Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the
United States, and famously boasts the largest collection of
paintings of the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American
landscape art movement influenced by Romanticism. These fine
paintings, originally obtained by Daniel Wadsworth, are now
considered American masterpieces. The Wadsworth Atheneum now houses
over 50,000 works of art ranging from the ancient to the
contemporary, and the building itself is fascinating. The museum
also hosts excellent temporary exhibitions and special events like
lectures and seminars.
Address:
600 Main Street
Wadsworth Atheneum
Zeete
Old State House
The Old State House was built in 1796. It is one of the oldest
state houses in the country and has been named a National Historic
Landmark. Visitors can tour the magnificently restored rooms,
listen to the audio tour and visit the education centre and museum
shop. Celebrated as the site where Connecticut's democracy was
born, the Old State House is an interesting monument to the state's
proud history and contains some quirky and fun artefacts as well as
more sombre, historic ones. The museum hosts frequent events and
exhibitions and is open to the public year-round. A visit should
entertain and educate the whole family.
Address:
206 Washington Street
Old State House
Charles Bulfinch
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport, just under an hour's drive from Hartford and a
popular excursion from the city, allows visitors to experience a
classic New England seafaring community. Its four sections include
a restored 19th-century village, comprising more than 30 shops and
businesses; the waterfront, featuring tall ships and other historic
vessels that visitors can climb aboard and explore; the
preservation shipyard, where antique vessels are restored using
traditional methods and tools; and a collection of galleries and
exhibits. Mystic Seaport, which describes itself as 'The Museum of
America and the Sea', is the perfect family destination, with
several restaurants, boating activities and programmes for
children.
Address:
75 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic Seaport
Ken Mist
Mark Twain House and Museum
Mark Twain, one of America's most celebrated writers, lived in a
stately house on Farmington Avenue between 1874 and 1891. This
elegant, 19-room mansion, built in a Victorian Gothic style, was
where Twain wrote many of his most famous and successful works
(including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), and has since been
declared a National Historic Landmark. Visitors to the Mark Twain
Museum Centre can anticipate a fascinating Ken Burns documentary
detailing Twain's life and work, and state-of-the-art exhibition
facilities. William Faulkner once called Mark Twain 'the father of
American literature', and anyone with even a passing interest in
American culture, would be ill-advised to pass up a visit to this
significant, and memorable museum.
Address:
351 Farmington Ave
Mark Twain House and Museum
Pablo Sanchez
Hartford has a humid continental climate, with four distinct
seasons. Spring in New England tends to be fleeting, arriving in
early May and soon giving way to summer, which is hot and humid.
Autumn is chilly, but the landscape is at its most colourful and
beautiful. Winters are quite cold, and snow is common. Rainfall is
fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Temperatures in
summer average between 61°F (16°C) and 90°F (32°C), while winter
temperatures average between 0°F (-18°C) and 39°F (4°C), making the
temperature range in Hartford quite extreme. While summer is a
lovely time to visit, the autumn foliage of the nearby countryside
also draws many visitors in September and October.
Bradley International Airport
Location: The airport is located 15 miles (24km) north of
Hartford.
Time: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from mid-March to the first Sunday
in November).
Getting to the city:
The Bradley Flyer offers an hourly bus service to downtown
Hartford, seven days a week. Rental cars and taxis are available.
App-based taxi services, like Uber, are also available.
Car Rental:
Car hire services at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget,
Hertz, Enterprise, Dollar, Thrifty and National.
Airport Taxis:
Taxis are available at the airport and the average taxi fare for
the journey into Hartford is about $45.
Facilities:
Facilities at Bradley International Airport include restaurants,
bars, shops, free wifi, ATMs, baby-care facilities, business
lounges, and a shoe-shine service. An information booth is also
located in the terminal.
Parking
There is short-term parking within easy walking distance of the
terminal. Fees are $3.25 for half an hour, $5.50 for an hour, and
$7.25 for up to 90 minutes. The long-term Economy Lot 4 is the
cheapest option for a long stay, and is connected to the terminal
by a free shuttle bus, with a daily maximum of $6 and a weekly
maximum of $36.
Walking around the downtown area is possible and pleasant in
Hartford, although visitors also have the option of taking the Dash
Shuttle, a free shuttle service that loops the central business
district, making stops near hotels and major attractions. It
operates Monday through Friday, 7am to 7pm. CTfastrak is Hartford's
newest transportation option, and the buses have free wifi. CT
Transit bus services also operate regularly. Many visitors choose
to hire cars, especially if they plan to travel outside of the
city. A number of car hire options are available and driving is
relatively stress-free in Hartford and the surrounding region.
App-based taxi services, like Uber, are available.
Known as an enjoyable city to live, work, and play,
Hartford offers the vibrancy of a big-city arts and entertainment
scene paired with easy access to New England's colonial history,
charm, and natural beauty.
Hartford provides business travellers many lively
options for relaxing after their meetings and it serves as the
perfect gateway for holidaymakers wishing to explore New England's
charms without giving up the excitement of the city.
The Mark Twain House and Museum is a worthy
pilgrimage site for book lovers, as is the Harriet Beecher Stowe
Center; the Old State House provides a taste of the city's proud
democratic history; the Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public
museum in the country; and the Hartford Stage is a celebrated,
award-winning theatre venue.
Riverfront Recapture is a non-profit organisation
working to reconnect metropolitan Hartford with the Connecticut
River and it has established a network of several beautiful parks
and public recreational facilities along the shoreline. Here, free
events are staged year-round, and visitors can walk, run, bike,
picnic, enjoy boating and rowing activities, fish, or set sail on a
river cruise. The Mystic Seaport, only a short drive out of the
city, is also a joy for tourists as it genuinely still has a
classic old New England feel.