What to See and Do
Whether your family's interests lean toward history, literature, and architecture, or riverboat rides, hikes, and amusement park thrills, you'll find attractions that will capture your imagination. There is so much to learn and do within an easy radius of Hartford.
Amusement Parks
Central Connecticut's amusement parks blend nostalgia and thrills, making them ideal destinations for families with toddlers or teens.
Lake Compounce
822 Lake Avenue, Bristol
860-583-3300
Located in the southwest corner of Hartford County, Bristol is home to the region's top family attraction, Lake Compounce. It's America's oldest continuously operating amusement park, and its combination of antique and updated rides, games, and entertainment make it a full-day outing. Lake Compounce is open daily mid June through Labor Day and operates on an abbreviated schedule in the spring and fall.
TRAVEL TIP
Each October, Lake Compounce hosts the Haunted Graveyard (
Quassy Amusement Park
2132 Middlebury Road, Middlebury
800-FOR-PARK
For affordable family fun, head for Quassy Amusement Park, located forty-five minutes west of Hartford at exit 17 off I-84. You'll find twenty acres of amusements on the shores of Lake Quassapaug including the Big Flush, a water coaster with a 400-foot vertical drop.
Boat and Train Tours
The Connecticut River is one of the country's fourteen American Heritage Rivers. Visitors to central Connecticut will find several intriguing ways to travel this historic and scenic waterway.
Bald Eagle Cruises
Steamboat Dock, Connecticut River Museum, 67 Main Street, Essex
800-996-8747
Each winter, bald eagles (and some golden eagles, too) leave their homes in Canada for the warmer waters of the lower Connecticut River. Families can view these majestic birds by booking passage aboard one of the Connecticut Audubon Society's two-hour Bald Eagle Cruises, which depart from Essex in February and March.
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat
One Railroad Avenue, Essex
800-377-3987
The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat is a great way to soak up the area's ambience in an economical time period. First, climb aboard a 1920s-era coach pulled by a steam-powered locomotive, then board a riverboat for a relaxing inland excursion.
Lady Katharine Cruises
866-86-RIVER
Whether you choose a sightseeing, dining, or live entertainment cruise, you'll have a memorable Connecticut River experience aboard the
Historic Attractions
From literary icons to eccentric actors, notable people have called central Connecticut home. Their former residences are not only architecturally significant, they provide a glimpse of life during an earlier era.
Gillette Castle
67 River Road, East Haddam
860-526-2336
In his will, eccentric Connecticut actor William Gillette, known for his stage portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, specified that he didn't want his castle home on the Connecticut River to fall to “some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded.” Luckily for the public, the incredible edifice is now a state park. Admission to the grounds is free year-round; there is a charge to tour the castle, which is open Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day.
Mark Twain House & Museum
351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford
860-247-0998
Just west of downtown Hartford, tour Mark Twain's whimsical Victorian house and sample the humor and achievements of this American literary giant. Young visitors will especially enjoy hearing stories about Twain's daughters and his cats. Museum exhibits include rare manuscripts and artifacts that provide insight into the triumphs and tragedies of Twain's life and career.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
77 Forest Street, Hartford
860-522-9258
Next door to the Mark Twain House, you'll find the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, where you can tour the Victorian brick cottage that was home to the
Museums Kids Will Love
You won't have to venture far from Hartford to find museums that are as entertaining as they are educational. Here are a few museums that will spark young imaginations.
The Children's Museum
950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford
860-231-2824
Igniting curiosity is the goal of this science and nature museum that is home not only to interactive and changing exhibits but a wildlife sanctuary and a planetarium. You'll know you've found the right place when you spy the life-size model of a sperm whale outside.
Connecticut Trolley Museum
58 North Road, East Windsor
860-627-6540
You can relive the days of trolley transportation not only by viewing historic photos and artifacts at this museum, but by climbing aboard a vintage trolley for a three-mile electric rail ride.
Imagine Nation
One Pleasant Street, Bristol
860-314-1400
Learning is a side benefit of all the creative ways to play at this museum for families. With two floors of interactive exhibits, you can easily spend a day making giant bubbles, sending secret messages through whisper dishes, and even portraying favorite sports heroes in front of the green screen at the Play Your Way area sponsored by ESPN.
New England Air Museum
Route 75, Windsor Locks
860-623-3305
The story of flight becomes larger than life at this repository of historic aircraft. Before you go, print out one of the themed scavenger hunts from the museum's Web site.
Old State House
800 Main Street, Hartford
860-522-6766
Visit the changing exhibits at one of the oldest state houses in the United States and the site of the signing of the country's first written constitution. Kids will like the second-floor Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities.
TRAVEL TIP
On weekdays year-round and also on Saturdays from April through October, take a free, one-hour tour of Hartford's gold-domed, Victorian Gothic State Capitol Building (210 Capitol Avenue, 860-240-0222,
Wadsworth Atheneum
600 Main Street, Hartford
860-278-2670
If you are traveling with older children, consider a stop at the Wadsworth Atheneum, one of the country's oldest art museums and home to more than 45,000 works of art. Check the museum's Web site to see if any family programs are being offered during your visit.
