Another highlight is the Mashantucket Pequot museum, an outstanding interactive center that traces the history of the Pequots from the Ice Age to the present. What's especially inviting is that many of these activities are weatherproof, making Mystic ideal for a spring getaway. The child-friendly Mystic Hilton is a great place to set up camp. On Friday and Saturday nights, the hotel hosts children's movies, magic shows and clown acts, along with plenty of free popcorn and hot chocolate. A hotel employee dressed as a teddy bear will help tuck your kids in bed.
Children eat for free at the children's buffet when adults order dinner at the restaurant.
The hotel also has an indoor heated pool, an added bonus after a day of sightseeing. The best outdoor pools, however, complete with cascading waterfalls and underwater caves, are just a splash away at the Mystic Aquarium. There's also a pavilion where everyone can get nose to nose with 500 exotic sea creatures, from sensuous jellyfish and lucent, wispy seahorses to fierce-looking sharks. Special effects give visitors the chance to relive significant moments, like the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic. At the Pequot Museum, an intricate, life-size diorama of a caribou kill is dramatized by computerized special effects.