Cultural Attractions in Hartford Connecticut

 

Hartford Connecticut boasts an array of cultural attractions. Highlights include Mark Twain House and Museum, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, and more. Hartford also provides a low cost of living and access to higher education, making it an attractive place to reside. If you're searching for the ideal place to call home, Hartford should definitely be taken into account!

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Established in 1842, the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art is one of America's oldest public art museums. With nearly 50,000 works of art spanning five centuries including drawings, paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts - it truly has something for everyone. The Wadsworth Athenaeum's collection contains artworks from around the globe, such as Greek and Roman antiquities; European decorative arts; Baroque/Surrealist paintings; Hudson River School landscapes; European and American Impressionist artworks; modernist masterpieces; Ballets Russes drawings and costumes; American colonial furniture and decorative arts; Samuel Colt firearms collection, costumes, and textiles; African American artifacts; and contemporary pieces.

In 1927, Harvard graduate A. Everett "Chick" Austin was hired as director of the Wadsworth Atheneum and significantly expanded its collection, especially its European paintings. Additionally, he began purchasing works by living European and American avant-garde artists. His vision has since yielded the Wadsworth Athenaeum, now home to one of America's premier collections of European art. Notable artists include Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Balthus, Harnett Cornell, and Salvador Dali among others. Other highlights include a vast collection of Cypriot, Egyptian and Greek antiquities; an exceptional group of Hudson River School landscapes; and an exemplary collection of modernist masterpieces. Additionally, the Wadsworth Atheneum's legacy includes its early 20^th-century expansion with the establishment of Watkinson Library, Samuel Colt Memorial, and Morgan Memorial buildings.

At its inception, the Wadsworth Athenaeum's museum gallery focused on traditional genres and art forms. Thomas Cole's history paintings, portraits, and landscapes dominated its early holdings; however, as it matured it began collecting works from other artists from different periods and cultures as well. In the mid-20th century, many benefactors joined the Wadsworth family in support of its mission. Elizabeth Jarvis Colt - widow of firearms magnate Samuel Colt - and John Pierpont Morgan, a Hartford native and financier, made major donations that included Hudson River School landscapes, Colonial-era American furniture pieces, and funds for construction.

The Old State House

Connecticut's Old State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1796, was one of the oldest government buildings in America. For over 80 years it served as Connecticut's legislative hub; after 1878 it also served as Hartford's city hall. The Old State House is now owned by the State of Connecticut and managed by the Office of Legislative Management, which administers state government. Exhibits and tours focus on Connecticut's history as well as its significant role in it - all hosted at this iconic building. Connecticut's first state constitution was created at the Old State House in 1639 and later adopted by other states as part of the national charter for the United States. Today, the Old State House serves as a museum that actively encourages civil discourse. This tradition dates back to Isabella Beecher Hooker's ground breaking petition for women's property rights in Connecticut, which was later joined by suffragists from across America.

Between 1796 and 1878, the Old State House witnessed many political debates. Prudence Crandall led one such fight for her right to open an academy for black students from outside of Georgia; ultimately a higher court overturned the Black Law that forbade this, setting off a national conversation about race relations. In addition to its legislative functions, the Old State House played a prominent role in the state's anti-slavery movement. In 1815, it hosted the Hartford Convention which opposed U.S. involvement in the War of 1812. During the Amistad trial, a judge declared enslaved Africans free men, giving hope to abolitionists for further success within America. The Old State House is home to the Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities, founded by painter Joseph Steward in 1798. Highlights include a two-headed calf, a unicorn's horn, George Washington's button, and more. In 2006, they opened "History is All Around Us," an immersive multimedia experience that examines Connecticut's relationship between art and history through time.

The Mark Twain House

The Mark Twain House in Hartford is a National Historic Landmark and was the residence of American author Samuel Clemens (also known as Mark Twain) and his family from 1874 to 1891. Today it serves as a museum, paying homage to both Clemens' life and work. Visitors to Hartford must experience this iconic attraction, the Twain House. As they tour its various rooms and learn about his life story, guests will gain invaluable insights. In the library of Twain's house, you will find an impressive oak mantelpiece carved from Ayton Castle in Scotland. This focal point served as a hub for their conversations and reading material - both gifts given by Twain and family members as well as Twain's personal library.

The library at Hartford Public Library houses autographs, inscriptions, and writings by Mark Twain. These items provide insight into his works as well as insights into his family life and time spent there. There are countless examples of Louis Comfort Tiffany furniture, textiles, and artwork throughout the museum. Additionally, several artifacts from Twain's personal collection were displayed - such as Livvy's nightgown, a quilt sewn by his mother-in-law, and even his birthday present to Olivia. At Twain and his wife's Hartford home, they wrote many of their most renowned works such as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, among others. Now you can visit this iconic location to view some of these original pieces while learning more about Twain's life in Hartford through a guided tour through the house. The Mark Twain House & Museum, now open to the public, is situated off Interstate 84 in Hartford, CT and tickets can be bought on-site or online.

The Connecticut Historical Society

The Connecticut Historical Society is one of the oldest historical societies in America, located in Hartford and serving as its official statewide historical society for Connecticut. It houses collections of books, manuscripts, and other archival materials as well as artifacts from historic houses and buildings along with other materials related to Connecticut history. At its center lies the Digital Collections. These digital databases house collections from institutions across the state that have been digitized and made accessible online for online viewing. These include newspapers, ship registers, and yacht records; ephemera, images, manuscripts, digitized broadsides, photographs, tavern signs, early children's books, maps, and charts - just to name a few!

CTCo is an online public portal that makes it simple for researchers, historians, students, and history enthusiasts to explore the collections of many statewide history organizations. Its open-source cloud-based system runs on Collective Access technology which enables heritage organizations to store, manage and share all their museum and archival materials in one database. The collections of the Connecticut Historical Society focus on American history, particularly early America. These include an extensive array of tavern signs and early Connecticut inn signs, various children's books, clothing, textiles, furniture pieces, tools, old manuscripts, and diaries as well as prints and other artifacts. It also houses an important collection of statewide documents, such as those held by the Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court documents from the 18th to 21st centuries. These records are organized into series according to the time period and subject matter.

Additionally, the Digital Collections offer an expansive array of digitized materials from across America that are related to early America. These include books, manuscripts, maps and charts, images, and ephemera - all free for anyone to utilize. The Connecticut Historical Society and Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) are both members of the CTCo program, created to give history organizations in Connecticut access to cutting-edge technology for online storage, management and sharing their collection information. Through this new platform, people across Connecticut will have a better opportunity to discover more about Connecticut collections held by museums and historical organizations and gain an appreciation for their significant role in our state's past.