The Peabody Museum is right there. I’d say you could drive 20 minutes on 95N, take an exit for Route 1 and find a beach, but it’s too friggin cold and windy for that today.
New Haven sucks. Take the train, it’s quite (ok, relatively) close to New York.
I have a friend who has lived there for the last 18 years…I will ask her this evening and get back to you ASAP.
Ok, I checked with her and she recommended going to the top of East Rock Park or a walking tour of Yale Knight’s of Columbus museum.