Went here with a friend to view the Christmas tree show and raffle…read more We had a wonderful time, viewing the amazing Christmas trees that were donated by locals for this event The staff here were so accommodating and happy to give us a tour and explain the history of Ken and Collinsville to us Collinsville itself is a beautiful destination when visiting Connecticut. Visiting this wonderful museum just tops the visit off When here do not forget to go into the model train room. This room itself is worth the visit. If you know, you know!

Canton Historical Museum is located in Collinsville. It opened as a museum in 1970, however, the…read morebuilding was there for much longer. It was built around 1865 for the Collins Axe Company and had various uses. Plows were manufactured there then it was converted to a recreational spot for the employees. Parking is ample, right on the Farmington Trail. There are 3 floors to explore. I was surprised at how intricate and organized the place was. I am a huge fan of history so this was exciting for me. The main floor was made to look like the old barber shop, general store, Victorian rooms, and more. Our favorite floor was the third floor, there is a working toy train located in a miniature Collinsville and nearby spots. It was so meticulous and beautifully designed. You can press the button for the train to go around and even pull the lever to make the horn sound. There were so many items from the Collins Axe Company, various items from Victorian times, and a research library. Yes, I think it's worth a visit!

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!

Matco Jewelry is a wonderful and talented independent jeweler. He specializes his work with opals…read more His little shop is quaint and sweet, and full of his work on display. While I admire and appreciate his workmanship and dedication, I haven't purchased anything from him yet. Matt is very skilled at repairing damaged or broken jewelry, I've brought many pieces to him for repairs, and he's always done an outstanding job without any telling signs of where the damage was. I brought a broken and very delicate gold chain, a ring that the stone fell out of, a bangle that was misshaped. Everything was fixed perfectly and timely. His cost is very reasonable. He is very organized and a pleasure to chat with. I'm sure to support his business in the future.

Beautiful custom jewelry and opals. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable and can create a…read moreperfect custom piece. My wife loves her beautiful new necklace.

We had the pleasure of attending the opening of " MIDAS."…read moreThe theatre was perfect in size and the chair not tight fitting! The staff were great in directing us to the evening's event and activities. We will return!!

I have come here twice to see this documentary "No Other Land" because it isn't streaming or…read moreplaying anywhere else. I'm grateful that we have a theater like this in Hartford! I am not a member yet but I intend to become one. There is also an art gallery which I have not explored yet. I took a star off because the popcorn was not great. I only got it once. Maybe it wasn't fresh. I'm going back tomorrow to see the movie one last time before it's gone and will check out the art gallery and try the popcorn again!

Simsbury Historical Society was founded in 1911. They moved to the current 2-acre location which…read morehas a home, tavern, and barn on it; this property belonged to the Phelps family. A school house, another home, and probate building were brought to this location later on. They offer tours, special events, and workshops. They're open from Thursday to Saturday from 12-4. My family and I enjoyed walking through the property and seeing the old buildings and artifacts. There was a replica of a native American wig-wam which was really cool to walk inside of. I love history and old buildings so it was fun seeing the old school house and historic single homes. The tavern had a beautiful garden in the backyard. There were plenty of parking and we look forward to going back and taking a tour.

"Don't know much about history" (Sam Cooke)…read more Simsbury is an old town, I mean a really old town. It goes back to 1670. And it's very fitting that such an old town has a historical society to display and preserve its three and a half centuries of history. The Simsbury Historical Society is "a non-profit educational corporation" that was founded in 1911. The complex includes over a dozen structures, and the museum has regional artifacts, archives and collections on the state's earliest settlements. As expected, they do focus on the town's founding and early history. It's a very interesting place to visit and walk the grounds, check out the Native American structures and visit the museum store. That store was hosting a Holiday Market today.

