Middletown, Connecticut

Imagine stepping back nearly four centuries! Old Wethersfield is where Connecticut's European history truly began. Back in 1634, colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony established a settlement here, initially known…

Imagine a night out in New Britain a century ago, all dressed up for the theater! This spot, where you're driving now, was once home to the New Britain Opera House, later known as the Palace Theater. Constructed in…

Right here, in 1781, George Washington and French General Rochambeau finalized the strategy that would ultimately lead to victory at Yorktown. In May of 1781, Washington arrived at the Joseph Webb House in Wethersfield.…

Ever wondered what it's like to drive right over a buried piece of history? You're about to! Up ahead, you're literally cruising above a 150-year-old railroad trestle, the remarkable Lyman Viaduct. This isn't just any…

Stop and stretch your legs at Comstock's Bridge, a charming piece of Connecticut history! This covered bridge connects East Hampton and Colchester, offering a glimpse into the past. The first bridge here was built…

Victorian opera house on the Connecticut River that launched Annie, Man of La Mancha, and Shenandoah to Broadway.

Could this be the oldest surviving building in Branford, dating all the way back to 1705? This is the Howd-Linsley House. Built around 1705, the house is a significant example of early 18th-century residential…

Feast your eyes on this beautiful Federal-style house! It's the Henry Champion House, built back in 1790. Colonel Henry Champion, a big shot in the Revolutionary War as a commissary leader, built this place for his son,…

Imagine Southington bustling with the energy of its largest employer, a factory that shaped the town's identity.The Peck, Stow & Wilcox Factory, or Pexto as it was known, started here in 1870. It grew into a sprawling…

Pull over for a minute and imagine a time when East Haddam, Connecticut, was a bustling steamboat port, not just a charming riverside town. That's when the Goodspeed Opera House was born. William Goodspeed, a local…

Samuel Colt's revolutionary armory pioneered interchangeable parts and assembly line manufacturing, crowned by its iconic blue onion dome.

Imagine a world revolutionized by mass production – that's the legacy of Coltsville. Samuel Colt, a name synonymous with firearms, established his manufacturing empire here in the mid-1800s. He wasn't just making guns;…

Feast your eyes on one of Connecticut's finest examples of Italianate villa architecture! The Day-Taylor House, built in 1857, stands as a testament to the elegance of the mid-19th century. The house was built in 1857.…

Right here, along the Connecticut River, Samuel Colt built more than just firearms; he built an industrial empire. Colt's Armory, established in 1855, became famous for its mass production of revolvers. Colt used…

Site of the legendary white oak tree where Connecticut's colonial charter was hidden from the English governor in 1687.

Ever wonder how grief can inspire incredible beauty? This church is proof. After Samuel Colt, the famous firearms inventor, died in 1862, his widow, Elizabeth Jarvis Colt, commissioned this stunning Episcopal church.…

You're looking at what was once the heart of the horseshoe nail industry! This complex was built by the Capewell Horse Nail Company after a fire destroyed their previous factory. In 1881, George Capewell invented a…

Ever wonder where the American dictionary got its start? It was right here, near the boyhood home of Noah Webster. Noah Webster, born in 1758, spent his formative years on this very land. He went on to become a lawyer,…

Pull over for a sec, because this is one of the oldest brick houses in Connecticut, built way back in 1756 for a really wealthy farmer. This is the John Barker House. John was doing pretty well for himself to afford a…

Oldest public art museum in the United States, founded in 1842 by Daniel Wadsworth in Hartford.

Hartford, Connecticut, sits relatively flat at 59 feet above sea level, a determined place born of both promise and conflict. Its location on the Connecticut River made it a natural trading post, a hub for commerce that…

Imagine being surrounded by Monet, Degas, and Manet masterpieces in a stunning Colonial Revival mansion. That's Hill-Stead Museum. Built in 1901, this wasn't just another grand estate. It was a collaboration between…

Step back in time at the Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford's oldest cemetery, where the stories of the city's founders lie etched in stone. This hallowed ground was formally established in 1640, serving as Hartford's…

Hartford has long called itself the 'Insurance Capital of the World,' and the skyline of brand-name insurers along the Connecticut River backs up the boast. But the city's most beloved address belongs to a writer. From…

Imagine the weight of early American democracy right here! This is the Old State House in Hartford, designed by Charles Bulfinch, and one of the oldest state houses in the U.S. Completed in 1796, this building served as…

Step back in time as you enter Bushnell Park, a green oasis born from a pressing need. In the mid-1850s, Reverend Horace Bushnell envisioned a public space for Hartford's growing population. He recognized the importance…

Ever wondered where Connecticut's military history truly comes alive? You're looking right at it! This impressive building, the State Arsenal and Armory, has been the heart of our state's military for over a century.…

Think of the Bulkeley Bridge as Hartford's steadfast handshake across the Connecticut River, a connection that's lasted for over a century. Back in 1908, when cars were still a novelty, this bridge was built to carry…

Samuel Clemens lived in this elaborate Victorian Gothic home from 1874 to 1891, writing his greatest works here.

Home of the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the novel that Abraham Lincoln reportedly said started the Civil War.

