Self-guided Sightseeing Tour #1 in Hartford, United States
Legend
Tour Facts
5.8 km
248 m
Experience Hartford in United States in a whole new way with our self-guided sightseeing tour. This site not only offers you practical information and insider tips, but also a rich variety of activities and sights you shouldn't miss. Whether you love art and culture, want to explore historical sites or simply want to experience the vibrant atmosphere of a lively city - you'll find everything you need for your personal adventure here.
Activities in HartfordIndividual Sights in HartfordSight 1: Elm Street Historic District
The Elm Street Historic District encompasses a collection of architecturally distinguished institutional and residential buildings near the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut. Located on Capitol Avenue and Trinity and Elm Streets, it includes the city's best concentration of early 20th-century architecture, including Bushnell Memorial Hall and several state office buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Wikipedia: Elm Street Historic District (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 2: Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts venue at 166 Capitol Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Managed by a non-profit organization, it is marketed as Connecticut's premier presenter of the performing arts.
Wikipedia: The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts (EN), Website
Sight 3: Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is a parish church in the Archdiocese of Hartford located in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. The parish was founded by Lithuanian immigrants within the 20th century. Construction of the church began in 1912.
Wikipedia: Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Website
Sight 4: Buckingham Square Historic District
The Buckingham Square District of Hartford, Connecticut encompasses a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood area just south of the city's downtown. It is centered around Buckingham Square, laid out in 1830 on the site of an early colonial-era church. The district includes a concentration of well-preserved Victorian architecture from the 1860s to 1890s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and slightly enlarged in 1982.
Wikipedia: Buckingham Square District (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 5: Stone Bridge
The Stone Bridge is a historic bridge in Hartford, Connecticut, carrying Main Street across the Whitehead Highway just south of the city's downtown. Built in 1833 across the Park River, it was the largest single-span stone bridge in the United States at its completion. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Wikipedia: Stone Bridge (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 6: Hartford City Hall
The Hartford Municipal Building, also known as Hartford City Hall, is a historic Beaux-Arts structure located at 550 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Completed in 1915, it is a prominent local example of Beaux-Arts architecture, and is the third building to serve as city hall. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Wikipedia: Municipal Building (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 7: Elks Lodge
The B.P.O. Elks Lodge is a historic fraternal lodge building at 34 Prospect Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It is a Classical Revival architecture building designed by John J. Dwyer, and built in 1903 for the local chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its architecture.
Wikipedia: B.P.O. Elks Lodge (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 8: Hartford Club
The Hartford Club is a private club at 46 Prospect Street in Hartford, Connecticut, founded in 1873.
Sight 9: Main Street Historic District No. 2
The Main Street Historic District No. 2 is a historic district in Hartford, Connecticut. It encompasses a city block in the city's downtown noted for its concentration of insurance-related highrise commercial buildings constructed in the early decades of the 20th century. It is visually dominated by the Travelers Tower, completed in 1919 and for many years Hartford's tallest building. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, at which time it included seven contributing buildings over a nine-acre area.
Wikipedia: Main Street Historic District No. 2 (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 10: Ancient Burying Ground
The First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground is a historic church and cemetery at 60 Gold Street in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. It is the oldest church congregation in Hartford, founded in 1636 by Thomas Hooker. The present building, the congregation's fourth, was built in 1807, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The adjacent cemetery, formally set apart in 1640, was the city's sole cemetery until 1803.
Wikipedia: First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 11: Lewis Street Block Historic District
The Lewis Street Block is a historic district encompassing the southern half of Lewis Street and some adjacent buildings in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. The streetscape is reminiscent of a mid-19th century city street, with architecture extending from that period into the early 20th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Sight 12: Webster Memorial Building
The Webster Memorial Building is a historic house at 36 Trumbull Street in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1870 and extensively restyled in 1924, it is a rare example of Georgian Revival architecture in the downtown area, noted for its historical association with the Family Services Society, a prominent local charity. The building, now in other commercial use, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Sight 13: Dr. Horace Wells
Dr. Horace Wells, also known as the Horace Wells Monument, is a monumental statue in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. The statue, located in the city's Bushnell Park, was designed by sculptor Truman Howe Bartlett and dedicated in 1875 in honor of Horace Wells, a dentist who was a pioneer in the use of anesthesia.
