If you're driving by on route 44 in Avon, CT, you might see this giant rocking chair. It's located…read morenear the traffic light and one of the entrances to the Old Avon Village. It's a 9-foot high rocking chair that used to be located at a furniture store in West Hartford. As of the 1960s, it's moved to its current location in Avon. I think it's random but unique; it's definitely an Avon landmark. I heard that they decorate it for the holidays. If you're in the plaza, go up close and admire this old random gem.

"Drive up Route 44 and turn by the giant 9' tall rocking chair...." What ????…read more Yes, there really is a giant 9' tall rocking chair standing guardian at one of the entrances to Old Avon Village The big rocking chair started it's life as a roof ornament on the old Spinning Jenny furniture store in West Hartford. When the store owners moved the business to Avon, they took along their 9' tall rocker and it quickly became a landmark as the symbol for Old Avon Village. It's been repaired and repainted a few times over the year, and on one windy day it was blown off its foundation and ended up in the street. It is very noticeable from the road. Many a wedding photo has been taken in front of the Giant Rocker.

Holy Mackerel !! I…read morehad no idea that this treasure chest of art, creativity, and history existed. Shame on me for not exploring the Hartford Riverfront earlier. In 2005, Lincoln Financial donated a $500,000 grant to the Greater Hartford Arts Council to design a Sculpture Walk along the Connecticut River in both Hartford and East Hartford. They announced a nationwide competition for accomplished artists around the country and selected 16 works for this permanent public art exhibit representing the life, accomplishments and values of President Abraham Lincoln. I looked at three of the sixteen statues today as part of my wandering around the Riverfront during the Dragon Boat and Asian Festival. Sculpture Three: Lincoln Meets Stowe (Bruno Lucchesi - 2006) This bronze sculpture commemorates the 1862 meeting of Abraham Lincoln and Hartford author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Upon meeting, Lincoln purportedly quipped, "So you're the little lady who started this big war." Sculpture Four: Toward Union Lines (Preston Jackson - 2007) This sculpture represents a young woman walking north toward Union lines. The accompanying plaque describes the plight of "contrabands" or escaped slaves. Sculpture Five: Frontier Life (Neil Goodman - 2008) This sculpture represents Lincoln's Indiana boyhood years living in a log cabin and growing up to be a skilled ax-man and rail splitter. I can't wait to see the other 13 exhibits. Riverfront Recapture offers a walking tour of all sixteen stations and additional artwork on the very impressive Hartford riverfront.

Perfect place for a little jog or fast pace walk during lunch or after dinner as a romantic…read morehistorical journey under the beautiful bridges meant for holding hands and taking selfies. Keep walking until you get to the restaurant on the river and have a quick cocktail.

It's a bridge. It gets me to work. It doesn't collapse. What else can you ask from a bridge!…read more Well, besides the part I drive in, the foot path is an excellent walk on a nice day with the juxtaposition of the city, Constitution Plaza, and the city. Turns out you can ask more from a bridge. This one at least,

With access to Riverfront Plaza, Founders Bridge not only connects East Hartford to Hartford -- but…read morealso links Columbus Boulevard to Constitution Plaza with one of my favorite bridge walkways in CT. Skating, biking, strolling, or running; the pedestrian walkway is perfect for enjoying great views in all directions as you walk into Hartford. When you have some time, park in East Hartford and walk along the river's edge. You'll experience a part of Hartford not many are familiar with!

Great hiking experience. Nice cool breeze makes a nice refreshing treat while stopping to enjoy the…read morecaves entrance.

If you are coming through Simsbury and want to see a beautiful historic area, the old Drake Hill…read moreFlower Bridge is a wonderful spot to visit Easily accessible for disabled, and bathrooms are readily available The parking is fair, but you can also park across the street in the commuter parking lot a short distance away on Iron Horse Blvd Early spring, the flowers aren't installed yet, so it's a little boring, but still a great visit If you want to get in your steps, this is the place, go start here, head a little west, and then down Iron Horse Blvd., and enjoy downtown Simsbury shops. This is a great place to visit in a quaint little town

When in Simsbury, visiting the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge is a must. Not only is it historical,…read moreit is a beauty to behold. It's a metal-truss construction of the 19th century. This historic bridge reopened for pedestrian and bicycle use in 1995. A year later a group of volunteers came together to develop the flower bridge. Over the years it has expanded to 72 flower boxes and 32 hanging baskets. You can donate to their cause and it's tax deductible. Grab a coffee from a local coffee shop and take a stroll across the flower bridge. You will not be disappointed.

