Suggest Boston, or Plymouth Massachusetts/Plymouth Plantation or Cape Cod. If you are taking the cross sound ferry on a weekend be sure to reserve early as weekend afternoon and evenings can be sold out.

Here's the website for the ferry:

https://www.longislandferry.com/Default.asp

Karen

You won't be near Boston or the Cape if you are using 90E to 395S to go from Niagara Falls to New London. The name of the ferry company is Cross Island Ferry. They seem to have ferries running every half hour from New London to Orient Point.

You could stay in the Berkshires. That would put you about 2 hours from New London. I have very little experience in the area so I defer to others who might know of something interesting for kids. I do know that in Springfield there is the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also in the area but probably only an hour from New London is Sturbridge Village. Its a living museum that depicts life in a farming community in the early 1800s. Quite popular with kids. Also interesting to kids but only a few miles from New London is Mystic Seaport - another living museum that depicts life in a whaling community.

Reply to bennie,
Do you have any more info. on this "cross island ferry", I am only aware of a cross sound ferry between Orient Point and New London?

You did not say where your starting point was but there is also a ferry from Bridgeport CT to Port Jefferson NY, it is closer to NYC and takes about 45 min. There is a place you can sit on deck and a snack bar area to have lunch if you wish. mystic Seaport is very interesting and also Newport RI. At Niagara eat at the Skylon on the Canadian side, it is 580 feet above the Falls and is a revolving restaurant, kids love it, but is pricey.