There are lots of top-rated tourist attractions & things to do in Hartford. Also, people who love to read books have plenty of things to do in the Hartford area. The famous well-known book writers Mark Twain and the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe lived in this place and people who are interested in them can tour their homes.
There are lots of cultural items in this city that many visitors love to see. Wadsworth Atheneum is one of those places which offers its visitors American arts and several other museums offer the same things to the visitors by increasing the cultural value in this city. Also, the children love the carousel in Bushnell Park and the Connecticut science centre. If you plan a trip or a vacation to this place, your whole family will enjoy this.
These are the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford, CT
1. The Mark Twain House & Museum
Olivia Livy Clemens and Mark Twain commissioned their home in 1873 and moved in the following year. That house had the latest facilities at that time and the things that remain to this date can see while you are touring the place. Also Louis C. Tiffany. Is one of the interior designers of this house at that time and some of the exotic influences at that time can be seen in the house.
Also during the tour, you will understand the things related to Samuel’s and Livy’s personalities and some things related to the eccentric habits of their family. The reason they left this place was their daughter’s death. It was difficult for them to stay here because this place had too many memories of their daughter. Because of that in 1903, they left this place never to return.
But Twain’s happiest and most productive days had been spent during their stay at the Hartford house according to the recall of Clemens. Among the other books, one of the best books he ever wrote is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Also, the Victorian Gothic Mansion can be considered a National Historic Landmark that you will very much enjoy while you visit.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: http://www.marktwainhouse.org/
2. Wadsworth Atheneum
This place holds the finest collection of American art, especially the artworks done by the Hudson School. This impressive gothic-style building of Wadsworth Atheneum holds nearly 50000 pieces of art and it is the oldest free public museum in the United States.
In this art collection, there are lots of highlights, such as European Highlights of Baroque paintings with artworks by Caravaggio and Surrealist artists, displayed in this place with artwork done by René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró. Works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet represent the Impressionists, and by adding contemporary artworks regularly to the collection the museum supports living artists as a mission.
In this museum, decorative artworks have major attention. There are more than 7000 pieces of European decorative art in this collection and they consist of ancient bronze and glass and ceramic, especially of Sevres ware, Vincennes and Meissen.
In this museum, the most engaging place is the Cabinet of Art and Curiosity. This is a room inspired by Victorian art collectors who donated their rooms for collections of natural curiosities, technologies and art. As a wealthy collector displayed it in his own house, more than 200 European decorative art pieces have been displayed in these cabins. All of these art pieces displayed in this place don’t have any detail attached to them. In case you need any further detail about a particular artwork you can look for it on digital screens or a touch screen.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 600 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: https://thewadsworth.org/
3. Connecticut Science Center
There are 168 exhibits in this place for your and your child’s understanding. In this science centre, each section explains the world around us and with DIY activities for the kid’s pleasure. In this place, there are educational things for your understanding especially related to building flying objects and robots.
Also other than those with interactive exhibits of planet earth you and your children can feel the hurricane winds and make your weather forecasts. Other things in this place include exploring space, sight and sound, energy city and to explore the Connecticut river there is a marine touch tank.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 250 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: https://ctsciencecenter.org
4. State Capitol
State Capital also known as the High Victorian Gothic State Capital built in 1879 on Capital Hill. This place contains the offices of the Secretary of the State, the Governor, and the Lieutenant Governor, the Hall of the State House of Representatives and the State Senate Chamber. This building is a National Historic Landmark with many features like Italian marble floors, inlaid white and red and stained glass windows.
There are guided and self-guided tours including the place built to recognize the outstanding achievements of Connecticut residents, the Connecticut Hall of Fame, and the Hall of flags and if the general assembly is in session you can watch it from the galleries.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: http://www.cga.ct.gov/capitoltours/
5. Elizabeth Park Rose Garden
In 1903 this park was built to memorize Elizabeth Pond. The 102 acres of land for this park were donated to the city by the husband of Elizabeth Pond, Charles H Pond. This is America’s first municipal rose garden and at the present, it is the 3rd largest in the states. At present, it has more than 15000 plants and 800 varieties of roses.
Items in this garden include climbers, hybrid perpetual, hybrid tea, pillar roses and floribunda. Most of the plants in this place bloom all summer time but the best time to visit this place is from late June to early July. Other than these things in the winter time the park can be used for ice skating.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. Prospect Avenue and Asylum Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: http://elizabethparkct.org/rose-garden.html
6. Bushnell Park & Carousel
Bushnell Park & Carousel park is America’s first public park with a 37-acre area near the Capital grounds. This park contains the pump house gallery, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Civil War Memorial and the Israel Putnam statue.