On Main Street in Middletown you'll come across a tiny Chocolatier called Tschudin Chocolates. This…read moreis owned by chocolate chef Roberto Tschudin. Rob is a man of MANY skills and talents, he's also very personable and welcoming. His chocolates look like little art figurines, from the colors to the interesting designs. Since my dad loves any gift that comes in a form of chocolate, I thought it was a perfect reason to get him something from Tschudin. I told Rob to select me six of his best sellers of dark chocolate. He did, I can't say what I got, but the one I personally had was the peanut butter. The peanut butter was creamy, and whipped, the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate was the perfect pairing, so tasty! My dad loved his gift, I think if he knew these were a bit pricier he wouldn't have had them in one sitting. If you're looking to treat your self to some chocolate or give some as a gift, please stop by Tschudin.

High quality chocolatier, doing his own thing…read more Came here initially on a whim, seeing the owner walking outside with the big white hat and chef whites. We were greeted with a mostly empty display with lots of stuff everywhere. We did manage to get a small group of treats at a fairly high price point, but the attention to detail and quality of the chocolates produced were at levels typically not seen in Connecticut or even around the US. Ever since that first meeting, we try to make the trek here to get a few delectable treats to savor once in a while. The owner is very relaxed and uses his place as a ramshackle display of personality and skill. It's not prim and polished, but there's a few pieces usually on display, a subtle sweet smell in the air, and many interesting flavors and fillings of truffles dotting the display cases. Like a master tailor, this place is known by those who know. They look past the grit and enjoy the true gem. It's really good chocolate, pricy but worth it, and worth a trek.

I love stopping here when I come to Whiting Mills - the artist is fantastic, and I love the…read morecarousel series. The studio/store is bright and open, and there's usually a work in progress along the way so you can see what's new. She offers pet portraits, and also sells a lot of non-comissioned work with animals involved. I love the whimsical vibe in the shop!

Spent a glorious afternoon on the Hartford waterfront enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and taste…read moreof the Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival. Food Half a dozen Asian food stands whipping up fresh batches of lo mein, rice, chicken & veggies, skewers, pad thai, egg rolls, spring rolls, on and on and on. Also saw Rita's Italian ices! Entertainment Music and dance all day long. We saw a lady doing trick bicycle riding on the way in and a group of kids playing drums on the way out. Dragon Boat Races Very impressed by the races and the racers. They came from all over the East, including MA, NY and Philadelphia. It was fun walking down to the team tents and reading the banners to see where they were from. Many of the teams were cancer survivors, so it definitely reminded me a lot of Relay For Life. There was a touching memorial moment when they played Somewhere Over the Rainbow and then people tossed pink carnations into the water. The Venue My first time down on the Hartford Riverfront and I was very impressed. To be honest, it was beautiful. Multi levels to explore from the waterfront up to the Science Center. The Lincoln Financial Sculpture Walk looks like a great way to spend an afternoon Room for improvement? Well, I thought there was much too much "down time" between the boat races. The dead time wasn't helped too much by the MC who could have been a little peppier.

Ambiance: SUPER nice and festive - tons of people, the waterfront plaza was clean and had a good…read morenumber of benches/railings to sit. Vendors: the sellers of "things" were few and far between, but interesting to look at while walking Parking: we parked across the street for $10 - easy ! Food: I was really excited to eat "authentic Asian" food as described per the event flyer, but alas, we are still in Connecticut. Bastardized Thai food galore, a Thai restaurant selling Japanese food, a sandwich food truck, Carvel truck, and italian ice. mmm... there is more to Asia than Thailand. There was also an Asian beer garden which was great!! Food gets a big fat F. Entertainment: was interesting! two "stages" separate enough from each other to enjoy acts without being distracted by the other. We watched hula, aikido, kung fu, tai chi, Chinese dance, modernized taiko, and some Chinese singing. It was all great! Dragonboat racing: I have to agree with the other reviewer that there was a lot of down time between heats which made it kind of boring. The emcee should probably have announced WHEN each race started because you only really ever knew once they came towards the finish line that the race had even started. Really cool to see so many people share a hobby, though! Overall, I would go to the Waterfront again, but I would not really look forward to attending this festival again. They need better food, more vendors, and more variety of things to eat/do/see. The food was so lackluster and unsatisfying, that we left to go to eat at Pho Saigon afterward. :P Future tip: bring a picnic blanket or chairs if you want to watch the dragon boat races for a long time!