This museum is adorable! I came because of a Groupon, and parking may be an issue for events. It…read morewas very limited on the property itself, although there is handicapped parking right next to the main house. Outside there is a barn and old outhouse, and a beautiful garden display. it's very well maintained. The entrance is off the front porch, where you're greeted by a docent or intern. Tours of the house are 20-30 minutes, and it contains so many original items from the original family who owned it (it went right from the last surviving to a museum), and the last generation was into collecting. There's a lot of local history, many dog decorations, and GOBLETS. There's over 1,000 goblets, and most seem to be single styles. They are working on cataloging them. The house is beautiful, and the history is fascinating. If you live in the area, you'll pick up pieces of Southington back in the day. Children would even enjoy seeing the cases of old products and what names they may recognize. And the goblets are breathtaking. This is a great value museum! (They also sell postcards for a great price)

This guy never…read more threw out anything The Barnes Museum, formerly known as the Bradley Homestead, is a cool old house that serves as a historical library and is open to the public. It was built in 1836 and for five bucks you get to see and hear about another time and way of life. The first thing you notice once you are inside the house is that there is a lot of stuff. Lots of lots of stuff. All kinds of stuff. Stuff everywhere. It turns out Bradley Barnes, a son of the original builder of the house never threw out anything. He collected and kept all kinds of stuff. Some very cool stuff but also a lot of crap. It seems every single receipt, letter, photo, magazine, toy, knick knack and doo dad he every owned he kept. Perhaps some serious OCD going on there. It almost seemed like he knew the house was going to be a museum and wanted it well stocked with stuff. Of course all this stuff makes the house interesting to tour. The lady bringing us around seemed to know exactly what every single piece in the house was and where it came from. Pretty cool and amazing. All the stuff isn't from Bradley or from one temporal moment. Leela Barnes, Bradley's wife was a prolific painter and many of her paintings are scattered throughout the domicile. She also had many collections and also seem to keep just about everything she ever owned. You can definitely see what the attraction between these two was The house was being lived in until the 1970's when it was donated to the town so there were modifications and changes to the original structure and items from different decades. Going through the place is almost like a walk through time. Shifting back and forth through different years ands individuals. Of course you inevitable go back to Bradley's stuff. A great old house that is in absolutely pristine condition. It's filled with lots of very cool and some not so cool stuff. So much stuff that you have to thread carefully in places so that you don't end up breaking some of the stuff. I have a feeling that Leela and Bradley were a couple of crazy sob's but because of them we have a great old historic house filled with lots of very interesting stuff.

The Connecticut State Veterans Memorial is located on a small rectangular block in front of the…read morestate armory where the Connecticut Army National Guard is based. That's a decent location and it is a very nice memorial. A granite colonnade structure with five columns, one for each branch of military service. A semi-circular granite wall with the engraving "honoring those who served" frames the columns. There are a couple of benches and a few parking spaces with limited parking. [Review 15176 overall, 678 of 2021, number 30 in Connecticut.]

Very nice and pretty spot to walk around. There are other landmarks and monuments nearby. If you…read moreare around the area, give this spot a visit. Very much enjoyed it.

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.

My family and I were at the Celebrate New Britain event and stopped at this historical marker…read more Since there's a Yelp review on it, I'll add my two cents. The marker is located in Central Park next to the huge Soldiers' Monument; standing almost like a shadow against this grand obelisk. Don't let that take away from the significance of it. The marker was erected in 1971, with a combined effort of the City of New Britain and Connecticut Historical Commission. On the marker, there is a brief description of the city. It became a town in 1850 and the main sources of employment were blacksmithing and hardware manufacturing; it rapidly expanded and became known as the hardware city. A nice spot to stop, take a moment, and read this informative marker.

Once known as "The Hardware City of the World", the name "New Britain" is certainly an improvement…read moreover it's early name of "Great Swamp". This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. It's Located in a small green known as Central Park, at the intersection of West Main Street and Main Street. The sign was dedicated in 1971 and remains in pretty good condition considering its age. It is showing some sides of faded paint on both the white lettering and blue background, but is still very readable. The full inscription reads: The Ecclesiastical Society of New Britain was formed 1754 by division of Kensington Society called Great Swamp. New Britain became a town 1850. Charter of incorporation was granted by Connecticut General Assembly 1870 which was accepted January, 1871, by vote of 521 to 520. From small beginnings in blacksmith shops, hardware manufacturing developed rapidly; by end of the 19th century city was widely known as Hardware City of the World. Its most famous son, Elihu Burritt, the learned blacksmith became ardent advocate of international peace and advancement of education. First Normal School in Connecticut was established here 1850, now Central Connecticut State College. Erected by the City of New Britain and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1971