15 Best Things to Do in Trumbull (CT)

On the northern edge of Bridgeport, Trumbull is a well-heeled suburban town crossed by the Pequonnock River. This beautiful watercourse flows through a succession of parks in a long green corridor.

As it happens, Trumbull has more open space and recreational areas per capita than any town in the state of Connecticut.

Many of these parks are threaded by the Pequonnock River Trail, on its 16-mile route from Long Island Sound in Monroe.

For millennia up to the 17th century the area was home to the Native American Golden Hill Paugussett tribe. To this day, the tribe retains a reservation in the town.

Some of Bridgeport’s biggest attractions, like the Beardsley Zoo, are just a minute or two from the Trumbull town line. So, I’ll include some of the nearby highlights in my list.

1. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo

Bridgeport had seemed destined for a zoo since the days when P.T. Barnum was mayor in the 1870s.

He would walk his circus animals through the streets around the time that Beardsley Park was being laid out, to a design by Frederick Law Olmsted. The zoo eventually opened in 1922 and today is made up of nine main areas.

To highlight a couple, there’s the magnificent Rainforest Building. I was dazzled by this space, providing habitats for a wealth of South American Species. Among them are golden lion tamarins, Hoffman’s two-toed sloths, Brazilian agoutis, Yacare caimans and a red-tailed boa.

Along the Hoofstock Trail you’ll come across animals native to America’s Great Plains. These include bison, black-tailed prairie dogs and pronghorn deer, while a pack of Mexican wolves await at the W.O.L.F. exhibit.

If you need some extra cheer in fall, I’d aim to be here for Glow Wild. Launched in 2022, it features amazing larger-than-life lanterns inspired by the natural world.

2. The Discovery Museum and Planetarium

A destination for STEM learning programs, but also a tourist attraction in its own right, the Discovery Museum has upwards of a hundred hands-on exhibits. It’s all a perfect combo of education and learning, perfectly pitched for kids.

Space science is a recurring theme, at exhibits like the Science of Flight and Hall of Space. At the latter I was impressed by the collection of highly detailed model rockets. Meanwhile, kids can glimpse the origins of the universe while exploring the Stellar Playground.

The recently upgraded Henry B. duPont III Planetarium holds presentations for all ages every day. This uses a high-res Spitz 512 Projector on a 33-foot dome, and a state-of-the-art sound system.

3. The Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum

After a mental workout at the Discovery Museum there’s active outdoor fun in the woods around.

The Adventure Park has a range of high ropes courses to tackle, with around 200 treetop platforms. These are linked by transitions like zip-lines (38), cables and bridges of every description.

Naturally you’ll be given a full safety orientation before setting off. You’ll also be wearing a harness that will constantly be “locked on” thanks to a system of carabineers.

The trails are color-coded by difficulty and there will be an experience to suit everyone aged five and up. I’d stay up to date with some of the events happening here. A great one for families is Glow in the Park, when the course is illuminated with LEDs.

4. Pequonnock River Trail

Trumbull is on a 16-mile multi-use linear trail tracing the course of the Pequonnock River. It runs in sections from Long Island Sound at Seaside Park in Bridgeport up to Centennial Watershed Forest in Monroe.

In Trumbull alone the trail meanders through nine parks, reserves and wildlife areas. You can walk or ride the length of the town under a canopy of foliage for almost the entire way.

In the south is the Pequonnock River Valley State Park, with five miles of riverbank. You’ll find granite boulders deposited in the last Ice Age, with rapids and quiet parts that hardly seem to move at all.

At the Helen Plumb Building (Trumbull Chamber of Commerce) you can get onto a rail trail. This is on the bed of the Housatonic Railroad, and is my favorite section.

This railroad served the industry in the Pequonnock Valley from 1840 and was incorporated into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the 1890s. The last train passed through in 1935, and now the broad, flat path is a hit with families.

5. Indian Ledge Park

The most visited of all of Trumbull’s green spaces is Indian Ledge Park, which has served the town for decades.

The park has a high reputation for its BMX racing track, one of the best in the state. Elsewhere, some major acts have played the amphitheater, including Chicago, Creedence, and Hall & Oates.

The amount of facilities on hand is long, but to sum up you’ve got two multi-purpose fields, a floodlit softball field, a teen youth center, bocce courts, a sledding hill in winter and a playground with picnic area.

Like a lot of local parks, Indian Ledge Park has a parking lot only for residents. All the same, you can access the park and its stunning riverbanks via the Pequonnock River Trail.

6. Trumbull Historical Society

The old Abraham Nichols Farm at 1856 Huntingdon Turnpike houses a museum exploring Trumbull’s 300-year history.

Abraham Nichols is thought to have been the first Englishman to have settled in Trumbull, at some point around the turn of the 18th century.

The farm was in the Nichols family until Florence Woods (born Nichols), passed away in 1973. At that point the land was bequeathed to the local Methodist church, and then sold to Trumbull a year later.

The museum has patchy opening times, on the first and third Sunday of the month, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Still, I’d make the effort to come for a look around.

There’s a large collection of historical costume, original images of Trumbull, decorative arts, and fascinating details about the town’s development. I love the seasonal events too, including the holiday house tour in December.

7. Old Mine Park

For about a century after 1828 this park on the Pequonnock River was the site of a hugely productive tungsten mine.

The Hubbard Tungsten Mine at Long Hill was a source of 60 other minerals and crystals, such as tourmaline, topaz, opal and beryl. In the end a fire brought the curtain down in the 1910s.

