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What’s new in New Haven, Connecticut

With the prestigious Yale University as its centerpiece and main cultural attraction, New Haven is a city rich in American history, arts and culture and good food. Here are six fun things to do and see during your next trip to this under-the-radar New England town.

Yale University

Take a guided tour of the Yale campus Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and on weekends at 1:30 p.m. Students conduct the informative tours, which depart from the Yale Visitor Center at 139 Elm Street, and give a glimpse of the 300-year-old university’s history and culture. Visitors get to see Yale’s libraries — the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, constructed with more than 100 panels of translucent marble and home to one of the world’s preeminent collections of rare materials, including the Gutenberg Bible. Self-guided tours are also an option.

Get a taste of New Haven’s foodie favorites on the three-hour Downtown New Haven Culinary Tours. This walking tour hosted by local food blogger Stephen Fries visits nine different restaurants and eateries throughout downtown New Haven and departs from the Omni New Haven at Yale on select dates from April to December. Tickets are $59 – $69 per person and must be reserved in advance.

Every August the city hosts the New Haven Jazz Festival, featuring live jazz performances by emerging talent from the area as well as nationally and internationally recognized musicians. This event is free and open to the public at the New Haven Green, one of the oldest public spaces in New England and the setting for three churches built on the east side of the Green between 1812 and 1816. The New Haven Green is also home to the Amistad Memorial in recognition of the African captives who were incarcerated from 1839 to 1840 in the New Haven Jail.

Who knew that New Haven is home to the first slice of American pizza? So take a break from counting calories and grab a slice or a whole pie at one of New Haven’s famous brick-oven pizzerias: Sally’s Apizza, Frank Pepe or Modern Apizza.

On 9 makes the Historic 9th Square of New Haven a unique destination for visitors and residents. These collaborative open-house evenings, held on first Fridays throughout the year, showcase a neighborhood known for innovative art, music and cultural experiences and are designed to give visitors a greater understanding and appreciation of culture and the development of the 9th Square.

The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop is an experimental learning workshop for students, teachers and families. For children between the ages of 5 and 12, the museum offers summer workshops, birthday parties, school programs, and weekend walk-in projects where kids can build a toy train.

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