Whether you’re a business traveler attending a meeting or conference in the city, a vacationer seeking a different locale, or a lifelong resident of Ct who would like to learn more about local attractions, there are many reasons to visit downtown Hartford, Ct. Since the 18th century, Hartford, Ct has been home to many insurance companies, hence its nickname of ‘The Insurance Capital of the world’. While many business travelers regularly visit Hartford, Ct, particularly the downtown area, where most of the large hotels are located, there are a host of other cultural, recreational and educational attractions that provide lots of reasons to visit downtown Hartford, Ct.
For history buffs, the Old State House, at 800 Main St, presents a glimpse into the past, while offering an immersive new education center, a museum store and a new audio tour of the facility. This 1796 National Historic Landmark is one of the nation’s oldest state houses and is just one of the great reasons to visit downtown Hartford, Ct. For information, please call (860)522-6766, or visit www.ctosh.org. Located just one block from the historic Old State House, at 600 Main St, is the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. This world- famous attraction is the oldest public art museum in America, founded in 1842. Especially known for its Hudson River School of landscape paintings, the Wadsworth Atheneum also houses original works by Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, Matisse, Hopper and Warhol. A museum shop, art library and an outstanding museum cafe are some of the features that draw people to visit the Wadsworth Atheneum in downtown Hartford, Ct. For information, please call (860)278-2670, or visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org .
Several stately and historical churches are situated in downtown Hartford, Ct. Among them are Center Church( First Church Of Christ), at 60 Gold St, Christ Church Cathedral at 45 Church St and Central Baptist Church at 457 Main St. Across the street from Center Church, which has an ancient burying grounds on- site, is the corporate headquarters of Travelers Insurance Company. The Travelers Tower, at 34 stories in height, stretches 527 feet above the ground. At one time, it was the tallest structure in New England. An observation deck, offering panoramic views of the Hartford, Ct area, is open to the public, free of charge, from May through October. The Travelers tower is also a nesting site for Peregrine Falcons. Webcams have been installed on the tower, for scientific observation of the birds, allowing users of the internet to view the falcons, close-up. For information, please call (860)277-4208 or (860)277-0111 .
The Hartford Public Library and City Hall are located one block south of the Travelers tower and the State Capital building is 1/4 mile away from city hall. The castle- like State Capital building overlooks the green expanse of Bushnell Park. One of the oldest public parks in America, Bushnell Park is divided into two sections, with a small road bisecting the two areas. Located on the East side of the park, is a working carousel, or merry- go- round. Many people come from near and far to take a ride on the beautifully- restored carousel.
While the downtown area of Hartford, Ct has many historical sites of interest, there are many other attractions available, when you visit downtown Hartford, Ct. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Stage Company and Theaterworks are all venues for live musical and theatrical productions. During the warm- weather months, many outdoor musical events are held in downtown Hartford, Ct. The newly- created Riverfront Plaza, on the far- Eastern edge of downtown Hartford hosts many outdoor events. Located close to Riverfront Plaza is the brand- new in 2005 Connecticut Convention Center. Next door to the Convention center is the likewise new Marriott Hartford Downtown Hotel. For art lovers, there are art galleries open to the public on Pearl St, Pratt St and Church Street. On the education front, UCONN School of Business, Capital Community College and Rensselaer at Hartford are all located in downtown Hartford, Ct. Heading West from Main St, for several blocks, is the ‘entertainment district’ of downtown Hartford, Ct.
Many people who visit the downtown area particularly enjoy the wide variety of restaurants in the area. American, Asian, BBQ, Continental, French, Irish, Italian and Fusion cuisines are all represented. At State House Square, there is a Morton’s Steakhouse and the newly- renovated in 2005 Hilton Hartford Hotel features a combination Chinese restaurant/ New York deli named “Morty and Mings”. Often, people who visit downtown Hartford, Ct like to partake of the local nightlife. To that end, there are many bars located in the downtown area. From old- fashioned watering holes to multi- level dance clubs, hip- hop clubs and live blues music clubs, there is no shortage of bars in the downtown area. Several major hotels are located in the downtown Hartford, Ct area, including the Hilton Hartford, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Residence Inn and the Marriott Hartford Downtown. While downtown Hartford, Ct may not have dazzling attractions like some other cities, it is a very worthwhile place to visit at any time. For food lovers, a great ‘getaway’ idea would be to rent a room at one of Hartford’s excellent hotels and spend a couple of days taking a walking tour of all the wonderful restaurants located downtown.
Whatever the reason, downtown Hartford, Ct is an interesting place to see and visit. Hopefully, this guide will provide you with some ideas why you should visit downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
