Visitors can experience Bridgeport's colonial past on a narrated boat tour of historic Black Rock Harbor and Long Island Sound. Captain's Cove Seaport, an amusement and maritime center along the harbor, is home to the HMS Rose, a replica of a Revolutionary War era 24-gun frigate. Captain's Cove also offers shopping along a seaside boardwalk and a 350-slip marina. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, the state's only zoo, is open year-round and features to its quarter-million annual visitors more than 300 animals including some that are rare or endangered species from North and South America.
Much of Bridgeport's performing arts activity takes place at the 1,400-seat Klein Memorial Auditorium, including performances by the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, a regionally acclaimed professional orchestra, as well as performances by touring troupes and artists. Formed in 1961, the Greater Bridgeport Youth Symphony is made up of four performing ensembles, the Principal, the Symphony, the Concert, and the String Orchestra. As part of these groups, young musicians from the area, led by three conductors and six coaches, present concerts throughout the year. The Arena at Harbor Yard, constructed in 2001, provides a 10,000-seat venue for larger-scale musical concerts, children's shows, and other performances.
The Cabaret Theatre features the resident musical Downtown Cabaret Theatre group and the Cabaret Children's Company since 1983. The Playhouse on the Green (formerly Polka Dot Playhouse) is Bridgeport's oldest theatrical treasure, offering year-round professional theater in a 228-seat state-of-the-art theater located in the heart of Bridgeport's revitalized downtown.
Opened in 1893, the Barnum Museum displays artifacts relating to P.T. Barnum, "General Tom Thumb," Lavinia Warren, Jenny Lind, and a host of clowns. Displays concerning Bridgeport's industrial era, as well as a 2,500-year-old Egyptian mummy, a two-headed calf, and a hand-carved miniature circus complete with 5,000 figures are also featured. The Discovery Museum and Planetarium, an interactive and educational museum of art and physical science, features the duPont Planetarium, the Challenger Learning Center (dedicated to the astronauts who perished in the space shuttle tragedy in 1986) and interactive exhibits that teach the principles of physical science. A gallery of changing art exhibits, films, and children's programs rounds out the offerings, which are visited by 68,000 guests annually.
The Housatonic Museum of Art specializes in nineteenth-and twentieth-century European and American art, as well as contemporary and African and Asian ethnographic art.
A major regional attraction is the annual Barnum Festival and the Great Street Parade, which is held each summer. The 10-day celebration draws thousands of people for the Grucci Fireworks show "Skyblast," Champions on Parade and other events. The summer also offers water enthusiasts the St. Vincent's "Swim Across the Sound," a multi-event swimming marathon, a sailing regatta, and the WICC Bluefish Tournament, which draws fishermen from across the United States in search of the heaviest Bluefish. The University of Bridgeport's International Festival, held in April, highlights the cuisines and entertainment of more than 30 cultures. Meanwhile, Christmas time is aglow with the "Park City Lights" in Beardsley Park.
The Shoreline Star Greyhound Park Entertainment Complex features live parimutuel greyhound racing from mid-May through Mid-October, and year-round simulcast wagering on thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound tracks from around the country. The Bridgeport Bluefish Baseball club is an independent minor league team that plays at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, constructed in 1998, where the games provide area residents with affordable family entertainment. The Arena at Harbor Yard was built in 2001 and seats about 10,000 for the American Hockey League's (AHL) Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who began playing in 2001 as the top affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) New York Islanders. The arena also plays host to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Fairfield University Stags' men's basketball team.
Bridgeport, known as the "Park City" for maintaining nearly an acre of park land per 1,000 residents (more than 1,360 acres total), features the historic Seaside Park located on three miles of shoreline and offering fishing, baseball and softball, picnicking, and tennis. The city features 32 public parks, two dozen playgrounds, 40 tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course. Pleasure Beach, formerly a huge draw in the area, has remained inaccessible since a devastating fire in 1996 destroyed the connecting bridge; city planners have actively been pursuing funding to restore it. The Ocean View Skate Park offers a variety of ramps highlighted by a spectacular coastal view; the Wonderland of Ice offers public skating and hockey leagues and instruction. The Berkshire Rail Spur Trail is a 1.6 mile bicycling trail that follows a defunct rail line.
Unique items are available at Bridgeport's Barnum Museum and Discovery Museum and Planetarium. There are many large malls within 40 miles of the city including Trumbull Shopping Park, Hawley Lane Mall, and the Dock, all located in the greater Bridgeport area. Nearby Fairfield offers a classic shopping area around its green, and antiquing can be enjoyed at the nearby Stratford Antiques Center, and throughout all of picturesque Fairfield County.
The Bridgeport area offers a wide variety of dining experiences, ranging from Bridgeport's "Little Italy," to seafood restaurants both in Bridgeport and in nearby Stratford; many overlook Long Island Sound. The downtown area boasts some excellent lunch spots, and fine cuisine is available throughout the area.
Visitor Information: Coastal Fairfield County Convention & Visitor Bureau, 297 West Ave., Norwalk, CT 06850; telephone (203)853-7770; toll-free (800)866-7925; fax (203)853-7775; email info@coastalct.com. Connecticut Office of Tourism, 505 Hudson St., Hartford, CT 06106-7106; toll-free (800)CTBOUND.