Attractions Nearby Hartford, Day Trips and Excursions

(Hartford, Connecticut - CT, USA)

Lying close to the center of Connecticut means that Hartford is well-placed for those planning to explore the attractions of this state, with many appealing day trips being both possible and easy to execute.

There are numerous excursions to choose between, by either road or rail, and with so many sizeable cities within reach of Hartford, you will certainly need to consider your options.

For shorter day trips, Bridgeport (the state's biggest city), New Haven, Springfield and Waterbury are all safe bets, while if you are prepared to start your journey first thing in the morning and travel a little further, then some incredible cities are surprisingly reachable as a day trip. Boston, Massachusetts, is roughly two hours away and to the northeast, and the world-class attractions of New York City are a little further afield, to the southwest.

General Information

As the biggest city located alongside the Connecticut River, Springfield, Massachusetts, certainly has much to offer day trippers from Hartford and is roughly 45 minutes away by road, via Highway US-5. There really are a wealth of attractions based both in and around Springfield, with the most popular including the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, as well as the Hoop City Jazz Festival each July and the Eastern States Exposition in the latter half of September.

Lying on the southerly outskirts of Springfield, in Agawam, is the theme park giant of Six Flags New England. Families staying in Hartford regularly make the journey here to check out the superb selection of fairground-style rides and exciting rollercoasters, such as the Bizarro.

Connecticut's second-largest city of New Haven is in the region of an hour to the south of Hartford. Attractions in New Haven are certainly plentiful and are often based around the campus of its famous Yale University, such as the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery. Being located next to the Long Island Sound means that New Haven also offers a number of enticing beaches, with some of the very best seaside views being visible from the Fort Nathan Hale Park.

Other notable day trip destinations from Hartford include the towns and cities of Berkshire Hills, Middletown, Pioneer Valley, Providence and Vermont. In nearby Manchester, it is the 100-hectare / 250-acre Wickham Park that is one of the most-visited attractions, offering hiking and cycling trails, landscaped gardens, sports facilities (disc golf, softball diamonds, and volleyball and tennis courts), a nature center and a bird sanctuary.