history of jazz, and the New Haven Jazz Festival has been bringing top notch jazz to the region for over 20 years. The festival has gained international fame as one of the largest, long-running, free music festivals in the country. For years, clubs like The Foundry, Malcolm's and Cafe Nine have provided jazz artists with a cool place to jam.

Speaking of jamming, the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of modern and rock music, dancing and partying is Toad's Place, a hopping (if you will excuse the expression) place for over 25 years. Many of the country's most famous rock and roll artists—The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, among them— have performed in the Toad's intimate space. New Haven's premier blues spot is Blues Café, where excellent Southern cooking goes with excellent music.

Museums

Yale has formidable collections, which it opens to the public. The Yale University Art Gallery, founded in 1832, is the oldest university art gallery in the country. The Yale Center for British Art contains the largest collection of art outside the United Kingdom. The Peabody Museum of Natural History houses an important collection of dinosaur fossils and natural science collections; it was also portrayed on The Simpsons as where C. Montgomery Burns' son Larry was conceived amongst a penguin exhibit. The Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments has almost 1,000 instruments on display, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library features one of the last surviving Gutenberg Bibles along with numerous other treasures. As you drive north from New Haven into adjoining Hamden, the Eli Whitney Museum honors the great inventor with displays dedicated to his "passion for making things."

Cinema

In downtown New Haven, there are plenty of art cinemas that show the latest hits from the United States and Europe. The Criterion Cinemas on Temple offers cinephiles a chance to catch up on hits, or on Sunday mornings, see some classic films from the 1930s and 1940s. On the Shoreline, in the town of Madison, there is the two-screen Madison Art Cinemas where you can see the latest foreign films as well as partake in special screenings of soon-to-be released movies.

Probably the best bets for larger, mega-plex movie theaters outside the city, but within a relatively short drive are, to the east, the Regal Branford Stadium, a twelve-screen multiplex with comfy seats, a food court and late night security, and to the west, the eight-screen Showcase Cinemas in Orange.

Family Fun

If you happen to have the kids with you and someone is whining about "nothing for them to do," the New Haven area is packed with fun things for children to do and see. Both the Yale Art Gallery and Center for British Art offer kid-friendly activities and programs on a revolving basis. The Peabody Museum of Natural History is great for dinosaur fans, and the Children's Museum just reopened downtown. Although it is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, it is an excellent pit-stop for a few hours of entertainment for tykes from 3-11.

In Essex, about 30 minutes east off I-95, there is Essex Steam Train & Riverboat where you can enjoy a scenic train and boat ride along the Connecticut River - a true gem during the fall with the changing leaves. Further down I-95 is the town of Mystic where Mystic Seaport and Aquarium are located, definite draws for children, history buffs and maritime enthusiasts.

In Bridgeport, west of New Haven, there is the P.T. Barnum Museum, Discovery Museum and Beardsley Zoo.

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