Hartford Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Hartford, Connecticut - CT, USA)



Tourists planning a vacation in the city of Hartford should take into account the seasonality of some of the attractions, due to the cold winter weather. However, there are plenty of sights open throughout the year and most visitors will find something to do, whether it is sunny, rainy, frosty or snowy.

A stroll along the city's portion of the Connecticut Freedom Trail comes recommended, with its plentiful historic sights and attractions. Neighboring Wethersfield serves as the most significant historical district in the whole of Connecticut. This small town / suburb of Hartford is a mere ten-minute drive from the city center, being approximately 6 miles / 10 km to the south and packed with interest for the avid sightseer.

Hartford is known for its arts and culture scene, and accompanying its rather healthy assortment of museums are countless theaters, providing tourists with the option of some after-dinner entertainment of a touring show from Broadway. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts is especially notable, with its frequent concerts, and the enormous Comcast Theater is sure to be an experience to remember, since it ranks amongst America's biggest amphitheaters. Sports fans may even be lucky enough to catch an exciting game of football at the Dillon Stadium or the Rentschler Field.


Park River

Address: Hartford, Connecticut (CT), USA
The Park River (also known as the Hog River) meanders its way through the city, although the majority of this waterway actually flows beneath the city, since it was diverted underground in 1940, to resolve persistent flooding problems. If you have a canoe or a kayak, you can actually follow the course and effectively paddle beneath the attractions of downtown Hartford. However, if you are planning this, do bear in mind that it will be very dark, meaning that a torch or appropriate lighting will be necessary. Also, it is important that you take the right-hand side entrance, since a dangerous steam vent is present within the left tunnel. After roughly 3 miles / 5 km, the river meets with the Connecticut River, next to the State Boat Launch.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Wethersfield

Address: 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut (CT), 06109, USA
Tel: +1 860 529 0612
Wethersfield is generally regarded as being the oldest town in the whole state and was settled as long ago as 1632. It is well remembered for its witch trials in the middle of the 17th century, where convicted 'witches' were executed. When it comes to tourist attractions of a historical nature, Wethersfield certainly comes up trumps, with a wealth of sightseeing opportunities, particularly along Main Street, which ultimately leads to the Wethersfield Cove and the Connecticut River.

In total, over 100 of the buildings in 'Old Wethersfield' were built before the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). Tourists will find the Buttolph Williams House, the Isaac Stevens House, the Joseph Webb House and the Silas Deane House of particular interest, with all of these properties belonging to the Webb Deane Stevens Museum and telling interesting stories from yesteryear. Also of note is the Historic Cove Warehouse at the waterfront Cove Park, where you can learn all about the past trade with the West Indies (1650 to 1830), together with shipbuilding, the importance of trading red onions and past local fisheries.
Open hours: May to October and mid-December to early January, Monday, Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 16:00; April and November, Saturday - 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 16:00; January to March - by appointment

Theaters / Entertainment Venues

Those vacationing in Hartford and looking for after-hours entertainment should be sure to check out what's on at the local theaters. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts is known for hosting classical music concerts and operas, performed by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Connecticut Opera company respectively. The amphitheater at the Comcast Theater offers an altogether different experience, with indoor and outdoor seating for up to 30,000 people. At the Hartford Stage, a Tony-winning theater, you can expect touring shows from Broadway, as well as in-house productions. Theater Works also plays host to small ex-Broadway productions, while the Webster rates itself as the premier music venue in Connecticut. Concerts, hockey matches and basketball games take place at the XL Center. If you want to watch a movie or two, choose between the multi-screen Bowtie Palace 17 on New Park Avenue and the Cinestudio at Trinity College.

Dillon Stadium

Address: Huyshope Avenue / Masseek Street / Van Dyke Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut (CT), 06106, USA
Capable of accommodating approximately 20,000 spectators, the Dillon Stadium was founded in the 1960s as a venue where local minor-league football games were to be played. Just a few years after opening, the Rolling Stones performed here and quickly cut their concert short when the crowd started rushing onto the stage, causing a mini-riot. Today, this venue primarily hosts high-school football tournaments and each Thanksgiving, it stages the Turkey Game between the Weaver Beavers and the Hartford Public Owls.
Open hours: hours and events vary
Admission: charge

Rentschler Field

Address: 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford, Connecticut (CT), 06118, USA
Tel: +1 860 610 4700
Located within East Hartford and just down the road from the Bicentennial Square Shopping Center, the Charter Oak Mall and the Silver Lane Plaza, the Rentschler Field is a huge stadium used mainly for American football matches. The stadium was built over a three-year period at the cost of more than US$90 million, opening in the summer of 2003 with an overall capacity of some 40,000 spectators. In recent years, this attraction has played host to important ice hockey games on a purpose-built ice skating rink, as well as staging concerts for names such as Bruce Springsteen, Eminem and Taylor Swift, amongst other groups and artists.
Open hours: hours and events vary
Admission: charge









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Hartford, USA - Tourist Attractions - Last updated 7/9/2019 - gprofile - Google+

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