Conn. (WTNH) — Warm weather means it’s time to get outside and experience Connecticut!

June 21 marks the official start of summer, and whether you’re looking to get out and adventure through the wilderness at a state park, taste-test at wineries across the state, spend a day at a zoo or amusement park, or head to a waterpark to cool-down in the heat, we’ve got you covered.

Amusement Parks

It’s peak season at amusement parks! Visit Lake Compounce in Bristol or Quassy in Middlebury for family-friendly rides, thrill-seeking rollercoasters, and a day full of splashes at the waterpark.

• Lake Compounce — Bristol
• Quassy — Middlebury

Mini Golfing

Get out and hit the (mini) golf courses across the state — perfect for a family-fun activity or a date night. Check out Southington’s new Dingers Mini Golf, the quirky Safari Golf in Berlin, or the monster-themed Cave in Bethel.

• Dingers Mini Golf — Southington
• Olde Sawmill Miniature Golf Course — Oxford
• Riverfront Miniature Golf & Ice Cream — Unionville
• Safari Golf — Berlin
• Sonny’s Place — Sommers
• The Cave — Bethel

Sight-Seeing

Connecticut is home to some amazing sites that are a must-see. Pretend you’re royalty and visit Castle Craig in Meriden or East Haddam’s Gillette Castle, watch the beautiful streams at Kent Falls and Middlefield’s Wadsworth Falls, or take a stroll throughout the Olde Mistick Village.

• Castle Craig at Hubbard Park — Meriden
• Gillette Castle — East Haddam
• Olde Mistick Village — Mystic
• Saville Dam — Barkhamsted
• Stonington Harbor Lighthouse — Stonington
• Wadsworth Falls — Middlefield
• Yale University Campus — New Haven

Summer Festivals & Fairs

The summer months are jam-packed with dozens of festivals and fairs across the state. Whether you’re looking to see some crafts, buy flowers, or chomp on some oysters, there’s a festival for you. There’s even the option to go back in time to the Middle Ages at Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire in Harwinton.

• Bridgewater Country Fair — Bridgewater
• Brooklyn Fair — Brooklyn Fair
• Milford Oyster Festival — Milford
• Mystic Outdoor Art Festival — Mystic
• North Haven Fair — North Haven
• Norwalk NICE Festival — Norwalk
• Robin Hood’s Medeival Faire — Harwinton
• Sailfest — New London
• Sunflower Festival — Woodbury
• Terryville Lions Country Fair — Terryville
• West Hartford Arts & Craft Show — West Hartford

Drive-in Movie Theaters

While drive-in theaters have dwindled across Connecticut, the tradition is still alive! Grab some friends and family, pile into a car, and watch a few movies outside under the stars. Click here to see the released movie schedules.

• Mansfield Drive-in Theatre & Marketplace — Mansfield
• The Original Southington Drive-in — Southington
• The Pleasant Valley Drive-In — Barkhamsted
• The Remarkable Theatre — Westport
• Stamford Museum & Nature Center — Stamford

Outdoor Summer Concerts

Summer means music festival season! In Connecticut, you can see Stamford’s Alive at Five series or Powder Ridge Mountain Park’s music series in Middlefield. Is chill more your style? Groove at the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz or Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Goshen. This year also marks Lake Compounce’s first summer concert series since the ’90s — featuring a new floating stage on the lake.

Kick-back and relax on a lawn chair at Hartford’s XFINITY Theatre or get up in the pit at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven while seeing your favorite artists perform this summer. See each outdoor venue’s event calendar below:

• Alive at Five — Stamford
• Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz — Hartford
• Hartford HealthCare Amphitheatre — Bridgeport
• Leavitt Pavilion — Westport
• Live at the Lake Summer Concert Series — Bristol
• Podunk Bluegrass Festival — Goshen
• Powder Ridge Music Concert Series — Middlefield
• Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center — Simsbury
• SoNo Music Fest — Norwalk
• Westville Music Bowl — New Haven
• XFINITY Theatre — Hartford

Wineries & Breweries

Explore the Connecticut Wine Trail across the state, or have a picnic at a vineyard like Gouveia in Wallingford. Looking for something a little out-of-the-box? Newsylum Brewing in Newington is on the grounds of an abandoned asylum — and has drink-names to match the spooky aesthetic.

• Connecticut Wine Trail
• Willimantic Brewing Company — Willimantic
• Gouveia Vineyards — Wallingford
• Newsylum Brewing — Newtown
• Sunset Meadow Vineyards — Goshen
• Two Roads Brewing — Stratford

Outdoor Adventures

Summer is, after all, the best time to go on adventures. You can participate in outdoor activities like the Berlin Batting Cages or zipline at Brownstone Adventure Sports Park, pick-your-own fruit at Lyman Orchards, or take a cruise to the Thimble Islands.

Go a little outside-the-box and take a goat on a full moon walk at Bradley Farm, browse books at the outdoor Book Barn, or try out your bidding at the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market.

• Berlin Batting Cages — Berlin
• Book Barn — Niantic
• Brownstone Adventure Sports Park — Portland
• Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market — New Milford
• Essex Steam Train & Riverboat — Essex
• Full Moon Goat Walk at Bradley Farm — Southington
• Pick-Your-Own at Lyman Orchards — Middlefield
• Sea Mist Thimble Island Cruise — Stony Creek
• Sunflowers at Buttonwood Farm — Griswold

Zoos & Aquariums

Now that school is out, it’s a great idea to take the kids to a zoo or aquarium in the state. Paint with a sea lion at Mystic Aquarium, see a 4D experience at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, or hang out with a sloth at Trumbull’s SeaQuest.

• Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo — Bridgeport
• Mystic Aquarium — Mystic
• The Maritime Aquarium — Norwalk
• Riverside Reptiles Education Center — Enfield
• SeaQuest Connecticut — Trumbull
• UConn Animal Barns — Storrs

Connecticut State Parks

Is relaxing on the beach or hiking more your style? Chill out on the beaches of Hammonasset State Park or Rocky Neck State Park and go kayaking at Squantz Pond in New Milford. Check out the waterfalls at Lover’s Leap in Yantic and hike to the top of Sleeping Giant State Park to see a castle!

You can even dig for gems and learn about prehistoric times at the Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill.

See the full list of Connecticut’s 142 state parks and forests here, offering something for everyone.

• Harkness State Park — Waterford
• Chatfield Hollow State Park — Killingworth
• Devil’s Hopyard State Park — East Haddam
• Dinosaur State Park — Rocky Hill
• Kent Falls State Park — Kent
• Lover’s Leap State Park — New Milford
• Hammonasset State Park — Madison
• Rocky Neck State Park — Niantic
• Sleeping Giant State Park — Hamden
• Squantz Pond State Park — New Milford