between the river and Route 9
Home · Things to Do With Kids
Things to Do With Kids in Greater Middletown, CT
By Erik Hernal, founder & editor
The best things to do with kids in Greater Middletown, CT are Kidcity Children's Museum (119 Washington Street, Middletown), Wadsworth Falls State Park (721 Wadsworth Street, Middletown), Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park (161 Brownstone Avenue, Portland), and Lyman Orchards (32 Reeds Gap Road, Middlefield). It's a genuinely easy place to keep kids happy, rain or shine, with family-friendly stuff spread across Middletown, Cromwell, and Portland. Here's the local rundown by indoor, outdoor, and seasonal, all open and checked this month.
| Place | What | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidcity Children's Museum | 3 floors of hands-on play | 119 Washington St | ages 1-7 |
| Sky Zone | trampolines, foam pits | Middletown | ages 3+ |
| Wadsworth Falls State Park | easy trails + a waterfall | 721 Wadsworth St | all ages |
| Brownstone Park | quarry waterpark, zip lines | Portland | ages 6+ |
| Lyman Orchards | pick-your-own, corn maze | Middlefield | all ages |
Check your inbox for a welcome, hit reply with a quick "Yes" so it lands in Primary. First issue Thursday morning.
Rainy-day and indoor
Kidcity Children's Museum (119 Washington Street) is the one every local mom and dad names first, three floors of imaginative, hands-on exhibits in downtown Middletown built for ages 1 to 7. Book a timed slot online before you go. Amato's Toy and Hobby (395 Main Street) is the old-school downtown toy and hobby store kids beg you to bring them into, all trains and models and games. Sky Zone is the indoor-energy-burn answer, wall-to-wall trampolines, foam pits, and toddler jump times for the littlest ones. And the Russell Library (123 Broad Street) runs free family storytimes, a drop-in play room, and Science Saturdays, plus a summer reading program, all for nothing. For a free rainy-day culture stop, the Davison Art Center at Wesleyan is open Tuesday to Sunday at no charge.
Outdoors and free
You don't need to spend a dime to fill a day here. Wadsworth Falls State Park (721 Wadsworth Street) has flat, kid-doable trails and a real waterfall a short walk from the lot. Harbor Park (245 DeKoven Drive) puts you on the Connecticut River with swings, a fishing dock, and big bridge views. In summer, the free splash pad at Veterans Memorial Park (fountains, a mini slide, and a playground right beside it) is a toddler favorite. The grounds at the Wadsworth Mansion are open daily for free roaming, with family events and free Wednesday-evening concerts in July. And no kid leaves happy without Vecchitto's Italian Ice (323 DeKoven Drive), a walk-up window making homemade Italian ice since 1930, a block from the river. Get the lemon.
Seasonal day trips
When the weather's right, three nearby spots are worth the short drive. Lyman Orchards in Middlefield is the classic farm experience kids enjoy, pick-your-own fruit (berries in summer, apples and pumpkins in fall), a sunflower and corn maze in season, and pie from the Apple Barrel. Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park in Portland is the area's biggest summer attraction, a former quarry turned waterpark with cliff jumping, water slides, zip lines, and kayaking (best for ages 6 and up, open daily through the summer). And Powder Ridge in Middlefield runs summer water slides, zip lines, and disc golf, then flips to skiing and snow tubing in winter.
Common questions about kids' activities in Middletown
What's the best thing to do with toddlers in Middletown? Kidcity Children's Museum, hands down, it's built for ages 1 to 7. The Veterans Memorial splash pad and the Russell Library storytimes are great free backups.
Where can I take kids on a rainy day? Kidcity, Sky Zone, Amato's Toy and Hobby, or the Russell Library, all indoor and all good for burning a few hours.
What's free to do with kids here? Wadsworth Falls, Harbor Park, the Veterans Memorial splash pad in summer, Russell Library programs, and the Davison Art Center at Wesleyan are all free.
What's good for older kids and teens? Brownstone Park's cliff jumping and zip lines, Powder Ridge in summer or winter, and Sky Zone for trampolines.
Make a full day of it with our guides to the best restaurants in Middletown, breakfast and brunch, free things to do, things to do in Portland, visiting Wesleyan, and a perfect weekend itinerary. New in town? Here's moving to Middletown. See what's on this week on our events page and subscribe above for the Thursday rundown.