Movie road trip: A cinematic site per state for all 50 states

Mystic Pizza, photo from teh trailer

Connecticut: Mystic Pizza

Before Mystic Pizza, few people knew of Julia Roberts. But, this coming of age film about two sisters and their friend became a cult classic. Set in Mystic, Connecticut, the story follows the three women through romantic disasters and triumphs. The story is a testament to female friendship.

Mystic Pizza is an actual pizza restaurant in Mystic, Connecticut. While the movie wasn’t actually filmed at the restaurant, the pizzeria did renovate to make the restaurant look like the movie set. Now with two locations, the original location is part of downtown Mystic. Legend says that the owner’s “secret recipe sauce” keeps guests coming back to that “addictive” pizza.

If you’re not a pizza fan, the movie featured several other famous locations in Mystic. The city is huge tourist draw. The Mystic Seaport is a maritime museum. The area houses numerous historic ships, including a few that are named to the National Historic Register. Whalers, schooners, and fishing vessel are on display.

To learn more about sailing, the Preservation Shipyard houses historical artifacts, specifically a large array of sailing tools. In the shipyard, visitors can learn how the historic vessels are preserved. Also, this part of the museum has a replica of the slave ship, Amistad, featured in the 1997 movie of the same name.

Another popular stop in Mystic is the Mystic Seaport Lighthouse. Although not actively used for guidance, the lighthouse is lit. The lighthouse is museum. Visitors can watch educational films about lighthouses at the site.

Tickets for the Mystic Seaport vary depending on the tour type. General admission varies depending on the time of year.