After years of talking about it, my family finally boarded the ferry from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson, NY for a day trip. The ferry ride is about an hour, and when you arrive in Port Jefferson, the ferry lets out right at the bottom of Main Street. There was plenty for us to do, all within walking distance.
Play
Playground & Parks – Rocketship Park was recently renovated and includes three play structures: a rocketship, a pirate ship, and a treehouse. After the ferry ride, my daughters needed a chance to run, climb, swing, and slide, and this park was the perfect place. Later, we also visited Harborfront Park which offered beautiful views, a misting spray feature, and a walk along the water.
Long Island Explorium – The Explorium (located at the edge of Harborfront Park) doesn’t look like much when you enter, but when we left after 90 minutes, we still hadn’t played at most of the STEAM stations. We built, created magnetic fishing poles and fish, sent messages via pulley, and the girls played in a boat filled with rice. The fee was $5 per person, and the hours are limited, so be sure to visit their website first.
Eat & Drink
Coffee & Donuts – When we first arrived, my husband headed to Toast Coffee House, while I brought our girls to the park. When he met back up with us, he surprised us with donuts from East Main and Main… yum!
Lunch – We really enjoyed C’est Cheese for lunch, or else there is no shortage of eateries in town.
Ice Cream & Candy – Before boarding the ferry home, ice cream was a must! You can’t miss Roger’s Frigate, it has a gigantic ice cream cone on the front of the building, a crowd eating outside, and inside has the widest variety of treats for all sweets lovers (including your dog).
Drinks – We didn’t visit either, but if beer and wine tasting are your thing… Port Jeff Brewing Company has a tasting room with flights starting at $6, and tours on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. Pindar Vineyards (located on the North Fork) has a wine store and tasting room on Main Street. For $12, you can try up to five wines.
Know Before You Go:
Arrive early! (We didn’t!) The Bridgeport Ferry does not have a parking lot. You can park on the street or in a lot/garage, and then either catch the shuttle to/from the ferry, or walk. Also, ferry tickets for walk-on passengers are not available to purchase online, you’ll need to buy them dockside. Round-trip tickets were $30/adult, and free for children 12 and under.
