Named after the fraternal brotherhood, the Knights of Columbus museum is one of the finest religiously themed museums in America. Situated beside the Supreme Council office, the museum strives to put the various activities of the Knights of Columbus fraternity into the forefront of the world. The numerous material sources and artifacts pertaining to the fraternity are on show in this Columbus Plaza museum.
Housed within a beautiful Colonial Revival-style building, the New Haven Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich past of the region. Visitors at the museum will be able to trace the region's origins as a sleepy seafaring village and its subsequent transformation into a thriving industrial and residential community through a diverse range of artifacts and exhibits. From local art, photographs and other extensive collections sourced from historic families and ancient New Haven homes, to vintage furniture and 18th and 19th-century artworks, the museum presents a comprehensive catalog of the city's heritage. The New Haven Museum is also home to the Whitney Research Library, which comprises of priceless manuscripts, rare books and other archival collections from the city's early settlement era.
Football fans everywhere are indebted to Yale coach Walter Camp for his 1879 codifying of American football as we know and love it today. Yale's Bulldogs play against other Ivy League teams from September through November, and, in alternate years, the renowned Harvard-Yale game attracts audiences and fans from afar. This is a big sporting event in New Haven and if you have the chance to catch a game, it is well worth it. Tailgate parties start the festivities prior to the match, so grab a picnic lunch and party in the parking lot before the big event. Games are played at Yale Bowl.
One of the best museums in the entire country, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art houses some of the finest collections of European art. The museum walls are lined with Renaissance and Modern art, including work by Caravaggio, Lorrain, Picasso, Degas, Cézanne, van Dyck, Monet, Van Gogh, and more. One of the most outstanding collections at the museum is that of the Hudson River School and late 19th Century oil and watercolors from local artists. Open since 1842, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is the oldest public art museum in the United States.
This home on Farmington Avenue is where Mark Twain lived from 1874 until he moved to Europe (due to bankruptcy) in 1891. It is also the place where Twain wrote some of his most famous works, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The estate is in constant renovation and the curating team is always looking to restore it as it was when Twain lived here. Nonetheless, the adjacent Museum offers an exclusive documentary about the writer by director Ken Burns and the home was one of the first 100 architectural sites to be registered as a National Historic Landmark in the United States.
This theater was built in 1930 in homage to local theologian Horace Bushnell and today it still remains as one of the Connecticut's best event venues. A must-visit for all culture lovers, the Bushnell has inspired audiences with its fantastic shows and plays a leading role in the Hartford's cultural vibrancy. It is a non-profit organization renowned for community programs and a leading educator and advocate of the arts. From Broadway shows to comedians, it's a great place to spend an evening.
Located to the east of Wethersfield, the Buttolph-Williams House is one of the oldest structures in the city. Established in 1711, this house was constructed in the Puritan style. Its facade features wooden clapboards and casement windows with diamond-shaped panes. The house was renovated in the 1940s by Frederick C. Palmer, who restored it to its former glory. Managed by the Connecticut Landmarks, Buttolph-Williams House opened as a museum in 1951. Elizabeth George Speare's historical fiction, "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," was set around this house, making it a popular visitation spot amongst fans of this novel.
In 2009, the Playhouse Theatre Group decided to open the doors and present some of the best classic plays and other performance pieces on stage. From comedy and children's shows to Othello and modern, interpretive dance, there is something for all tastes. Tickets are relatively inexpensive and the organization constantly provides outreach programs to foment a love for the arts in the greater Hartford region.
Set on Main Street, No Boundaries Youth Theater is a well-known community theater in the neighborhood of New Britain. Established in the year 2010, this facility offers drama workshops and after-school activities. They even host plays and musicals that are put together by the children in the area. This venue is also perfect for celebrating birthdays and other such special events.
Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium are located on the Farnam Garden, in the campus of Yale University. The facility is dedicated to education, research and public outreach. The Observatory and Planetarium are open to the public once a week, on Tuesday nights for two Planetarium shows that are held at 07:00 and 08:00 p.m. (April through October) and 06:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (November through March). Later, if the weather permits, the telescopes at the observatory will be set up for public viewing of the sky. Visitors can enjoy viewing planets, nebula and star clusters whatever interesting appears in the sky. The astronomy center has two telescopes, and a universe- simulation theater for visitors to enjoy and experience the outer space.