A beautifully restored 1920s theatre in downtown New London, the Garde Arts Center is the cultural heart of the city. The interior is atmospheric in the best sense: Moorish Revival detailing, ornate plasterwork, and a ceiling designed to suggest an open-air sky give it a theatrical grandeur that most purpose-built modern venues can't match.
The programming leans toward touring Broadway productions, national acts, and local performing arts groups. Even if nothing is on during your visit, the building's State Street facade is worth pausing in front of. The theatre anchors a stretch of downtown that has been slowly reviving after decades of economic difficulty.