Then in 1937 the site was landscaped and Old Mine Park is now a place for rest and recreation.

There’s a walking trail crossing the river on a cute footbridge, a picnic area, two pavilions and a multi-use field. It’s all enclosed by hushed mixed woodland, which blew me away when I strolled here in fall.

8. Trumbull Town Hall Green

One of my favorite of all of Trumbull’s public spaces is the idyllic lawn around the town hall and library. In a Colonial Revival style the town hall is actually a lot newer than it looks, and was constructed in 1957.

On a quiet summer’s day, the leafy green is a good place to idle for a moment, or take a picnic. In the warmer months there’s a series of concerts at the gazebo here on Tuesday nights.

The high point on the calendar meanwhile is the Trumbull Arts Festival in September. This event attracts dozens of talented artists and makers from across the country. As well as exhibitors, you’ve got food trucks, live entertainment, and a creative center for kids.

9. Trumbull Farmers’ Market

Trumbull has picked a suitably quaint space for its seasonal farmers’ market. This is the Richard and Mary Moore Memorial Field, wrapped in hardwood forest and old stone walls.

The market takes place on Thursday evenings, mid-May through October. I was surprised at just how big this event is, as there are at least 40 vendors most weeks.

In terms of offer, you’ll find local fruits and vegetables, seafood, dairy, grass-fed Angus beef, baked goods, flowers, honey, syrups, houseplants, and a variety of crafts.

It’s also a great place to come for dinner. There’s a minor food truck rally every week with everything from pizza to fancy burgers, and you can enjoy some live music while you dine.

10. Trumbull Mall

Sometimes you can’t beat the convenience of a mall for a shopping trip, and there’s a large one in Trumbull. This was the first enclosed shopping center in Connecticut when it was opened by the Frogue Corporation in 1964.

The anchors when I came through were Target, Macy’s, and J.C. Penney. Among the 150+ other retailers there’s something for everyone..

I’m talking, Michael Kors, Sephora, Hollister, Lush, Apple Store, H&M, Hot Topic, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, and Abercrombie & Fitch.

When it comes to food there’s a no-nonsense selection of chains like Panera Bread, Dunkin’, Popeyes, Taco Bell, and The Cheesecake Factory.

11. Twin Brooks Park

If you’re out for a peaceful autumn stroll I doubt you could do much better than this park in the heart of Trumbull. When I compiled this list, Twin Brooks Park Park had just come through a long improvement project.

The work has safeguarded the park against flooding. This space is also even more relaxing, as the walking path has been moved away from the Twin Brooks Drive roadway. So you can now wander between the park’s two parking lots without encountering traffic.

The pond here is a delight, and if you get enough snow there’s a sledding hill in winter. Perhaps most charming of all is a covered bridge, cherished by photographers.

12. Tashua Recreation Area

This community park in the north of Trumbull comes with a variety of facilities. When I wrote this article there was a public pool with a covered toddler pool. Added to those were a children’s playground, and lighted tennis and basketball courts.

Tashua Recreation Area has the added advantage of a highly-rated public golf facility. Tashua Knolls is an 18-hole par 72 championship course, while there’s also a 9-hole track here.

Both are in a typical rolling New England landscape of mature trees, old stone walls and even a 200-year-old church and cemetery. You can get in the swing of things at the driving range and excellent short game area.

13. AMC Marquis 16

For a date, family treat or night with friends, this multiplex cinema in Trumbull is the best place to watch a movie in the Bridgeport area.

A lot of that boils down to the large, plush reclining seats, installed in the late 2010s. So you’ll never have to worry about getting up as people pass by or knocking knees.

You’ll also have tray tables, as well as a little bar area so you can order something a bit stiffer to go with your popcorn. The converted BTX auditorium is the choice of movie buffs. This is equipped with a massive screen, 4K projection and a 30,000-Watt sound system.

Shortly before I visited, this location had been acquired by AMC from Bow Tie Cinemas.

14. Barnum Museum

The famed circus mogul P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) made a lasting impression on the city of Bridgeport, and became its mayor in 1875.

During his time in office he completed a host of projects, including this building itself. He also founded the city’s hospital, improved the water supply and installed gas lighting on the streets.

Barnum is remembered at this museum in a stately Eclectic building from 1893, with Romanesque and Byzantine influences.

The building was badly hit by a tornado and series of storms in the early 2010s, and was undergoing renovations when I was here last.

When it’s open you’ll learn all about Barnum’s career, Jumbo the elephant, and the stories behind a hoard of Barnum-related artifacts.

The Hugh Jackman musical about Barnum, the Greatest Showman (2017) will of course come up. Clued-up guides explain exactly what the movie got right and wrong.

15. Sky Zone Trumbull

Rockin' Jump Trampoline Park — Sky Zone Trumbull

Families with restless children should look no further than this indoor trampoline park, part of a chain with locations all over the United States.

In a safe, padded environment, Trumbull’s Sky Zone has a small world of high-energy attractions. There’s a ninja course, a foam pit, a basketball court where even kids can make dunks, a climbing wall, trapeze and the main jumping zone, the Open Jump Arena.

There are dedicated play adventures exclusively for children under the age of six (Little Leapers). Then during Glow on Fridays and Saturdays the park turns on the black-light and strobes for a jumping party for kids.

I should point out that you’ll need to purchase a pair of SkySocks on a first visit. Fortunately these are reusable.