Nestled along Long Island Sound, Bridgeport is Connecticut’s largest city. Once a major industrial and manufacturing hub, today Bridgeport is undergoing an exciting renaissance with old factories and warehouses being transformed into hip housing, unique shops, craft breweries, and art spaces.
Beyond the redevelopments, Bridgeport offers a surprising number of cultural, historical, and natural attractions that visitors will enjoy discovering. From beautiful beaches and parks to fascinating museums and thrilling theaters, Bridgeport has something for everyone.
Here are 12 of the top attractions and things to do in Bridgeport, CT that highlight this city’s coastal location, history, culture, and entertainment.
Seaside Park
Spanning over 275 acres along Long Island Sound, Seaside Park is Bridgeport’s largest park. Its beachfront location makes it a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing during the summer. The park also features picnic areas, walking trails, a rose garden, an elaborate miniature golf course, baseball fields, and facilities for basketball, tennis, and volleyball.
In the warmer months, visitors will find free outdoor concerts at the Seaside Park Band Shell. The park is also home to the Bridgeport Rotary Carousel, an antique merry-go-round originally built in 1908 with brilliantly-painted horses and chariots. Riding the carousel under the lights of the pavillion is a magical experience.
Pleasure Beach
A short boat ride off the coast of Bridgeport lies Pleasure Beach, a barrier island with an unusual history. Back in the late 1800s, the island hosted Archibald’s Park – a Coney Island style amusement park with rides, a casino, hotel, boardwalk, carousel, and bathing beach. After closing in the 1950s, the island became deserted with the original bridge destroyed by fires.
Today, visitors can take a 10-minute water taxi ride to explore the largely abandoned remains of Pleasure Beach. Here you’ll discover the eerie, graffiti-tagged ruins of the amusement park peeking out of the overgrowth plus sweeping salt marsh views. The more adventurous can wander through woodland trails around the uninhabited island.
Beardsley Zoo
The only zoo in Connecticut located within a public park, Beardsley Zoo opened in 1922 and is currently home to nearly 300 animals. Visitors will see familiar creatures like the bald eagle, cougar, gray seal and reindeer plus more exotic species that include the amur leopard, Mexican gray wolf, golden lion tamarin, red panda and the threatened Eastern bongo.
Popular exhibits feature the South American rainforest biome, hoofstock trail with bison, llamas and wild turkeys, Alligator Alley with 20 American alligators, and the Pampas Plains with Chacoan peccaries, giant anteaters and maned wolves. The zoo also has an interactive Children’s Zoo and vibrant butterfly garden during the summer.
Discovery Museum & Planetarium
With hands-on educational exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the Discovery Museum provides interactive learning experiences for kids. Permanent exhibit themes coverAlternative Energy Lab, Exploring the Human Body, DinoZone with life-sized dinosaur models, a Wildlife Sanctuary with native animals, and a toddler space. The museum also houses Connecticut’s only public planetarium with regular outer space themed shows.
In additional to indoor exhibits, the Discovery Museum features outdoor attractions like a Construction Adventure zone for driving toy trucks and building with giant blocks, a mini 18-hole golf course, and nature trails. Special events and programs like LEGO Club, story times and summer camps further enhance your visit.
Housatonic River & Stratford Point
Marking the western boundary of Bridgeport, the tidal Housatonic River offers plenty of waterside activities. Anglers can cast a line for striped bass and bluefish while paddlers and rowers take to the calmer waters surrounding the Steelpointe Yacht and Charter Club. Bridge views reveal impressive estates lined with yachts on the opposite shores.
At the river’s mouth lies Stratford Point, an important stopover for migratory birds. The Connecticut Audubon Society protects this fragile ecosystem as one of the state’s most critical bird habitats. An interpretive center highlights the site’s ecological diversity spanning salt marshes, tidal flats and maritime forest. With over 340 documented species, Stratford Point attracts birdwatchers from across the country.
PT Barnum Museum
Famous circus promoter and Bridgeport native son P.T. Barnum helped shape the city’s development in the 1800s. The P.T. Barnum Museum chronicles the life and legacy of the iconic showman, philanthropist and politician who founded The Greatest Show on Earth. Fascinating exhibits explore Barnum’s hoaxes and humbugs, evolution of modern circus entertainment and the celebrities he introduced to worldwide fame.