Sight 14: 55 On the Park
The Southern New England Telephone Company Building is a historic high-rise office building at 55 Trumbull Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It is a twelve-story Art Deco building built in 1931 for the Southern New England Telephone Company, which occupied it into the 1990s. Now mainly residential, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Wikipedia: Southern New England Telephone Company Building (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 15: Goodwin Hotel
The Goodwin Hotel, is a historic hotel and apartment building located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Known for its distinctive English Queen Anne terracotta facade, the building was originally developed as an apartment building by brothers James J. Goodwin and Rev. Francis Goodwin and opened in 1881. It was designed by Francis Kimball and was modeled on buildings Rev. Goodwin had seen being constructed at the time in England. Kimball, of the firm of Kimball & Wisedell, was the architect for the Day House in Hartford, which also has an English Queen Anne design. The Goodwin Building was expanded in 1891 to Ann Street and in 1900 to Pearl Street. It was a very prestigious address at the time, with even J.P. Morgan living there during his visits to the city of his birth.
Sight 16: Spectra Apartments (under construction)
The Neiditz Building is a historic commercial building at 111 Pearl Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1950, it was the first major new office building to be built following the Great Depression. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
Sight 17: 777 Main Apartments
777 Main Street is a residential skyscraper in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1967, it is a prominent local example of Mid-Century Modern architecture, designed by Welton Becket. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, and was converted to residential use. The building is LEED Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is Connecticut's first microgrid. Clean, combustion-free renewable energy to power and heat the building is created on-site from 336 Rooftop Solar panels and a 400 kilowatt fuel cell. These clean energy sources also power the 31 electric charging stations in the building's garage, helping to bolster clean commuting.
Wikipedia: 777 Main Street (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Website, Heritage Website
Sight 18: Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building
The Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building is a historic commercial building at 105-115 Asylum Street in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Built in the mid-19th century, and extensively altered in 1896, it is a good local example of a period building with a Beaux Arts cast-iron facade. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Wikipedia: Stackpole, Moore, and Tryon Building (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 19: Dillon Building
The Dillon Building is a historic commercial building located at 69–71 Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1899, it is a good local example of Beaux Arts architecture, and its construction exemplified the transition of Pratt Street from a residential to commercial area. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1982.
Sight 20: R. and F. Cheney Building
The R. and F. Cheney Building, also known as the Brown Thomson Building, is a commercial building designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located at 942 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sight 21: Old State House
The Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut is generally believed to have been designed by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch as his first public building. The State House is currently managed by the Office of Legislative Management of the Connecticut General Assembly.
Wikipedia: Old State House (Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 22: First National Bank Building
The First National Bank Building is a historic commercial building at 50-58 State House Square in the heart of downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Built in 1899, it is a fine local example of Beaux Arts architecture, and was one of the first of Hartford's commercial buildings to have a steel frame. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Wikipedia: First National Bank Building (Hartford, Connecticut) (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 23: Phoenix Life Insurance Company Building
The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Building, locally called the "Boat Building", is a notable Modernist office building located on Constitution Plaza in Hartford, Connecticut. Designed by Max Abramovitz and completed in 1963, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the world's first two-sided building.
Wikipedia: Phoenix Life Insurance Company Building (EN), Heritage Website
Sight 24: Connecticut Science Center
The Connecticut Science Center is a nine-story museum located on the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut designed by César Pelli & Associates, which opened on June 12, 2009. The building measures a total of 154,000 square feet (14,300 m2), including 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of interactive exhibits consisting of videos, audios, visuals, tactile components, programs, and live demonstrations.
Sight 25: Morgan G. Bulkeley Bridge
The Bulkeley Bridge is the oldest of three highway bridges over the Connecticut River between Hartford, Connecticut and East Hartford, Connecticut. A stone arch bridge composed of nine spans, the bridge carries Interstate 84, U.S. Route 6, and U.S. Route 44 across the river. As of 2005, the bridge carried an average daily traffic of 142,500 cars. The arches are mounted on stone piers, and vary in length from 68 feet (21 m) to 119 feet (36 m); the total length of the bridge is 1,192 feet (363 m).
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