Exploring Mystic, CT: The Aquarium and Olde Mistick Village

Hello, fellow travelers! Mystic, Connecticut is a popular tourist destination in New England for good reason. It’s the setting of the movie Mystic Pizza, and it’s got a cute little shopping village and a few interesting museums and attractions as well.

About

Mystic is located about an hour away from New Haven, Hartford, Providence in Rhode Island, and two hours from Boston. There are several museums in Mystic, including the Mystic Seaport Museum, the Mystic Art Museum, and the Thompson Exhibition building. There is also the aquarium and Olde Mistick Village.

Mystic Aquarium

Mystic Aquarium is only one of two marine life aquariums that hold stellar sea lions, and is also home to the only beluga whales in New England. Tickets are quite pricey (matching the tourist trap destination claims), with tickets ranging from $30-40 per person. The aquarium is open 7 days a week from 9am-5pm.

Jellyfish

Some fish

A stingray at the touch section of the aquarium.

Zelda the goblin shark and one of the stingrays swimming around. Zelda is quite sociable and loves being pet by visitors.

Japanese snow crab, the largest species of crab in the world.

A black clownfish

The black clownfish has an orange face

Regular clownfish

More fish

An octopus. Octopi are clever.

Lots of fish

My favorite photo of the seals

Overall, Mystic Aquarium was sort of underwhelming, because I have been to bigger aquariums. However, it was still a good day out.

Olde Mistick Village

Olde Mistick Village is located beside the aquarium and is within walkable distance. It is an open-air shopping village, with tons of small shops. Here are some of the shops located in the village:

• Alice in the Village, a tea shop
• Alice’s Haunted Little Bookshop, a bookstore beside the tea shop
• Angel Haven Specialty Jewelers
• Arisu, a shop specializing in anime merchandise
• Becca Rose, a metaphysical shop
• Beef Jerky Experience, a shop that sells beef jerky
• Bestemors
• Cloak and Wand, a shop that sells mystical items
• Dharma Jewelry
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil shop, a shop specializing in olive oil
• Eyeglass Lass, a glasses shop that specializes in frames
• Franklin’s General Store
• Garden Specialities
• Gineva Murano Glass Jewelry
• Holistic in Mystic
• Ice Imports

There are many shops here, and it’s definitely a great experience. There are no open-air shopping villages like this in Delaware, so it was a real treat to go.

Our first stop was at Alice in the Village, where we stopped for bubble tea and macarons.

Alice in the Village is an adorable tea shop. The interior is pink, and is covered in flowers. Two of my favorite things in one!

Alice’s Haunted Little Bookstore is darker, and has elements of horror. For example, it has skeletons, a statue of Edgar Allen Poe, and various other horror-themed decor. Despite this, it is still a neat little stop.

We also went to Pop on the Block, a shop that specializes in popcorn, and Frank’s General Store.

Overall, I loved Olde Mistick Village. It is a charming, quaint little shopping experience, and it’s definitely something new for me.

Have you ever been to Mystic before?

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