Highlights include a scale model of Barnum’s American Museum in New York, artifacts like Tom Thumb’s diminutive carriage, a genuine shrunken head from the Feejee Mermaid hoax and photographs of sideshow sensations. Visitors can view a multimedia presentation under the museum’s decorative, carved ceilings or take a self-guided audio walking tour around historic downtown Bridgeport.
Bijou Theatre
Located in the downtown arts district, the Bijou Theatre first opened in 1909 as a premier vaudeville venue before transitioning to a movie house in the 1930s. After sitting unused for over 30 years, the theatre underwent extensive renovations before reopening in 2010. Today, the exquisitely restored Byzantine-style interior sparkles under coffered ceilings, arched windows and jewel-toned designs based on the original decor.
In addition to screening independent and foreign films, the non-profit Bijou Theatre hosts film festivals, concerts, dances, theatrical performances and private events in its lavish 450-seat auditorium. The adjoining bistro serves trendy small plates, desserts and classic cocktails in a hip urban lounge setting.
Penfield Reef Lighthouse
Standing picturesquely on Perkin’s Rock 2 miles offshore, the Penfield Reef Lighthouse has safeguarded mariners entering Bridgeport Harbor since 1874. The 35-foot high granite lighthouse sits partially submerged at high tide, giving it the nickname “The Washing Machine” after waves crash over the structure.
Now fully automated, the lighthouse was previously home to lighthouse keepers and their families who maintained the vital beacon. Today the Penfield Reef Lighthouse remains an iconic navigation aid marking the dangerous reefs lurking below the waters of Long Island Sound – a scenic photo backdrop beckoning you to discover Bridgeport by sea.
Sterling House Community Center
Housed in a stately Greek Revival mansion built in 1843, the Sterling House Community Center contains a fascinating museum of Bridgeport’s history and culture. The home was commissioned by William Sterling who made his fortune through whaling, shipbuilding and merchant trading. Subsequent owners included the famous showman P.T. Barnum.
Restored period rooms provide a glimpse into affluent Victorian era life including elaborately handpainted wallpaper and antique furnishings owned by the home’s former residents. Thematic exhibits highlight the 1875 Bridgeport circus fire, clothing styles through the decades, Native American artifacts and diverse immigrant communities who settled here. The center also serves as a popular venue space for weddings and private events.
Pleasure Beach Mini Golf
No bigger than a large backyard putting green, Pleasure Beach Mini Golf packs plenty of zany challenge into its pint-size course. Located adjacent to Seaside Park along Long Island Sound, the 18-hole links style track has been a cherished summertime ritual for generations of Bridgeport families.
Kids and kids-at-heart will encounter wooden lighthouses, spinning windmills and pipe tunnels along the way. Local golfers compete in tournaments while novices and mini golf wizards alike relish the retro seaside fun. At just $7 a round, Pleasure Beach Mini Golf offers family recreation at its nostalgic best.
St. Nicholas Orthodox Greek Church
Built in 1961, the gold-domed St. Nicholas Orthodox Greek Church stands elegantly alongside I-95 drawing the eye skywards. The Byzantine-style building features an impressive central dome representing Christ flanked by four smaller domes symbolizing evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Intricate mosaic icons adorn the soaring interior bathed in golden light from stained glass windows.
In addition to holding weekly Greek Orthodox services, the church basement contains a small museum with traditional garments and historical exhibits. Cultural celebrations like the two-day Grecian Festival share homemade Greek cuisine, wine tastings, boutique shopping and dance performances.
Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses
Recently connecting properties through an adjoining education center, the Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses relate a remarkable piece of history. These National Historic Landmarks mark where Connecticut’s first African-American female property owners lived.
Sisters Mary and Eliza Freeman were born into slavery before later being recognized as free citizens in an 18th century landmark legal case. Their former homes provide intimate spaces to contemplate the Freeman family’s quest for freedom against the injustice of slavery and inequality. Interactive exhibits chronicle how this little-known court ruling challenged social discrimination, leaving a powerful legacy still relevant today.
Conclusion
With inviting parks and beaches, fascinating history and cultural diversity, Bridgeport offers many great attractions beyond its former industrial roots. Culturally curious visitors will appreciate this revitalized city’s multifaceted magnetism, from the ruins of Pleasure Beach to the soaring domes of St. Nicholas Church. Whether seeking outdoor recreation, interactive learning or historic insights, travelers of all ages can craft memorable experiences exploring the top things to do in Bridgeport, CT.