The tour definitely offers energy and participation from the tourists in every room. Step into the…read moreshoes of men like Josiah Henson and Harriet's father and all that shaped Harriet's world as the tag team guides bring it all into focus.

Stowe Center's website is very cluttered and confusing. It does not make it clear you HAVE to book…read morea tour and find available times before they will even allow you to watch an introductory movie in the visitor center. Open hours were not necessarily correct on trip advisor site. I had to correct myself for day of visit.

Booked the Living History Tour which lasted ~70 minutes and was led by a costumed actor. Even…read morethough it was raining, we enjoyed this experience. Our actor/tour guide portrayed Katie, one of the servants in the house. She told interesting stories and facts about Mark Twain, his family and the house. Pictures were not allowed during the tour except at the last part/basement and outside the house. Parking was not a problem as there was a lot before entering the museum which can lead to Mark Twain's house. There's a 20+ minute introductory video (separate from the tour) that you can see in the museum. The gift shop has magnets, t-shirts, other clothes, books, toys, pins, snacks, etc. There's also a cafe in the museum. This house/museum is about 20 minutes away from Bradley International (Hartford) airport. Would recommend this tour!

Visited the adult home of this famous child of the Mississippi River, during the final days of our…read moretrip to Connecticut. It was a very enjoyable experience. My wife and I were flying out of the Hartford airport (Bradley International) to go back home, so decided to spend the day before in the area. A popular tourist attraction is the Mark Twain (two fathoms or 12 feet deep) House & Museum, so decided to center our day around that. Maps will take you right to it, passing by large and beautiful homes from the turn of the (19th) century. The end destination was a large parking with plenty of spaces on a Friday afternoon. Daily hours are 9:30 - 5:30, with seeing the house only available through guided tours, so it was recommended to pre-reserve slots online. There are two versions of the tour, both guided but with the less frequent Living History Tour being led by a cosplay actor. We arrived at 11:20 and was able to get tickets for the 11:30 normal tour (on this day, the normal tour had hours at 9:45, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, and 4:15). Because the tour lasts about an hour, there were multiple groups in the house at the same time, but it is big enough to absorb the three concurrent groups, all seeing different parts of the home. The entire home is maintained only by ticket admission ($28 adult, $26 senior, $15 children). This was the home where he spent the most productive 17 years of his life, raising his three daughters with his wife, and writing his classics, including Huckleberry Finn. The house tour included all four stories of his home, with complete restoration being just completed in 2016. Rules: no photos or videos inside the house; don't touch anything, stay in same room as guide at all times, and no food/drink. The house was built with forced air vents, and the AC was working well within the house this day. Upstairs on the second floor was the living area, and the 3rd story attic was where Twain had his offices. The basement were the servant quarters. The entire house was fully furnished with either originals or faithful reproductions. We later learned that much of it had been given away initially, but the restoration brought much of it back. There are no elevators in the Twain home. In the visitor center, anybody could enjoy a 20 minute version of Mark Twain documentary by Ken Burns. The most celebrated Mark Twain actor was Hal Holbrook (he played a mean Lincoln too), and his very familiar voice could be heard quite a bit throughout. The souvenir shop in the visitor center had a variety of things related to his life, but to the hobby of reading for pleasure in general. There were distinctive wallpaper patterns inside the house (our favorite was that of a honeybee colony), and the same patterns could be purchased as paper in the gift shop. Because the main house is on elevated ground, one story above the visitor center, there are two parking areas. The main one near the visitor center is what Maps will guide you to, whereas the much smaller one south of the house at the same elevation is meant for handicapped spots and being much smaller, will fill up. We did see if we could walk from this parking area via local roads, but found it was much easier to just go back from where we came. We spent about 2 hours here, and saw what we wanted to see. We both felt it's well worth visiting.

My husband and I had planned a two hour cruise in Mystic on the Argia on the day we were…read morecelebrating with our family visiting from California. We were looking for an activity that would be fun for a multigenerational group of 23 people with toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between. We had been in communication with Oliver for months in advance. About two weeks before the big day, we saw that the forecast called for showers throughout Memorial Day weekend, particularly the Sunday of our planned cruise. We monitored the weather and decided to make a decision closer to the day. Throughout the entire process of planning, Oliver was responsive, reliable, accommodating, and kind. On the morning of the trip, Oliver gave us multiple options and worked with us to make sure that we could cancel and get a full refund due to the inclement weather. He provided us with agency up to the last hour of decision making. On a day that could have been really stressful, Oliver alleviated some of that stress. That is exceptional customer service, and that is the reason we will be coming back to the Argia for another special occasion. Highly recommend working with Oliver and his team if you get the chance!

