Hotels in Hartford, Connecticut

A little about Hartford...

Hartford is the capital of the State of Connecticut. It is located in Hartford County on the Connecticut River, north of the center of the state. It is the third largest city in the state, after Bridgeport and New Haven. Greater Hartford is also the largest metro area in Connecticut and 44th in the country (2004 census estimate) with a population of 1,184,241.

Points of interest:

Aetna Headquarters - The world's largest colonial revival building, the Aetna headquarters is crowned by a tall Georgian tower inspired by the Old State House downtown.

Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and Bushnell Park - Located below the State Capitol and legislative office complex, this park consists of rolling lawns, statues, fountains, a lake, and a historic carousel. It is the first park in the country purchased by a municipality for public use and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted before Central Park in New York City. The Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch is an 85 ft Civil War Memorial which frames the northern entrance to the park.

Cathedral of St. Joseph - Located just west of downtown along Farmington Avenue in the Asylum Hill neighborhood this Roman Catholic cathedral has large Parisian stained glass windows and the largest ceramic tile mural of Christ in Glory in the world.

Colt Arms Factory and Park - Topped with a blue and gold dome, the complex is currently being redeveloped and renovated. It will feature office space, apartments, and retail space.
Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration - The 150,000 square foot (14,000 m²) facility will be built along the Connecticut River on Columbus Boulevard next to the convention center (opening in 2007+).

Wadsworth AtheneumConnecticut Convention Center - The 540,000 square foot (42,000 m²) convention center is now open, and overlooks the Connecticut River and the central business district. Attached to the center is a new 409 room 22 story Marriott Hotel (opened in late August 2005).

Connecticut State Capitol - Located at Bushnell Park, this large Gothic-inspired building features many statues on its exterior. It is topped with a gold leafed dome.

Elizabeth Park & Rose Garden - Located on the Hartford/West Hartford border.

Hartford Symphony Orchestra - Connecticut's premier musical organization widely recognized as one of America's leading regional orchestras

Old State House - The Old State House (1796) was the first in the U.S., designed by Charles Bulfinch, and recently restored with a gold-leafed dome rising from its top. The Old State House sits facing the Connecticut River in Downtown.

Riverfront Recapture and Park - This park connects the downtown with the Connecticut River. It contains bike and walking trails, playing fields, and a white triangle-shaped dome covers one of the performing stages. The boat launch for a Connecticut River tour is also located here. A walkway spanning the Connecticut River leads to East Hartford.

Saint Thomas Seminary - Located on 80 acres (324,000 m²) in Bloomfield. The seminary is three miles north of Hartford near the University of Hartford. The seminary opened in 1930 and its campus consists of rolling greens and Gothic-inspired buildings.

Trinity College - The liberal arts college, founded in 1823, has more than 2,100 students. The college is consistently ranked as one of the top 30 liberal arts colleges in America.

University of Connecticut School of Business - In an effort to be more accessible to part time business students, a branch of the University of Connecticut Business school opened in downtown Hartford.
The building is located on Market Street just north of Constitution Plaza.

University of Connecticut School of Law - located just off Farmington Avenue, the campus includes an extensive, large Gothic-inspired library.

University of Hartford - The University, which was founded in 1877, sits on 340 acres (1.4 km²) with a 13 acre (53,000 m²) campus on Bloomfield Avenue situated on land divided between Hartford and West Hartford minutes from downtown. There are more than 7,200 students and 86 undergraduate majors.

Wadsworth Atheneum of Art - The oldest art museum in the U.S. is located on Main Street in downtown Hartford right next to the Travelers Tower.