Northeast Casino Weekend Getaways

Casinos, once mostly part of the Nevada landscape, can now be found throughout New England and the country. As gambling has gone mainstream, casinos have evolved to become vacation destinations, and many offer family-friendly attractions right on sight. However, if you’d rather step away from the casino grounds for the day, you can find many fun attractions a short drive away.

Here we share popular attractions near southern New England casinos and in New Jersey and New York casino towns.

Need a ride? Rent a car.

New England Casino Getaways

Connecticut

Less than a dozen miles separate Connecticut’s two biggest casinos, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. Both can be found in the southeastern part of the state, less than an hour’s drive in good traffic to the picturesque seaport town of Mystic.

In Mystic, you can explore aquatic life at the expansive Mystic Aquarium and geek out on the state’s seafaring history at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Another nearby museum focuses on a different class of ship: submarines. The Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton houses the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, as well as many other submarine artifacts. For something different, try the kid-friendly entertainment at Nature’s Art Village in Oakdale. The village hosts a dinosaur sculpture trail and mini golf during the warmer months and hands-on gem mining and shopping year-round.

Massachusetts

There are enough Boston-based attractions near Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett to make the casino the day trip and Boston the main attraction. Further west, the attractions found just a few blocks away from the MGM Springfield casino should not be overlooked. Springfield is the birthplace of basketball and where you can find the Basketball Hall of Fame. Here, you can see exhibits and artifacts of basketball’s history and marvel at the stats of the hall’s inductees. Also, within city limits is Springfield Museums, which offers access to five downtown museums for the price of one admission. The biggest draw of the five may be The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, with plenty of colorful, hands-on exhibits. For roller coaster lovers, Six Flags New England is just south of Springfield. The much quieter Yankee Candle Village, in nearby Deerfield, gives you the chance to make your own scented, wicked concoction at the candlemaker’s flagship store.

Rhode Island

Because of Rhode Island’s small size, all of the Ocean State’s attractions are relatively close to Bally’s Twin River Casino in Lincoln (and the smaller Bally’s Tiverton). At Twin River, you can find R1 Indoor Karting Entertainment Center, which offers indoor go-karts, complicated escape rooms and axe throwing. Head south to Providence to explore Roger Williams Park, which hosts a zoo on 40 acres, a botanical center (open during warmer months) and a museum of natural history and planetarium. The RISD Museum showcases some 100,000 pieces of fine art and design, and you are sure to find many Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design students studying the artwork there.

Casino Weekend Getaways in New York and New Jersey

weekend getaways at new england casinos.

New Jersey

The Garden State has nine casinos, all located in Atlantic City. Many have their own entertainment options. Should you want to step away from the casino, Steel Pier offers an urban amusement park for all ages that overlooks the ocean. If the saltwater calls, hop aboard a boat with Atlantic City Cruises to view the shoreline and spy Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. There are several wineries located fewer than 30 miles from downtown, including Renault Winery & Resort. This winery, one of the oldest in America, also has a hotel, fine dining and a sculpted golf course.

New York

New York has 34 casinos spread throughout the state, according to the American Gaming Association. Here we highlight two.

Located between Syracuse and Utica is Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, which offers more than 120,000 square feet of gaming and plenty of entertainment options. To the east, history buffs might enjoy Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, located at a historically important convergence of regional waterways. To the west, you can explore the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, which has an annual induction ceremony. Turn north to explore nearby Oneida Lake and stop by the cozy Sylvan Beach Amusement Park in warm weather for some family-friendly thrills.

Downstate in the Catskills, Resorts World Catskills Casino in Monticello offers 100,000 square feet of gaming. Fewer than 2 miles away, the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark offers year-round aquatic fun at New York’s largest water park, as well as plenty of other family-friendly entertainment. About 20 miles west of the casino, you can explore two beautiful lakes at Lake Superior State Park. You can also take a walk through the history of the Woodstock music festival and the flower power generation at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts museum.

Book your next casino vacation with a AAA travel advisor.

Rediscover New England With Mystic, Connecticut, Getaways

Mystic is the perfect place for coastal Connecticut getaways that the whole family can enjoy. Here's how to make it work with whatever budget you have.