The Sanctum is a pinball arcade, club and cooperative that opened in Meriden, Connecticut in 2014…read more It was founded by friends Jim Swain Jr. and Matt Boschert. The two decided to open their own pinball arcade when they realized that there was barely anywhere to play pinball in Connecticut. Swain and Boschert's goal wasn't just to open a place for recreational pinball gameplay, but also competitive pinball gameplay. Located on the second floor of an old factory building, The Sanctum is run in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. The name of the arcade is a reference to "entering the Sanctum", a feature on "The Shadow": a pinball machine adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name. The Sanctum is open every Monday night from 7PM to Midnight. It frequently hosts local leagues like the Connecticut, Rhode Island Pinball League (or "CRAP") who train to compete in regional and divisional pinball tournaments. However, customers don't need to be competitive players to gain entry. The Sanctum is open to all players (whether competitive or recreational) regardless of their age or gender. A $20 donation grants guests unlimited freeplay for the entire evening. Although food and beverages aren't served, guests may bring their own. I recently visited The Sanctum during one of their Monday night open houses. From the exterior of the old factory building, it's not obvious at all that there's a pinball arcade inside. After walking up the stairwell, and down a long winding hallway, I finally made my way to the entrance. I arrived shortly after they opened for the evening, and I felt like I was entering some sort of secret pinball speakeasy. I paid the $20 donation fee and began to explore The Sanctum's 50 machines. I was told that the machines get rotated out regularly. There was a good balance of new machines as well as classic ones. A lot of people were there to train for tournaments, but I was only interested in some old fashioned pinball fun. I had a blast! I ended up staying for almost the entire night and I probably tried just about every machine there. Some of my favorites included "Rush", "Alien", "Pulp Fiction", "The Shadow", "King Kong: Myth of Terror Island", "Godzilla" and "Evil Dead". This place is a pinball paradise and I can't wait to return! If you're a serious fan of pinball, then you need to go to the Sanctum! The Sanctum is a pinball arcade, club and cooperative that opened in Meriden, Connecticut in 2014. It was founded by friends Jim Swain Jr. and Matt Boschert. The two decided to open their own pinball arcade when they realized that there was barely anywhere to play pinball in Connecticut. Swain and Boschert's goal wasn't just to open a place for recreational pinball gameplay, but also competitive pinball gameplay. Located on the second floor of an old factory building, The Sanctum is run in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. The name of the arcade is a reference to "entering the Sanctum", a feature on "The Shadow": a pinball machine adaptation of the 1994 film of the same name. The Sanctum is open every Monday night from 7PM to Midnight. It frequently hosts local leagues like the Connecticut, Rhode Island Pinball League (or "CRAP") who train to compete in regional and divisional pinball tournaments. However, customers don't need to be competitive players to gain entry. The Sanctum is open to all players (whether competitive or recreational) regardless of their age or gender. A $20 donation grants guests unlimited freeplay for the entire evening. Although food and beverages aren't served, guests may bring their own. I recently visited The Sanctum during one of their Monday night open houses. From the exterior of the old factory building, it's not obvious at all that there's a pinball arcade inside. After walking up the stairwell, and down a long winding hallway, I finally made my way to the entrance. I arrived shortly after they opened for the evening, and I felt like I was entering some sort of secret pinball speakeasy. I paid the $20 donation fee and began to explore The Sanctum's 50 machines. I was told that the machines get rotated out regularly. There was a good balance of new machines as well as classic ones. A lot of people were there to train for tournaments, but I was only interested in some old fashioned pinball fun. I had a blast! I ended up staying for almost the entire night and I probably tried just about every machine there. Some of my favorites included "Rush", "Alien", "Pulp Fiction", "The Shadow", "King Kong: Myth of Terror Island", "Godzilla" and "Evil Dead". This place is a pinball paradise and I can't wait to return! If you're a serious fan of pinball, then you need to go to the Sanctum!

CT's pinball mecca. Monday night play is a great time - $10 gets you free play from 6:30 to…read moremidnight and they've got an impressive lineup of 40+ games. They've also got pinball leagues which are.... needless today, out of my league. "Hidden gem" is a completely overused term but so appropriate for a wonderful spot like this.

Landmark Theater only gets better, in our opinion. The theater in the historic Opera House in the…read moremiddle of Thomaston has been getting a face-lift, and a lovely one. The ceiling has been restored to its earlier appearance, which is stunning. The stage access and seating area are improved, and added to all of the good things going with it -- things like excellent management, fun productions and serious community involvement -- Landmark is truly a landmark in this area. We're delighted to have an association with it -- we've appeared in a few productions -- so maybe we are a tad prejudiced, but we firmly believe this is a really strong operation that does Thomaston and surrounding communities proud. And it just looks better and better!