Outdoor Recreation
The Connecticut River corridor is heavily populated, but that doesn't mean you can't find places to enjoy the great outdoors. From pristine parks to public gardens, here are some of the region's best places for a breath of fresh air.
Bushnell Park
Between Elm and Jewell Streets, Hartford
860-232-6710
America's oldest public park is home to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, a Civil War memorial; a Children's Play and Learning Environment; and many public events and festivals. Don't miss the Bushnell Park Carousel, which dates to circa 1914.
Devil's Hopyard State Park
366 Hopyard Road, East Haddam
860-873-8566
Go for a short walk to Chapman Falls, one of Connecticut's most photogenic cascades, and decide whether the “potholes” at its base are the work of the devil or of stones trapped and spun by the rushing water.
Elizabeth Park
Prospect Avenue and Asylum Avenue, Hartford
860-231-9443
Breathe in the sweet scents at Elizabeth Park, America's oldest municipal rose garden, which is at its blossoming peak in June. This is one of central Connecticut's most enchanting picnic spots and a great place to enjoy a free family concert on select summer evenings.
Farmington River Tubing
Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area, Route 44, New Hartford
860-693-6465
This 2.5-mile ride offers plenty of thrills for parents and kids ten and up. Operating from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September, these tubing outings are a great way to cool off on a steamy summer day.
Ski Sundown
126 Ratlum Road, New Hartford
860-379-7669
Ski Sundown, located just west of Hartford County in the town of New Hartford, is a perfect place for children and adults to learn to ski or snowboard. With 100-percent snowmaking on fifteen trails, you're sure to find winter fun here all season long.
White Memorial Conservation Center
80 Whitehall Road, Litchfield
860-567-0857
The 4,000-acre White Memorial Conservation Center, located less than an hour's drive from Hartford, is Connecticut's largest nature center. The grounds are open free daily and boast thirty-five miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, picnicking, and boating. Two family campgrounds on the property make it affordable to turn your visit into a memorable overnight outing.
JUST FOR PARENTS
Each summer, the 152-acre Hill-Stead Museum (35 Mountain Road, Farmington, 860-677-4787,
Shopping
When the shopping bug bites, these malls, shopping districts, and gift stores offer Connecticut visitors a chance to hunt for collectibles, souvenirs, attire, and more.
Connecticut Creative: A General Store
25 Stonington Street, Hartford
860-297-0112
Souvenir seekers can't beat this shop filled with Connecticut-made goodies. Housed in the same building as the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and the Hartford Botanical Garden Project, it is open Tuesday through Saturday. Gift basket shipping is available.
Westfarms Mall
500 Westfarms Mall, Farmington
860-561-3024
Westfarms Mall on the Farmington/West Hartford town line is one of the state's most elegant shopping centers, offering more than 130 upscale stores and restaurants. Kids will especially like the Build-A-Bear Workshop and Rainforest Café.
West Hartford Center
Farmington Avenue, West Hartford
860-521-2300
This old-fashioned, walkable shopping district centered around Farmington Avenue and LaSalle Street in West Hartford is home to more than 140 unique shops and eateries. If the kids have been good, treat them to a plaything from The Toy Chest, and if Fido is tagging along, be sure to stop by Three Dog Bakery for some gourmet treats.
JUST FOR PARENTS
Antiquers would be hard-pressed to find a more ideal destination than Woodbury, located forty miles southwest of Hartford. The town is home to more than forty-five independent dealers. A directory of shops is available at
Sports
Spectator opportunities are plentiful in central Connecticut. Here's your guide to the region's home teams.
Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford Civic Center, One Civic Center Plaza, Hartford
860-548-2000
The Wolf Pack is Hartford's American Hockey League (AHL) team and a minor league affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers. Catch a home game at the Hartford Civic Center during the AHL season, which runs from October through mid-April.
RAINY DAY FUN
It's been the training home of figure skating stars like Oksana Baiul and Sasha Cohen, and your future Olympians will love taking a twirl on the ice at the International Skating Center of Connecticut (1375 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, 860-651-5400,
New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Stadium, 230 John Karbonic Way
860-224-8383
You don't have to be a big baseball fan to enjoy a day or night game at New Britain Stadium. The Rock Cats are the Eastern League Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and their home games frequently feature giveaways, entertainment, and even fireworks. After Sunday games, kids twelve and under get to run the bases.
UConn Basketball
Hartford Civic Center, One Civic Center Plaza
877-AT-UCONN
From November through early March, UConn men's and women's basketball games at the Hartford Civic Center are the hottest tickets in town. Inspire young hoopsters by taking them to a Huskies game.
UConn Football
Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford
877-AT-UCONN
Catch Big East football action at the Huskies' 40,000-seat stadium in East Hartford. Tailgating before the game is half the fun.