This place has one of the 3 remaining 1914 Stein and Goldstein carousels which includes two chariots circling a Wurlitzer band organ, and 48 wooden horses with it. This place is one of the most famous places in the city among visitors who travel with their families.
Tours of the park are offered second Saturday of every month starting from May to October and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch tours will available on Thursdays from May to October.
The official website of this place is: www.bushnellpark.org/
7. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The Bushnell Center has several performance spaces with a magnificent 2800-seated Mortensen Hall to 900-seat Belding Theater. This place is the most popular in Connecticut for music and performances.
The schedule of this Bushnell Center covers all the areas of taste the audience demand. As an example, the recent season of the Bushnell centre includes Connecticut Lyric Opera’s Die Fledermaus, the Russian Ballet performing Swan Lake, screenings from the Banff Film Festival, a forum on the history of the fight for racial justice, tributes to the Beatles and Aretha, The Blue Man Group, Broadway shows Hamilton and My Fair Lady and jazz singer Diana Krall. In addition to that, every season of this Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts has more than 350 events major Broadway tours included.
Hartford Symphony Orchestra performs here more often with a variety of music from Shankar’s Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. A 187 by 40-foot hand-painted ceiling mural which is one of the largest of its kind is used to crown the 1930 Art Deco interior of Mortensen Hall.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: https://bushnell.org
8. Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
author Harriet Beecher Stowe lived in this restored house from 1873-1896 which is located in Hartford’s Nook Farm neighbourhood near the house of Mark Twain who is a fellow writer at this time. She did a major contribution to the Abolitionist movement with her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin by stating about slavery which led to being credited to Abraham Lincoln for starting the Civil War.
Based on the book The American Women’s Home, the kitchen design of the Gothic Revival cottage has been completed. The house is undergoing a long-term restoration process and it has bas windows, a steep hip roof and two side porches. Even though there is an ongoing restoration process tours are offered to the visitors by including the details of the restoration process of the historic site.
Other than that, the Katharine Seymour Day House, the author’s grandniece is located near this site. This place is used as Stove Center’s administrative offices, and research library and used to hold programs and exhibits sponsored by the centre.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 77 Forest Street, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/
9. Connecticut Historical Society Museum
The collections of the Connecticut Historical Society are stationed in a Colonial Revival mansion. This mansion has originally owned by an inventor named Curtis Veeder. In this collection, there are more than 200,000 items including publications manuscripts dating back to the 1600s, images and some interesting exhibitions and displays more than 500 items from this collection has displayed.
This is the largest and most interesting collection in the state and it includes women’s suffrage, WWII propaganda posters, traditional folk artists, Victorian fashion, costumes from Hartford’s West Indian Community, other themes in New England history and culture and Inn & Tavern Signs of Connecticut.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: https://chs.org
10. Old State House
This Old State House is situated near the first Amistad Trial and Hartford Convention. In this place, the decision was made by the Supreme Court due to several trials held to free the slaves from the Spanish slave traders mentioning that they are no longer their property.
This State House was built in 1796 and it is one of the oldest state houses and National Historic Landmarks in the country. This place has several interesting exhibits for you including paintings and other historical collections. Some people are claiming that the building is haunted but there are tours guided or unguided for visitors.
This is one of the top-rated attractions & things to do in Hartford. 800 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut is the address of this place in case you need to visit this place.
The official website of this place is: http://ctoldstatehouse.org/
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hartford expensive?
Normally the cost of living in Hartford is 10% lower than compared to the other states but it is 10% higher when compared with the national average. House rentals are also 5% higher than the national average and utilities are also 25% pricier than the national average.
How safe is living in Hartford city?
According to the FBI data becoming a victim of a violent or property-related crime is 1 in 38 in Hartford. So according to that data, it shows that this place is not the safest place to visit in America. When compared to the other cities and territories the Hartford area has an 89% more crime rate than others. So it is better to know about the place you visit, by asking the hotel staff.
Why is Connecticut so popular?
This place is famous for its delicious food and beautiful autumn colours and scenery. Also from wonderful beaches to mountains available in this place make this place one of the most beautiful places in America.
Is Hartford Rural or Urban?
Hartford is the capital city of Connecticut and it was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded it in 1960. It has a higher population density compared to the other towns in the country.