I have been playing pickup soccer here for years ! Great family Owned facility and the best deal in…read morethe state for pickup soccer at $10 per player. Fields are decent little slick but with a good shoe you should be fine.

Pretty nice fields. Snack bar isn't actually that bad surprisingly as to say it's not really what…read morethey do. Full size goals so I also like that. All around good place.

This was such a fun night! It's so cool being in a space where everyone's just vibing. I'm pretty…read morecompetitive so we played a lot of multiplayer games and of course I came in first for our Mario Kart race. There are more games downstairs but skee-ball and a chill vibe upstairs takes the cake for me. The service is quick at the bar and we all liked our drinks. I can't remember the name of the shot but it almost tasted like a green tea shot and was pink... get that!

I've been here once before, but when only the first floor was open. Their second floor was a nice…read moreaddition. Service is quick and attentive. Upstairs has cans and bottles only, nothing on tap. There are not as many games upstairs but lots of lounge and seating areas. Bathrooms on both floors too! I love the variety of games, old school pinball machines and arcade games. It's a great time for a date night or a night out with friends.

Septemberfest has gone through a few tweaks since we moved here 30 years ago. It used to be…read moresprawled through the big parking lot in front of Iron Horse Boulevard, with music, vendor booths, a big craft tent, and lots of food booths. Then the festival disappeared for a while, and a few years ago it reappeared in a different version on the grounds of the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. A lot of the features are the same, or at least similar. They still offer lots of musical entertainment (we heard a pretty good Creedence cover band tonight), there are still a lot of vendor booths at the Business Expo, for local businesses and banks, the town library, private schools, political parties, and civic groups. They still have a lot of food options from local restaurants and stores (Old Well Tavern, Attilio's, Benny's, Kane's Market, TCBY, Comfort Zone Food Truck, Ben & Jerry's, Simsbury Volunteer FD, Little India, Millwright's, and Pasticceria Italia) that are reasonably priced. I has a nice combination plate from Little India for $7 with Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Curry, rice and a vegetable samosa. The only negative thing we experienced were the dozens of bees that swarmed around our table and the trash cans. Since the new location spills out across the Performing Arts Center grounds, it provides room for more attractions. There are two small performing stages with kid friendly acts like magicians, puppeteers and jugglers, plus taekwondo and mountain bike exhibitions, a petting zoo, a stilt walking clown. There was a tethered hot air balloon ride, and over 20 inflatable bounce attractions and a kiddie railroad that snakes through the grounds. The old tent with the craft fair is gone, and this year was the first time I ever remember there being an admission charge. It was a modest $5 for adults (kids are free), and the admission wrist-band gets you in for all three days.

Should be renamed BounceFest. There was no hot air ballon ride, no train ride, and two uninspiring…read morefood trucks. That said, there were infinite bouncers. All in all, well suited for families with small kiddos but beyond that, the seasonal section at Costco is more engaging.

Came to the hole in the wall theater with friends to see Radium Girls. This is a small community…read moretheater that was very entertaining. All of us enjoyed ourselves greatly. The cast was wonderful. The intimate theater made us feel part of the show. The reason for the four stars was the cigarette smoking in the play itself. Multiple times people were smoking in the play, which did not give anything to the show. It was very bothersome and painful for me. I was concerned it would cause me to have an asthma attack. I think if I came to a show again, I would definitely ask if they're smoking in the show. As this was the only show I've been to at this location. I don't know if it's a common thing or not. I would definitely recommend checking out this small community theater.

I love this new britain gem! I'm also a big fan of Frankenstein so I had to visit HITWT for their…read moreshow. I had such a great time. I got a great seat (three rows up next to the stairs). I don't recommend sitting in the first row as it's almost on the stage. The show was just really well done, I even teared up. I love the community and intimate feel of HITWT. The treats available for purchase were also super cute. If you ever see they're putting on a show that even slightly interests you, please go in support of this place but also to have a good time!