We took a sunset cruise on the Argia, which is the last commercial sailing ship left in Mystic,…read morewhen we were visiting Mystic with a couple of friends on the Fourth of July. The boat has different seating options - wooden benches and cushion seats without backrests. We reserved two of the cushioned areas and showed up ready to check in on time (they ask you to show up about 30 minutes before boarding to check in). You board at the dock just next to the bridge in Mystic, so it couldn't be more convenient if you're exploring Mystic for a day or a weekend. The Argia allows you to bring alcohol (wine and beer) on board (although they ask that you not bring large coolers - there's no room for them), so we brought a couple of bottles of wine bought from the great wine shop down the street. The sail is partly narrated. Our sail was two hours long, and the staff narrated for some of the sailing time - pointing out historic and interesting sites along the sail (islands with an interesting history, homes with interesting architecture, etc.). Between the gorgeous scenery, some narration of fun and interesting facts about Mystic and its harbor, the great wine we'd brought aboard, and great company - it was the perfect way to spend a couple of hours in Mystic. What a beautiful way to enjoy Mystic and its harbor!

We hosted a party here on Oct 13, 2019. We booked our engagement party on short notice (about 5…read moreweeks before) and Kaitlyn was so easy to work with from the start. We fell in love with her, the house, everything including the murder-by-mail story behind the house from the 1800s. About 2 weeks before the party we called Kaitlyn and told her it was going to turn into our surprise wedding! She continued to be so helpful and excited, giving recommendations for all kinds of vendors we'd need. The day of the party she was professional and hands-on, making sure everything got done on a quick timeline. She calmed nerves and had great suggestions on where things should go to make sure everything flowed just right. Our rental price included some tables and linens she had available, and some glassware too. It was so perfect from the start and we couldn't be happier!!

Came for an Open Doors RI tour. Online tickets were sold out but they were able to accommodate a…read morebunch of us at the door. Beautiful historic building who's tour guides added in a true life murder mystery of the lady of the houses death. This really added to the event as it was so my scene and absolutely fun. They also had a whiskey tasting since she was poisoned with whiskey which is ironically amazing. I would def host an event here because unlike the Newport mansions I could touch things and see things in the midst of being historically preserved since they're still restoring the house. Open Doors RI has found a new regular customer :)

I never realized how beautiful the CT River is until I went on a tour with my company group on his…read moreboat. We saw a bald eagle catch a fish! I'd highly recommend to EVERYONE who loves nature or just wants a unique experience. Learned a lot I never knew about the CT river and the history from Bill.

Morgan, Merry and Bill the Captain were are super friendly. Morgan was personable and gave us…read moreinteresting facts about the Connecticut river. We were able to see a Bald Eagle's nest, as well as a male and female bald eagle. There were blue herons as well. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. I would definitely recommend giving them a try.

9/23/26 Visit: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum for my 700th Review! A Must See Museum!…read more The outside of the museum looks like an old castle. We arrived at 12 PM for the 1230 *Museum highlights tour. Unfortunately, we were told that the tour was canceled. A Jewish Artists tour was scheduled for 2 PM. So we had time for lunch. We asked the staff where was the best place for Pizza. They recommended, "The Brownstone". It was about a 10 minute walk. The pizza was delicious! Back to the Museum! Susan was our wonderful docent for the Jewish Artists tour. She encouraged a lot of group participation. On the Jewish Artists tour, some of the more well known artists were Marc Chagall and Camille Pisarro. In addition, Susan pointed out other highlights in the museum. Many thanks to Susan!! The rest of the museum staff were wonderful too! After the tour, we wandered around the museum. The museum has a wide variety of old and modern paintings and sculptures. The Wadsworth has a wonderful gift shop upon entry. The museum does have a small café with indoor and outdoor dining. Street and mostly garage parking is within walking distance of the museum. Thanks for the read and viewing my photos.

This museum is stunning and a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. The collection is beautifully…read morecurated and there's something for every type of art lover. The pieces are also rotated so everytime I visit I feel like I'm seeing something new! Right now, there's a gallery of local artists show casing some wonderful talent. Plus, the museum is free to Hartford residents and UConn Students. Staff is friendly and passionate. Visit if you haven't!

