12 Best Things to Do in Madison, Connecticut

July 7, 2020 - Updated

Madison, CT is located just a short distance from New Haven along the shores of the Long Island Sound. The small town is a true gem, offering plenty to do in addition to its clean beaches. Most attractions in town can be reached by walking or by bicycle as the Madison is a culture-filled, compact hamlet. Madison is particularly a great place to enjoy the sea breeze and the outdoors at sites like the Hammonasset Beach State Park.

1.Hammonasset Beach State Park

The Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut is a recreation area open to the public and encompasses two miles of the beachfront along the Long Island Sound. The state park is the largest shoreline park in the state of Connecticut and is also one of the state’s most popular attractions with around one million guests every year. Hammonasset Beach State Park includes a nature center, a large campground, and an array of beach activities across its grounds. Activities possible at the state park include swimming, picnicking, hiking, fishing, boating, and bicycling. The campground contains more than five hundred units.

1288 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-245-2785

2.Meigs Point Nature Center

The Meigs Point Nature Center is located within the large Hammonasset Beach State Park and is a vital and exciting learning center focused on environmental science. The nature center is open to visitors of all ages and is one of Connecticut’s most beautiful site in its state park system. The center features hands-on activities, an observation deck, and a seasonal touch tank where visitors can get up close and personal with some of the sea’s smaller wonder. Other wildlife include fish, crabs, amphibians, snakes, and turtles that are unable to be released back into the wild.

1288 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-245-8743

3.The Shoreline Greenway Trail

The Shoreline Greenway Trail, running eastward from the city of New Haven, is part of an effort in collaboration with communities to create pedestrian, wheelchair-friendly, and bike connections, such as bike lanes and greenway trails to take people where they want to go. The Hammonasset section of this greenway trail is located in Madison, Connecticut and has been a showcase of what is possible with greenways in the state since it opened back in 2014. The Shoreline Greenway Trail is almost a mile in length and is one of the state’s most popular biking and walking trails, and a great place for birdwatching.

Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-481-3870

4.Chef Paul Barron

Visitors and locals alike can join one of the cooking classes offered by Chef Paul Barron in downtown Madison, Connecticut. Chef Barron offers a broad array of different cooking classes, basing his instruction on teaching technique and methods instead of only relying on teaching recipes. This allows those participating in the cooking classes to be able to transfer these skills they learn in their cooking at home. Chef Paul Barron’s cooking classes take place at 6:30pm on Tuesdays and lasts around three hours. The classes are also limited to only six people, so pre-registration is necessary.

837 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203779-5713

5.Creations

Creations is a retail space situated in the heart of Madison’s downtown shopping district. The space showcases the stunning work of over one hundred and eighty different artisans from throughout the country’s Northeast region. Creations aims to share the stories and products of these artisans to all visitors of the space. Creations seeks out the unique, strives to find the creative, and celebrates function and beauty. The retail space is owned and managed by Vista Life Innovations, which is an organization focused on supporting people with disabilities. All proceeds from the sales at Creations go towards supporting the organization’s services and programs.

6.Field House Farm

The Field House Farm in the town of Madison along the state shoreline is a family owned and operated farm. Visitors will find a farmhouse built back in the year 1720, the grounds of which have been utilized to create a sustainable farm operation. The grounds include a large garden for produce, as well as several different animals, including a donkey, a llama, pigs, Alpine goats, heritage turkeys Hampshire and Shetland sheeps, and chickens. Field House Farm practices responsible and humane animal care and farming practices. Many different programs for adults and children are offered at the farm as well.

623 Green Hill Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-779-9187

7.The Audubon Shop

The Audubon Shops in Madison is the state of Connecticut’s original birding store, founded in 1986. The shop is owned and managed by Jerry and Janet Connolly and is housed within a historic house near the Long Island Sound. Just a stone’s throw away to the east is the Hammonasset Beach State Park, which is one of the state’s best sites for birding, as well as one of the Atlantic Coast’s most significant migratory bird stopover and breeding areas. The Audubon Shop offers bird walks on a seasonal basis in addition to its selection of bird feeders and other birding supplies.

907 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-245-9056

8.The Sculpture Mile at Madison

The Sculpture Mile in the shoreline town of Madison, Connecticut was created by the Hollycroft Foundation and offers thousands of tourists and local residents alike with a one-of-a-kind museum-like exhibition that features works of art by some of the nation’s most significant sculptors. The Sculpture Mile offers those who don’t have the time or desire to visit an actual museum to experience a major exhibition that is permanent and refreshed each year where they are allowed and encouraged to touch the artwork. This makes the Sculpture Mile a great thing to do with children. Free tours are offered May to October.

13 Main St, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 860-767-2624

9.Bar Bouchee

Bar Bouchee is a popular restaurant in Madison for both the authentic, yet affordable bistro fare and the boisterous, yet intimate atmosphere. It has become a place where people gather and “neighbors act neighborly, friends encounter old friends and make new ones.” Imported from France, the zinc bar at Bar Bouchee makes a dramatic statement, but is also often packed with some of the restaurant’s regulars as they enjoy a lively conversation, great wines, and unique cocktails. Bar Bouchee is inspired by the “bouchons,” or neighborhood bistros, of the city of Lyon in France, and features authentic bistro decor.

8 Scotland Ave, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-318-8004

10.Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale

Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale had its beginnings as a simple roadside clam stand back in 1979 with only four picnic tables for customers. During that time, the owners made an important promise to every customer, a promise to serve only the freshest and finest seafood available, keep prices reasonable, provide friendly and prompt service, and offer generous portions. Lenny and Joe’s is now a full-fledged restaurant, open 11:00am until 9:00pm Sunday to Thursday and 11:00am until 10:00pm Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant still stands behind the commitment it made more than thirty-five years ago.

1301 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-245-7289

11.Cafe Allegre

The Cafe Allegre in Madison, Connecticut serves award-winning Mediterranean fare in the heart of the town’s downtown district. The family owned and operated eatery has more than forty-five year of experience providing exceptional service and food, striving to make each and every customer feel like one of the family. Lunch is served from 11:30am until 2:30pm Tuesday to Saturday, while dinner is offered 5:00pm until 9:30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and until 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The dinner menu is served all day on Sundays from 1:00pm until 9:00pm.

725 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-245-7773

12.Moxie

At the Moxie Bar, guests can experience fun and creative recreations of traditional dishes. Moxie applies the sensibilities of modern day to more classic recipes with a fusion of local grown flavors, simple preparations, and high quality ingredients. The bar and food menu at Moxie’s adapts with the seasonal harvest of New England, providing customers with a taste of the familiar along with an occasional flare of more original savory cuisine. The bar and restaurant offers an easy and inviting atmosphere in which friends and family can gather and just relax in the casual and warm setting.

52 Wall St, Madison, CT 06443, Phone: 203-421-6963