Top 13 things to do and attractions in Essex

A Hidden Treasure on the Connecticut River! The Connecticut River Museum is a must-visit if you’re anywhere near Essex, CT. Nestled right along the riverbank, this beautiful museum is more than just a scenic spot—it’s a powerful journey through history, nature, and culture. Elizabeth, the executive director, is truly exceptional. Her passion for the museum’s mission radiates in every detail—from the thoughtfully curated exhibits to the welcoming energy that fills the space. She went above and beyond to make our visit meaningful and memorable. The staff and volunteers are equally impressive. Every person we spoke with was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and deeply committed to preserving and sharing the history of this incredible region. Whether you’re a history buff, a local, or just exploring New England, you’ll leave feeling enriched and inspired. The museum offers interactive displays, rotating exhibitions, and even riverfront access that adds to the immersive experience. It’s clear that this team cares deeply about education, community, and making history come alive for all ages. A heartfelt thank you to Elizabeth and the entire Connecticut River Museum team—you’re doing extraordinary work! Warm regards, Dennis Schleicher YouTuber with over 90K subscribers and content creator on Instagram 🌊📜 #ConnecticutRiverMuseum #EssexCT #HistoryComesAlive #SupportLocalMuseums

This is a delightful historical museum giving you information about the Connecticut River, its important to the development of New England and other fascinating tidbits. There is a decent store there to buy nautical items. Essex is a charming seaside village--a New England take on New York's Hamptons, but much more indicative of colonial times. Shopping and dining here is upscale, but everyone can enjoy walking around this quaint place.

Wonderful museum at the end of Main St by the water. Beautiful and scenic inside and out. Many interesting exhibits.

Amazing trip to see the swallows in migration. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Had an amazing time! I just wish more people could experience this phenomenon. Space is very limited and the tours sell out fast.

The staff here are so friendly and sweet. The exhibits are small though really well put together. The turtles submersible exhibit was phenomenal. My boys really enjoyed being able to have a hands-on experience with the turtles submersible.

We ended up taking the sunset Cruise on the Onrust legacy sailing ship. It was a wonderful 2 hours cruising up the Connecticut River, turning around and returning under full sail. There were fewer than a dozen of us, plus a knowledgeable, careful, capable captain and crew. It's a great way to learn about the history and the geography. And a nice way to unwind after a busy day. We were delighted that the captain was able to arrange a double rainbow for us as we came back in.

This was a cute museum and a relaxing ride on the Connecticut River. The two guys working the tour were charming, knowledgeable and complimented each other well. Some folding chairs were set out in full sun, while others, plus tables, were under an awning. We saw several families pack a cooler and had lunch. We purchased our tickets on line, and were pleased to discover that the price of the tour included admission to the museum. The people at the museum desk were all friendly. While the museum itself isn't that big, it had some cute, quirky artwork on the stairway walls that was interesting enough to take a closer look at.

Such a pretty, peaceful park to have your lunch or just sit and look at the boats. A variety of large trees that are labeled. And it has a gazebo as well. It’s right on Main St. but you can usually find a parking spot.

If you need a release you can find it here. A cool relaxing please to go on a hot summer day. Bring lunch and you pup.

Beautiful views, picnic area, peaceful.

A lovely little stop in Essex! We visited this small park briefly while passing through, and it was a delightful experience. The park may be small, but it’s beautifully maintained – spotlessly clean, with no litter in sight. In the center, there’s a charming pavilion that adds to the park's cozy and welcoming feel. Perfect for a short stroll or a peaceful break. Would definitely recommend stopping by!

Calm and lithe waterfront

Beautiful park with a great view of the water and the boats. Dog friendly. Lots of shady places to sit and relax. Free wifi and public restrooms.

Serenity meets beauty here at the Essex Park on Middle Cove (on the Connecticut River)

Incredible chocolate and so many kinds. The shop looks fairly small but there’s so much variety. Good quality chocolate from different countries and the staff is super knowledgeable ! The chocolate bar shelf is categorized from least to most cocoa (left to right). Their hot cocoa is also very yummy.

I wandered in this shop while strolling on Main Street. What a find for chocolate lovers! The woman that helped me explained the different types and % of dark chocolates. They’re curated from all over the world and beautifully wrapped. The two bars I got were outstanding. Definitely will be back. Also, this would be a great shop to get a gift for chocolate lovers.

Their chocolate chips cookies are amazingggg. We got them from fresh out of the oven. They sell out fast so I suggest going when they first open to make sure you get a cookie! We had a taste of their truffle shot and it was very rich and delicious. They have quite a selection of chocolate bars from various different brands - from milk to dark with different flavours etc. It’s a bit expensive. Will definitely be coming back for more cookies!

I wandered in completely on a whim and was so glad I did. The owners were so sweet and clearly are passionate about chocolate, and gave me lots of great suggestions. The chocolate chip cookie was probably the best cookie I've ever had (and that's saying a lot since I've eaten many cookies). The fig balsamic truffle shot was absolutely delicious too! I'll definitely be coming back next time I'm in Essex and stocking up.

They have amazing collection of good quality chocolates. Very friendly people.

The people working here are very passionate about chocolate. I bought their Dubai chocolate bar that they make from scratch, and it is incredible! Wish I lived closer because I would be here all the time.

Incredibly delicious parcels of velvety chocolate within a shot glass. A fun idea and clever way to present a cute gift. Shop owner is affable and pleasant, please pay a visit in beautiful Essex, CT.

