A city that is rich in history, Hartford Connecticut is home to the oldest continuously published newspaper, The Hartford Courant. While in Hartford, you may visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center to see the writing table from Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Or visit Noah Webster’s house and discover that he was an early abolitionist. You may also visit the New England home of Mark Twain to see where he wrote many of his famous works. In addition, you may want to take in the Old State House, where the first written constitution of Connecticut was signed.
Other Hartford attractions include The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the oldest public art museum in the country, featuring paintings by Caravaggio, Frederic Church, and Joseph Cornell. Families can also take in a science museum or an interactive exhibit at the Connecticut Science Center. The Museum of Connecticut History features interactive exhibits and scavenger hunts. The Waterman Research Center can help you learn genealogy. You can also enjoy the city’s great beaches and shopping opportunities.
Climate In Hartford, temperatures are pleasant almost all year round. While temperatures rarely dip below freezing, Hartford can experience heavy snow in the winter months. On average, Connecticut receives 44 inches of snow in winter. This is 40% more than other coastal cities in Connecticut. In addition, Hartford is subject to tropical storms and hurricanes but they usually remain as remnants. In 1938, a New England hurricane caused extensive damage to the city. In 2011, Hurricane Irene impacted the city.
A visit to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford may be on your bucket list. The 1844 museum features works of art from nearly every period of history, covering five thousand years of civilization. This historic landmark is located at 600 Main Street in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It has seven5,000 square feet of exhibition space and is the state’s largest art museum. The museum is also home to the historic Wadsworth Atheneum.
The town’s name, Hartford, comes from a mix of Indian and European heritage. Native Americans in the region referred to the area as ‘Suckiaug’, which means black fertile river-enhanced soil. It was inhabited by many tribes, including the Podunks, Poquonocks, and Massacoes. The English settlers were known as Puritans, who came to Connecticut to fight for religious freedom. The town also boasts the Charter Oak Avenue monument, which marks the site where Captain Joseph Wadsworth secretly hid the colony’s royal charter during an attempt by the Governor Sir Edmund Andros.
Another notable landmark in the city is the Sage Allen Building, which was once a department store. It has since been renovated and opened to the public as 44-bedroom townhouses. The project also includes the re-opening of Temple Street, which connects the two major streets, Market and Main. In addition to arts and crafts events, Hartford also has an active theater scene. The Bushnell Theater is an excellent venue for major Broadway productions and the Hartford Stage hosts the Hartford Theaterworks company.