You are passing the Mark Twain House at three hundred fifty-one Farmington Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut. Samuel Clemens lived here with his wife Olivia and their daughters from eighteen seventy-four to eighteen…

Pull over here for a moment. This is where Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of *Uncle Tom's Cabin*, lived for the last 23 years of her life. Stowe moved into this cottage-style house in Hartford after already achieving…

Think of all the stories this place could tell. Hartford Union Station, built in 1889, has been a crossroads for travelers for over a century. It's still an active station today, serving Amtrak and CT Rail. Designed by…

Right here, you're near the former headquarters of a guard that once protected Connecticut's governor! In 1771, the First Company Governor's Footguard was established. Their main job was to safeguard the governor and…

Imagine a world where the speed of light wasn't a constant. That's what Edward Morley helped disprove right here in West Hartford! From 1906 until his death in 1923, Morley lived in this house on Westland Avenue. He was…

William Gillette was the most famous Sherlock Holmes of his era. He played the detective on stage over 1,300 times starting in 1899, and he invented many of the Holmes trademarks people still associate with the…

Welcome to the Old Center Burying Yard, West Hartford's oldest cemetery, a silent witness to the town's earliest days. Established in 1719, this was the only burying ground for the town's first seventy years. Many of…

A medieval-style castle built by the actor who originated Sherlock Holmes. Secret rooms and trick locks.

Get ready to step into a real-life Sherlock Holmes mystery! This isn't Baker Street, but it's the eccentric castle dreamed up by William Gillette, the actor who famously portrayed the detective on stage. Gillette, born…

Get ready to step back in time and take a spin on one of the oldest carousels in the country! This isn't just any ride; it's a beautifully preserved piece of amusement park history designed by the legendary Charles I.…

Step back in time as you pass the Old North Cemetery, a silent city holding Hartford's past. Established in 1807, it became the final resting place for many of Hartford's prominent citizens. For decades, this was the…

Right here, on Mahl Avenue, stands a house that was once home to a remarkable woman who made a real difference in Hartford. Marietta Canty was a talented singer and a passionate advocate for the African American…

Imagine a love story so powerful, it turned a private estate into one of America's most beloved rose gardens. This is Elizabeth Park. Banker Charles M. Pond owned this land in the late 1800s. When his wife, Elizabeth,…

Prepare to be transported to the Italian countryside, right here in Connecticut! Villa Bella Vista, built in 1908, is no ordinary house. Commissioned by Eila Pierre, the villa was crafted by Italian masons who…

Imagine a town built entirely by silk! That's essentially what you're driving through near the Cheney Brothers Historic District. In the mid-1800s, the Cheney Brothers, a family of industrialists, established their silk…

Look out your window – you're about to meet a sleeping giant! Native Americans called this rugged mountain 'Hobbomock,' believing it was a powerful, slumbering figure. Legend says Hobbomock was a mischievous giant who…

Imagine the clatter of machinery and the scent of ivory – this spot was once the heart of piano key production! Pratt, Read and Company, established here in 1863, grew into a major manufacturer, processing ivory into…

Stop and imagine: this peaceful riverbank was once a bustling industrial site, the Hammonasset Paper Mill. In 1865, entrepreneurs harnessed the Hammonasset River's power to grind wood pulp and transform it into paper.…

Ever wondered about Connecticut's secret islands? You're approaching one right now, a wild, boat-access-only escape on the Connecticut River. This isn't just any island; it's a piece of pristine nature preserved for…

Pull over here – you're near the Ivoryton Playhouse, a place that’s been putting on shows for generations! Built in 1911, it was originally Comstock-Cheney Hall, a community gathering place. Milton Stiefel bought the…

Imagine the footsteps of Rochambeau's infantry as they marched toward the decisive battle of Yorktown. This unassuming spot in Bolton, Connecticut, known as the Fifth Camp, was a vital pause on their grueling journey.…

Ever wonder where French soldiers marched to help win the American Revolution? You're driving right by it! This stretch of Bailey Road is one of the best-preserved sections of Rochambeau's historic march. Imagine…

Pull over, because you're driving on a piece of living history right now! This very stretch of Hutchinson Road was a vital artery for Rochambeau's army during the American Revolution. It’s part of a network that led to…

This unassuming house has a powerful story to tell: it offered refuge to those fleeing unimaginable hardship. In the mid-1750s, Acadians – French colonists from Nova Scotia – were forcibly deported by the British. Some…

Founded in 1840, this is the oldest Jewish congregation in New England, a testament to the enduring spirit of faith and community. In the 1840s, a group of German-Jewish immigrants in New Haven came together to form a…

Nathan Hale grew up in this house in Coventry, one of twelve children in a devout Puritan family. He graduated from Yale at 18, became a schoolteacher, and by all accounts was a well-liked, athletic young man. When the…

Dating back to 1690, this house offers a rare glimpse into the lives of early settlers in Connecticut. It's the Jonathan Murray House, and it's one of the oldest surviving homes in the state.Built around 1690, the house…

You’re approaching one of the best-preserved town centers in New England, a place where time seems to slow down. This town green was originally laid out in 1639. Imagine the early settlers carefully planning their…

Pull over for a sec, because you're about to see a piece of living history! This is the area of the Loomis Homestead, one of the oldest timber-frame houses *still* standing in America. It all started when Joseph Loomis,…

Imagine hosting lavish parties with breathtaking views from your own private tower. That was the life of Gilbert Heublein, a Hartford spirits magnate, who built this iconic tower. Construction began in 1914, replacing a…

Imagine building a house and your family living in it for THREE CENTURIES! That's exactly what happened here. Deacon John Grave, a prominent figure in early Madison, built this saltbox-style home in 1681. He and his…

The Valley Railroad first ran along the Connecticut River in 1871, connecting Hartford to the shoreline town of Old Saybrook. For decades it hauled passengers and freight through one of the most scenic stretches of New…

Dating back to 1664, this is one of the oldest houses in Connecticut. That's when Deacon John Moore built the original portion of the house you see at 37 Elm Street in Windsor. He was a prominent figure in the early…