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is located in Bushnell Park in Hartford, CT. From May to…read moreOctober, Thursdays from 12-1:30, they offer free tours, weather permitting. This beautiful Gothic style brownstone arch was designed by a Hartford architect named George Keller; his ashes and his wife's ashes were buried in the East tower. In 1886, the monument was dedicated to the 4000 citizens from Hartford who served in the Civil War; of those 4000, 400 died. There are scenes on the sculpture from the Civil War, terra cotta angels, and 8 foot statues; these 8 foot statues depict the type of people who served in the war; from farmers, students, freed slaves, etc. There's a bronze plaque honoring the 128 African Americans from Hartford who fought in the war. I saw this arch from afar and up close. It is a magnificent work of art. It's grand and a great symbol to honor the people who fought in the war. It's a historic landmark and I really appreciate the intricate work and history behind it. I highly recommend a visit and can't wait to visit it and go on a tour next time.

Must visit spot in Hartford, Connecticut. What an amazing monument. If you are around the area, if…read morethere is one spot you should visit, it is this arch. Very much enjoyed it. I am glad a monument such as this exists in Hartford, CT.

Connecticut's Old State House is a historic government building and museum that was built in…read moreHartford, Connecticut in 1796. It was designed by New England architect Charles Bullfinch. Housing all three branches of the Connecticut state government, the Old State House was built to replace an earlier State House that had been built at the same site in 1720 and was damaged in a fire. Some of Connecticut's most important stories of freedom, democracy, and civic action, from the Amistad and Prudence Crandall trials, to the landmark Constitutional Convention of 1814, took place here. Since 1701, Hartford had served as co-capital of the state along with the southern Connecticut city of New Haven (which had its own State House). Following a vote in 1875, Hartford was declared the sole capital of Connecticut. A new Connecticut State Capitol building was completed in 1878, and the Old State Houses in Hartford and New Haven were closed. The New Haven building was eventually demolished, but Hartford's building was repurposed as the Hartford City Hall until 1915. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and reopened as a museum in 1996 following a major restoration. Over the years, the building has developed a haunted reputation and was even featured on an episode of the Sci Fi Channel TV series "Ghost Hunters". I have visited the Old State House a number of times since it first reopened as a museum in 1996. My most recent visit was this past summer when I took my older son with me. We started on the basement level of the building. There's an exhibit dedicated to the history of Connecticut, however most of the artifacts are specifically connected to Hartford. Highlights for us included an old-fashioned Hartford fire engine and some penny-farthings (old-fashioned bicycles). We then moved up to the upper floors which are dedicated to the history of Connecticut's government. Both the Senate and City Council chambers have been beautifully restored. My son really enjoyed learning about voting with some help from an old-fashioned voting machine; anyone my age will remember these. Our favorite room was on the third floor: the Joseph Steward Museum of Curiosities. Originally opened in 1797 by local painter Joseph Steward, this small attic museum is full of all sorts of "natural and artificial curiosities", including a two-headed calf, a two-headed piglet, and an 8 1/2-foot alligator. If you're interested in the history of Connecticut, government, or strange and unusual things, then head to Connecticut's Old State House.

This historic structure was built in 1796 and located in Hartford, CT. It was the meeting place of…read moreall three branches of the state government from 1796 to 1878. Now, it is managed by the Office of Legislative Management of the Connecticut General Assembly. A new Capitol building was built near Bushnell Park because of the open space; this is why it is deemed the Old State House. Currently, it is a history museum. There is another museum on the third floor called the Museum of Natural and Other Curiousities. There are historic rooms and exhibits within the building. Tours can be purchased, check the website for details. I look forward to going back for a tour. They also have a number of events. There was a holiday shopping event on the Saturday (12/7/24) we went. The building is small compared to other states capitols I've seen, but it was magnificent nonetheless. There is a large lawn in front. There were some plaques in front of the building with some historic information. If you like history, I recommend a visit either by walking around the property or doing the paid tour.

Amazing staff, good food, great location and atmosphere. Love their mission to help the homeless…read morecommunity too. Wonderful place to go if you need help or services in Hartford. They will take care of you and help you in any way they can!

Today's lunch at Gather 55, the latest Hands on Hartford food experience, offered up a truly…read morewonderful meal. The place was packed but the front of the house rep found us a perfect table against the rear wall with a view of the dining room. The gentleman who fixed/adjusted our table did a super job; hate those wobbly tables I always manage to find. The menus were clear and the ordering was super easy. The end product went way above our expectations. My dining partner ordered the Chicken Salad plate with a pasta side included. The chicken was fresh, tender and delicious [I stole a piece] and the penne pasta was just right while the celery and walnuts added crunch. I had the Salmon Wrap with spinach, avocado and ginger vinaigrette. The wrap was huge and the salmon perfectly cooked while the added ingredients made the dish even better. The crowd was lively and the atmosphere was full of love. We will return! Want to try the breakfast.