The city of Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut. It is home to some unique museums, beautiful parks, historical landmarks, sumptuous restaurants, a bustling nightlife, and more. Whether you are planning a romantic getaway or family vacation, Hartford offers something for everyone. The city has so many attractions that even as a local you will have lots of stuff to do.
Fun Things to Do in Hartford, CT
There are several fun things to do in Hartford. Top of the list is a day trip to the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art. You don’t have to be an art lover or a history student to have fun at this museum. It often hosts special events such as film screenings and exhibitions for unique art pieces. As one of the oldest museums in the country, it has a large collection of paintings, landscapes, architecture, and more. Amongst other best fun things to do, you can also visit the Connecticut State Capitol, which has a lot of historical significance and hosts several artifacts from the Civil War.
Outdoor Things to Do in Hartford
You have a lot of outdoor things to do in Hartford. If you are a golf enthusiast, you can go spend some time at the Goodwin Park Golf Course, or if you like playing baseball, you can head to the Coltsville Vintage Base Ball. If you are looking for adventure, Hartford has a lot of hiking trails with stunning scenery. The weather in summer is ideal for outdoor activities, but don’t you can also enjoy winter activities in the snow. There are plenty of places to go sledding, building a snowman, or just to have a snowball fight.
Things to Do in Hartford with Kids
For kids, you have plenty of options in Hartford. You also get a lot of variety of things to do in Hartford for kids, toddlers, and teenagers. You can pick outdoor or indoor activities depending on the weather. For the outdoors, you can take the kids to Elizabeth Park. It is such a large park that has different segments, such as Rose Garden, full of 15,000 rose bushes from 800 types of roses. Your kid or teenager would enjoy the Mystic Aquarium, which has a collection of marine mammals in different settings. For the ultimate fun experience for the kids, it doesn’t get any better than Lake Compounce, which is the largest family theme and water park in the city. It has classic rides, thrilling roller coasters, and many more attractions for a fun day out for kids. For older kids and teenagers, you can take them to the local library, where can they enjoy a quiet time reading from any of the large variety of books.
Things to Do in Downtown Hartford
Downtown Hartford has plenty of things to offer and is extremely safe even during late-night hours. For things to do in Downtown Hartford, a must-experience event is the Hartford Riverfront Food Truck Festival. It has amazing food, plenty of parking, dragon boat racing, entertainment, and more. For all year round actives, you can visit the Hartford Police Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, or the Ancient Burying Ground. There is the XL Center in Downtown Hartford. It is a multi-purpose arena and has several interesting events going on throughout the year. Visiting the TheaterWorks on the popular Pearl Street in downtown Hartford is another great activity for those who enjoy musicals and plays. They have new performances for every season.
Things to Do in Hartford at Night
While visiting, parks or historical landmarks are fun for the day, for things to do in Hartford at night, at the top of the list is going to the most popular nighttime destination in the city: The Russian Lady. It has a pub on the first floor, a vodka bar and lounge on the second floor, a billiards room, and its signature attraction the cigar bar on the rooftop. You can also host private parties or get a ticket for special events. In Hartford, you are not only limited to drinking and dancing for nightlife activities. You can always go to restaurants offering some delicious choice of food. The restaurants and bars in downtown Hartford are a short distance from each other. So you can eat at one place, drink at another, and get dessert from a different place. What makes the nightlife special in Hartford are the people, who are very friendly, educated, and open-minded. For nighttime activities, you can also go to the Infinity Music Hall, which hosts live performances. Another cool idea to spend the night is going to a bowling alley in Hartford with your friends and family.
A lot of the public attractions in Hartford are free or inexpensive including some of the museums in town. For other free and cheap things to do, you can always go to the public parks, which do not require a ticket. Bushnell Park is a local favorite. It is the first public park in America and hosts several artifacts from the Spanish-American War and the Civil War. If you are planning a trip a Bushnell Park, make sure to check the events section. All of the attractions, such as science observatories, have free or discounted rates at least once every week. For wintertime, you can go ice skating at any of the ice skating rinks in and around Hartford.
Romantic Things to Do in Hartford
For the best romantic things to do for couples in Hartford, you can take your loved one to a special fine dining experience in downtown Hartford, or you can hold hands and take a relaxing stroll through several parks in the city. Downtown Hartford has several good choices for restaurants, ranging from casual to fine dining. You could do a combination of walking at Bushnell Park, and go to several restaurants within a short walking distance from the park. Another great option to stroll, bike, or picnic with your romantic partner is Elizabeth Park. The city of Connecticut also offers several wine tasting venues, which are a great place for a romantic day/night out. For eating options, you can share a dessert from several cute boutique dessert shops in downtown Hartford. If you are looking to spend some quality alone time with your loved one, you can go to Enders State Forest, It is not too far away from Hartford, and offers a relaxing atmosphere. For the more adventurous option, you can take a plunge in the several waterfalls and swimming holes in the forest. Lastly, what can be more romantic than getting married? Hartford offers some stunning venues for getting married including museums, Victorian-era mansions, exquisite hotels, or you can pick a spot in the beautiful outdoors of the city.
Unique Things to Do in Hartford
For cool things to do in Hartford, it doesn’t get any better than going to the Connecticut Science Center. This nine-story building covers an area of 154,000-square-foot facility. The Exploring Space gallery is a stunning experience for people of all ages. The science center also has a Sight and Sound experience combining science, art, and music. For more cool things in Hartford, you can go do Axe Throwing at Montana Nights, where you are throwing axes on wooden targets, or get adventurous at Mission Escape Games, where you will be locked in a unique escape room, and you have to find a way to escape through mind-bending puzzles.
Adult things to do in Hartford
Hartford has lots of things to do for adults. You can look a catching a movie in the cinema, go to late-night bars and restaurants, music fests, or enjoy a play or musical at a local theatre. These are all activities that might be tough to do with children, so they are better to do as adults. A great place to catch a show from cover bands or national touring acts is going to Infinity Hall.
Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly vacation, new things to do in your hometown or a romantic getaway, Hartford is a great destination.