Weekend Activities in Mystic, Connecticut

The Tapped Apple

Saturday Night Rehearsal Dinner

Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery

Saturday Night Welcome Drinks

Branford House - University of Connecticut

Sunday Wedding in Groton, Connecticut

Jealous Monk

Sunday Afterparty

Our Wedding

Cute Pics

Photos

Wedding Party

Group Hotel Blocks

A discounted room block has been prepared for our guests at the Mystic Marriott Hotel, located less than 15 minutes from our wedding venue. Please book your room by accessing the link provided here or calling the hotel at 1-888-236-2427 and reference the MACDOUGALD - DAVID Wedding Block to access the discounted rate. We kindly request that you book your room no later than May 9, 2025, as we cannot guarantee the discounted rate or hotel availability past this date. Transportation will be provided to and from this hotel.

Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa

A second discounted room block has been prepared for our guests at the Hilton in Mystic. Follow the booking link included below to reserve your room, or you can call the hotel at 800-HILTONS (445-8667) &amp; ask for the MacDougald/David Wedding Room Block. We ask that you book your room no later than May 8, 2025, as we cannot guarantee hotel availability or the discounted rate past this time.

Hilton Mystic

Getting to Mystic

6 miles south of Providence and a 45-minute drive from Downtown Mystic, PVD finished as a top 10 favorite in the 2023 Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards.

Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport

Halfway between Hartford (CT) and Springfield (MA), BDL is a 75-minute drive from Downtown Mystic outside of peak traffic. Like PVD, BDL also finished as a top 10 favorite in the 2023 Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards.

Bradley International Airport

Mystic Station is served by a limited number of trains on Amtraks Northeast Regional service, with 3 to 5 daily trains in each direction. Driving Time from Mystic and Branford House: -2 minutes from Downtown Mystic -19 minutes from Branford House (the venue) Train Time from Other Cities: -57 minutes from Union Station (New Haven) -1 hour 16 minutes from Back Bay Station (Boston) -1 hour 24 minutes from South Station (Boston) -1 hour 46 minutes from North Station (Boston) -2 hours 1 minute from Union Station (Hartford) -2 hours 52 minutes from Penn Station (NYC)

Mystic Amtrak

Most Amtrak Northeast Regional trains that run on the Northeast Corridor east of New Haven (about 9 trains each direction daily) stop at New London. Driving Time from Mystic and Branford House: -14 minutes from Downtown Mystic -16 minutes from Branford House (the venue) Train Time from Other Cities: -56 minutes from Union Station (New Haven via Northeast Regional, 1 hour 8 minutes via Commuter Rail) -1 hour 37 minutes from Back Bay Station (Boston) via Northeast Regional -1 hour 42 minutes from South Station (Boston) via Northeast Regional -1 hour 55 minutes from North Station (Boston) via Northeast Regional -2 hours 1 minute from Union Station (Hartford) via Northeast Regional -2 hours 38 minutes from Penn Station (NYC) via Northeast Regional

New London Union Station

Shared ride options are common in our area, so rest assured that there will be a comfortable ride available to reserve upon your arrival to town.

Uber & Lyft

Travel

Local & Nearby Attractions

This is a curated list of things you can do in and around town to make the most of your trip to Mystic. Each place is within 30 minutes of Downtown Mystic. Whether you are extending your trip or enjoying some time to yourself, consider making time for what's around. Scroll down further for bars, restaurants, and cafés!

The nation’s leading maritime museum, Mystic Seaport Museum was founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past. It features large indoor and outdoor spaces, including ships and an entire village, that you can spend hours exploring. Buy tickets for a river cruise around Mystic on the Sabino, a historic vessel built in 1908, which departs from Downtown Mystic.

Mystic Seaport Museum

One of only two U.S. facilities holding Steller sea lions and home of the only beluga whales in New England. And, you know, adorable penguins.