Outstanding! Had a tour when we picked up our historical society plaque and it is well maintained. Beautiful dried herbs hanging about as well.

Beautiful historic experience with a very knowledgeable and passionate hostess.

The historian was very informative about the history of the Pratt House!

A very interesting tour.

Great colonial home.

Rude people

I did the cruise with my coworkers on Thursday. It was a very nice experience, the guides on the boat had a lot of interesting information about the history of the Connecticut river and the surrounding areas. They have binoculars for everyone that wants to use it. It was a lot of fun!

I am an ardent nature lover and who can resist going on a cruise to see something as remarkable as a murmuration, not only for that spectacular word, but also to see all the swallows-- this evening over 400,000 gathering and whirling and swirling in the air until they alight in the marshy area for the evening. The weather was perfect and there was even a vessel that looked like a pirate ship in the sunset. It was all quite stunning and the staff on River Quest were very knowledgeable and accommodating. The weather was perfect and we saw numerous birds including a subadult Bald Eagle heading into the sunset.

We very much enjoyed the Winter Wildlife Eagle Cruise with Riverquest! Admittedly, my cell phone couldn't get closeups, but I was able to capture a few of the birds and some of the natural beauty of the Connecticut River. We bought our tickets ahead online which is convenient and gave us peace of mind in case they sold out. Even with Covid reductions on the boat (said the website), there were plenty of customers along for the ride. Masks were still required inside the museum and on the inside of the boat, but we were able to take them off once outside on the deck of the boat. We brought snacks like the site suggested, but there were so many bird sightings we ended up staying outside the whole time. The guides were awesome! They are knowledgeable about the river and the local buildings and wildlife, and spent time talking to the guests. They were pointing out birds and nests left and right, and we got to see an eagle swoop down and grab a fish out of the water. Binoculars were available in the boat for anyone that needed them, and tickets included access to the museum, which has a lot of good local history. I'm already eyeing the Tree Swallow your in August and am looking forward to it.

Great little boat tour up a small section of the river. Saw a number of eagles & Osprey. The staff was friendly & knowledgeable. Plenty of indoor seating for inclement weather as well as room outside in open air. Staff had binoculars on board that was a nice touch.

I really enjoyed my cruise on the CT River to view the Tree Swallows. Very comfortable boat, closed in cabin with tables and chairs to enjoy or picnic dinner that we brought, large windows that slid open if you choose to stay inside . Very nice staff that passed out binoculars to all. They had a keen eye to point out the Eagles. We got to see thousands of Swallows swarming. Thumbs up to the staff.

A fantastic 90 minute tour with a friendly captain and a naturalist who knows all about the area. The boat had about 45 people- both young kids and adults. There are tables and rows of chairs. They provide binoculars to view the many birds, including eagles, egrets, herons, osprey, cormorants and more. The boat is one story and very smooth. I easily get sea sick and was fine on this trip. Tickets were $31.80 per person regardless of age. Your ticket includes admission to the CT River Museum. There is a head (bathroom) on the boat.

Lovely ride along the Connecticut River. We observed the swallows gathering in Old Lyme. It was amazing.

Decent sized park, located about a half mile hike into the woods from the parking lot (definitely a trek in the snow) and dogs must be on leash for that walk. No water, no bags, and trash is back at the parking lot. Woodland ground cover, the space would be pretty well shaded when the leaves are out.

Nice little park. A bit confusing to get to, park in the lot, walk down the road and look out for a dog park entrance sign on your right

Such a hidden gem, super clean, large fenced in space for small and large dogs. We love this dog park! 🥳

Nice dog park amidst tons of trees. Small and large dog areas. No grass because it is so shady. Met nice people there. Small pond too but so much algae afraid to let my dogs swim there.

Has a lot of good things. Doubled fence large area, small area for small dogs, climbing and agility props. However lot of weeds, no grass, muddy even after light rains. I went there on a beutiful Saturday afternoon and no other dogs or people.

This was easily the best dog park I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to at least 20. I read the reviews before coming there and couldn’t believe it when I showed up. There’s people saying it’s run down and small, these people are insane. I’ve never been to a dog park that had places (like the ramp and rings) where they installed devices used for dog agility training. The only dog park I’ve been to that had anything like that. It’s also very large, one of the larger ones I’ve been to, clean, and definitely not run down. I mean it’s a dog park, everything is in working order.

This dog park is awesome! Clean!! Very large, mostly wooded, picnic tables, and some obstacle course items. The only downside is that there is no water, but just bring your own. Can't wait to go back again!

Amazing artists! So much to look at! Put this place on your list for gift giving!

What a beautiful store with one of the kind items. Such wonderful women there! It was a pleasure to meet them!❤

Great local store, run by local artisans! Everything in it is handmade and one of a kind. Awesome place to find unique gifts you wouldn't find anywhere else.

While in Essex can't pass up visiting Artist Co-op has revolving collection of work by area Artists and Artisans.

Cute shop, local CT artisans.

Such a unique and beautiful park! Great place to bring kids and dogs!!

Great place the one in New Hampshire. Cross Lots is horrible. They do no testing.

Such a great place to walk your dogs!

A great hidden gem!

Great for 🐕

Great Christmas display. Recommend this stop on evening to watch a great light show put to music.

Great Christmas light display every year