One of the best places to go in the Hartford area. It has an amazing collection of classic artwork…read moreand rotating collections of modern art. I've been many times and somehow I'm still surprised by some of the pieces on display (Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, etc.). They run various events and community days, and membership costs are very reasonable. Support the Arts!

Went back here after a decade, the employees were incredibly friendly and helpful during the…read moreticketing/admission process and were more than happy to answer questions about where certain pieces were (even if they weren't currently residing within the Wadsworth).

CT Science Center is located in Hartford and is a hands on science museum. There are many exhibits…read morein all the science fields that you can explore; it's also for all ages too. My favorite was the butterfly encounter; there is a room just for butterflies and they do land on you. There is a parking garage available. There are 4 levels open to the public. My family and I enjoyed the exhibits. There were plenty to keep us all busy. My children enjoyed the play kitchen, dinosaurs, and butterflies. Blue Chip Creamery is also located there. I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back soon.

This place is so big that definitely should have started at 10am. We went at noon and did not…read moresee/participate in all activities they had. Kid loved it. It was overwhelming in the negating, some exhibitions are geared towards older kids (older than 8yo) but every floor had something for every age.

For free, you can visit this one-room museum and historical society and learn a lot about…read moreGlastonbury as well as Connecticut River Valley. They have an amazing array of artifacts, including outfits, arrow heads, and old maps. They also sell some of the only Glastonbury "swag" I've seen in town at a reasonable price. The people who work here are enthusiastic and super knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit!

Kidcity Children's Museum is a children's museum that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in…read moreSeptember 1998. It was founded by Jennifer Alexander. She originally founded Kidcity as a homegrown non-profit organization in 1994 in attempt to make Middletown a more desirable place for families with young children. The circa 1835 historic Camp-Sterns House was donated by St. Sebastian's Church after the building retired from a 70-year career as their convent. The City of Middletown donated a portion of a public parking lot as a new site for the house. In March 1997, the old house moved 400 feet down Washington Street. Extensive renovations were done to the house and permanent hands-on exhibits were created by local artist Ted Esselstyn. The museum opened to the public the following year. The museum doubled in size in 2003 when a new addition was put on. My family and I have visited Kidcity a number of times since my wife and I began having children. We've been to a lot of children's museums over the years, but we think that Kidcity is easily the best one in Connecticut. Not only do our two sons have a lot of fun, but also my wife and me! Our most recent visit was this past August. There are so many different rooms and exhibits for children to engage in pretend play. Some of the rooms include The Ship, The Farm, Main Street, Video Theater, Space Age Roadtrip, and The Cornfield. There's even the Toddler Sea Caves on the basement level that our younger son enjoyed exploring. We usually end up staying for at least two hours, but I'm sure that our two boys could be engaged there for much longer. If you're looking for a fun indoor activity for families with young children, then head to Kidcity!

Best children's museum we've ever been to, hands down! They have wonderful interactive exhibits…read morethat have kept my kid engaged on each of our visits. They also go above and beyond--kiddo had an accident and I realized that we didn't have a change on hand, but there was a stash of supplies in the bathroom that included extra pants! What a lifesaver. Excellent and friendly staff as well.

We had a living history tour with George, the butler. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it…read more He made life in the house come alive. It seemed as though the family was just out for the day!

Went on the living history living tour…read more It was really cool concept, but I wish there was more unique history, I felt like it would be really good with kids and might be more geared towards that.

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.

The Marlborough Arts Center strives to offer local artists a space in which to display their work,…read moreto give residents the opportunity to take art lessons and master their crafts, and to host a range of musical performances. I think they do an admirable job of all three. The main building is still very new and has a pleasant, open feel, with bright track lighting to highlight the works displayed on the walls. Each time I've visited, the exhibits have been well worth looking at. I've seen photography, paintings, and most recently a display of Lionel model trains on loan from several owners. Although small compared to a dedicated museum, the accompanying descriptions and arrangement of the items could teach museum professionals how to do it right. As a performance space, it's very live. I've played here with my folk/acoustic duo a couple of times, and it's one if my favorites. People sing along here, and you can hear them. I'm always happy to have a plausible excuse to visit.

There's always something going on at the Marlborough Arts Center. The 4th Friday music shows are…read morealways a blast ($10, BYO wine) and the center brings in some very talented regional and national acts for a performance in a very intimate setting. There is a constantly revolving exhibition of fine arts on display. For example, this weekend there will be a Photography Exhibition featuring works from a number of amateur and professional photographers across the region. Check the website for current exhibits and arts classes.