Mystic Aquarium

USA Today Readers' Choice #1 Casino Hotel in the U.S. for 6 years running. Situated on 185 acres of sovereign tribal land along the Thames River,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mohegansun.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohegan Sun</a>&nbsp;is home to two unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two world-class spas, a golf course, over 70 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena.

Mohegan Sun

Per Condé Nast, "an iconic, indispensable part of the Watch Hill community, and ever since the 2010 reboot, it has become a hub for locals and weekenders alike. Having a drink on the lawn is something like a rite of passage for any New England summer, so you're as likely to see a group of college graduates giggling over gin and tonics as you are a multi-generational group making memories."

Ocean House

Choose from 2 tours: Classic Lighthouse Cruise and Lights &amp; Sights Cruise. All cruises depart at 12:30pm. Reservations strongly recommended.

Cross Sound Lighthouse Cruises

A cabaret-influenced, mash-up of drama, mystery, and the seductive art of dance – one cant help but feel that they have entered a speakeasy as a private member.

Mystic Dark Room

This recreated 18th-century New England village offers a refreshing change from shopping malls as we know them. Browse or buy in the more than 60 small shops or dine in one of this charming setting's many eateries.

Olde Mistick Village

Take one or both tours in combination for a delightful sightseeing excursion through some of the most scenic areas of Connecticut: scenic train ride in restored railroad cars pulled by a coal-fired locomotive and a ride up the Connecticut River by riverboat.

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat

Local & Nearby Cuisine

The largest lobster rolls in the world? Probably. As seen on Food Network's FoodNation with Bobby Flay, their rolls come in 3 sizes:-Famous (1/4 pound of lobster)-OMG (1/2 pound of lobster)-LOL (1 pound of lobster)

Abbott's Lobster In the Rough (Noank)

As featured in The New York Times: "Set in a marina, Red 36 in Mystic juts out over the water, and with sunlight streaming through huge windows, timber rafters overhead and an outdoor dining deck, the place feels like a big boat."

Red 36

Yes, they use fresh Connecticut milk to make artisan cheeses, but they also use these skills to make fancy grilled cheese (as seen in the picture).

The Mystic Cheese Company

Yes! Actually filmed here. The 1988 movie that put Julia Roberts on the map and allowed her to land the lead role in Pretty Woman just so happens to have been named after and filmed at the real Mystic Pizza. Just don’t expect the pizza to set your world on fire. If you are eager to try New Haven-style pizza (“apizza”) and don’t have time to make the drive, you can find some nearby at Mango’s.

Mystic Pizza

Make your way over to Olde Mistick Village for some New Haven-style pizza (apizza).

Mango's Wood-Fired Pizza Co.

Sift Bake Shop Owner and Head Pastry Chef Adam Young won Food Network's Best Baker in America competition in 2018.

Sift Bake Shop Mystic

Celebrating New England’s fresh & flavorful food heritage, James Beard Award-Winning Executive Chef David Standridge introduces an inspired menu that changes daily, reflecting the unique character of coastal Connecticut. Located in The Whalers Inn.

The Shipwright's Daughter

Voted one of the 24 Best Bars in America by Esquire, The Port of Call is a nautical-themed cocktail lounge and restaurant that hearkens back to the days of maritime excursions, exploring international cocktail culture and cuisine together, port by port. Below deck from The Port of Call, you’ll find Dive, a watering hole in the belly of the beast, inspired by the bygone days of deep sea exploration. Grab a beer and try your hand at shuffleboard and their vintage arcade games.

The Port of Call

Enjoy some seafood by the water on their patio or inside with a view in this more intimate alternative to Red 36. They take reservations.

S&P Oyster Restaurant and Bar

Featured in The New York Times (Seafood in a Skipper's House), this inn was built on the Mystic River in 1754 and offers you a choice between the pub downstairs and a more formal dining area upstairs - each with the same menu.

Katie & Adam

Katie & Adam

Cute Pics