This is my first time here! This place is called "The Hollow." It is located in the Manchester…read moreCountry Club. It is open to the public. When you come in, it is down the stairs going down to the left. I like the view of the lake! This place is clean, has a lot of space, friendly employees and nice, traditional rock music that is set at the right sound level. They have an ALL DAY Happy Hour from Sunday - Thursday! That's unheard of. For my first drink, I'm having a Cosmopolitan. This is very good! It's a bit lighter than normal and not as strong, but I like it! A cosmopolitan, or informally a cosmo, is a cocktail made with vodka (Benedict's here), Cointreau, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. For my first food item, I'm having the "Chef Salad." This is huge! For $7?! What a deal! It came out pretty quick. The bartender says there portion sizes are pretty big for Happy Hour. He got that right! It's healthy and low carb too. Vegetables are crisp. This is not a common item you see on a Happy Hour menu! Omg is this good ! Chef salad (or chef's salad) is an American salad consisting of hard-boiled eggs, one or more varieties of meat (such as ham, turkey, chicken, or roast beef), tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese, all placed upon a bed of tossed lettuce or other leaf vegetables. Several early recipes also include anchovies. A variety of dressings may be used with this salad. I've made the claim I can down 7 items on the food menu. Let's see! For my next food item, I'm having Geno's Meatballs. This is actually the owner's (Geno) grandmother's recipe! These are fantastic! Beautiful presentation! For my next drink, I'm having the Margarita. This is nice! Sour mix is fresh. It tastes good and has nice presentation! For my next food item, I'm having the Traditional Deviled Eggs . These are great! The dish is cold and has great presentation! These are delicious ! Next up, I'm having the Bogner's Chili Cheese Dog. I haven't had a good hot dog in a long time! Here's the Bogner story: "William Bogner Sr. and his wife Helen migrated from Italy to New York in 1925. William began working for Hebrew National and other sausage facilities perfecting his craft. Moving to Manchester Connecticut with his new family (sons William Jr, and Donald) he built by hand his slaughter house. William and his family worked the slaughterhouse selling fresh beef to local meat processors. Making sausages and wine became a passion. Friends and family would often come over to eat and drink the home made vino and sausages. In 1965 sons William Jr and Donald built their meat processing plant on Wetherell Street Manchester and used their fathers recipes to make sausage products still made today. William Jr. sons Kurt, Robert, & David bought the business in 1992 and also acquired Stanleys Nutmeg Brand & Angellina Sausage company. When two large local meat company's (Union Meat& Lewis Beef) ceased operations the Bogners hired their butchers and took over their marquee accounts. This enabled Bogners to become a full line center of the plate specialist that still exist today. Our burger blends and cuts of meat are made to our customer specifications with quick turn time. This allows operators to free up capitol from inventory and keep fresh product on hand. In 2002 the Bogners also expanded into the high end pet food business. With the same dedication to quality and customer service both businesses operate independently to this day." The couple next to me is raving about the food! They ordered the chips and guacamole and salsa, twin whiskey BBQ pork quesadillas and Buffalo cheddar tater tots. Next up, I'm having the Shrimp Cocktail. These are good! Nice size! Love the cocktail sauce, lemon squeeze and the bed of arugula. Next up, I'm having the Vodka Mule. This is really good! It has a [very] strong ginger taste! A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice, garnished with a slice or wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. The drink is a type of buck and is sometimes called a vodka buck. For my next [2] items, I'm having the McCooe's Burger Slider and the Crispy Chicken Slider. OMG ! Look at this presentation! Each comes standard with a pickle and chips. These are yummy! For dessert, I'm having the "Hollow Hot Fudge Sundae" made with Royal Vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate ganache (1/2 for me), spiced nuts and Luxardo cherries . Ganache is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream. Perfect !!! This place is the bomb !

Ordered a chicken bacon ranch flatbread, got a flatbread that wasn't even on the menu. Food took…read more20+ minutes to come out. Waitress only brought us waters and took our order. Totally rude talking to your table one time. Only redeeming quality is that the food was kind of good.

The oldest structure in Hartford has no reviews? That's a shame because it's a great historical…read moregem. Although open seasonally, the tours are very thorough. There is an exhibit on old Hartford. The house stayed in the Butler-McCook family for many generations, so most of the items were preserved, and it's great to see old Hartford next to new, modern buildings. Plus there is a great history where a car rammed through the front about 20 years ago. Luckily restorers were able to put together the couch, so the preservation is just as important to the story as the restoration. The guides were able to explain a lot about the art and furniture in the house, and they had a big binder to fill in information as needed. They were thorough discussing the family history. Most of the rooms were displayed accurately as they were designed over 100 years older. It was cool to learn about life in earlier Hartford. No gift shop, but there is a nice little garden in the back, a small parking lot in the back, and plenty of street parking. It's a nice 1-2 hour afternoon by some passionate guides who love history.