Hartford: STEM Experiences, Art and Parks

There are several different interests to choose from when planning a trip to Hartford: interactive STEM experiences, art, park visits and a historic landmark. The Connecticut Science Center and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art appeal to different kinds of visitors; the parks offer their own features and an annual event. If you want to plan your trip around a particular focus, you can first decide whether hands-on activities, an art collection, a park visit or the historical context of the State Capitol interests you most.

Hands-on STEM

The Connecticut Science Center is located in the heart of Hartford and offers engaging, hands-on STEM experiences. It features more than 165 interactive exhibits, state-of-the-art laboratories and a 3D theater. The exhibits invite visitors to touch, experiment, build and explore. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics; if these subjects interest you, the Center offers a clear focus. Its interactive approach sets this visit apart from an art visit: here, it is not just about looking, but also about experimenting and building for yourself. The exhibits, laboratories and 3D theater offer different formats within this STEM focus.

Art spanning a long period

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art offers a different focus. Its collection includes nearly 50,000 works of art and spans 5,000 years. The size and time span provide two different points of reference: the number describes the collection’s size, while the years indicate its extensive historical scope. If you are choosing between an active STEM experience and art, you can distinguish between these focuses by the kind of interest they serve: at the Science Center, exhibits invite you to experiment, while the art collection is the main attraction at the Wadsworth.

A carousel and jazz at Bushnell Park

Bushnell Park has a historic carousel. The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz is also held there every year. These features offer different reasons to visit: the carousel is a feature of the park, while the festival adds an annual event to the calendar. If you would like to include the jazz festival in your trip plans, check the event dates for your travel period. This lets you plan your park visit around a specific feature or the festival.

Riverside Park and Riverfront Rowing

Riverside Park is open from sunrise to sunset; check these opening hours before your visit. Riverfront Rowing is also located in the park. This gives you a different focus when planning a park visit than at Bushnell Park: at Riverside Park, the opening hours are a practical point of reference, while Bushnell Park offers its own reasons to visit with its historic carousel and annual jazz festival.

The Connecticut State Capitol

The Connecticut State Capitol was recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior in 1972. It overlooks the 41-acre Bushnell Memorial Park in Hartford. The historic designation applies to the Capitol; the 41-acre measurement refers to the park it overlooks. This makes the Capitol notable for its historic status and specific location. If you would like to explore Hartford through a landmark with historical significance, this focus adds a different perspective to the interactive STEM experiences and art collection.

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