Places to Explore In Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley

Discover the best places to explore in Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley with curated recommendations from our travel experts.

Chester

Upscale boutiques and artisans' studios fill the chiefly 19th-century buildings along Chester's quaint and well-preserved Main Street. Chester sits on a portion of the Connecticut...

  • 1 Restaurants
  • 0 Hotels
  • 0 Things To Do

East Haddam

Fishing, shipping, and musket making were the chief enterprises of East Haddam, the only town in the state that occupies both banks of the Connecticut...

  • 0 Restaurants
  • 1 Hotels
  • 4 Things To Do

Essex

Essex, consistently named one of the best small towns in the United States, looks much like it did in the mid-19th century, at the height...

  • 3 Restaurants
  • 2 Hotels
  • 2 Things To Do

Farmington

Farmington, incorporated in 1645, is a classic river town with a perfectly preserved main street. This bucolic and affluent suburb of Hartford oozes historical charm...

  • 0 Restaurants
  • 0 Hotels
  • 4 Things To Do

Hartford

Midway between New York City and Boston, Hartford is Connecticut's capital city and the former insurance capital of the United States. Founded in 1635 on...

  • 6 Restaurants
  • 2 Hotels
  • 15 Things To Do

Middletown

With its Connecticut River setting, easy access to major highways, and historic architecture, Middletown is a popular destination for recreational boaters and tourists alike. The...

  • 1 Restaurants
  • 1 Hotels
  • 5 Things To Do

Simsbury

Colonial-style shopping centers, a smattering of antiques shops, and a proliferation of insurance-industry executives define this chic bedroom community near Hartford. Once the home of...

  • 0 Restaurants
  • 0 Hotels
  • 0 Things To Do

West Hartford

Locals call it "WeHa," and this trendy outer borough of the state capital (actually its own town) and residential community boasts a downtown core filled...

  • 4 Restaurants
  • 1 Hotels
  • 2 Things To Do

Wethersfield

Wethersfield, a vast Hartford suburb, dates to 1634 and has the state's largest—and, some say, the most picturesque—historic district, with more than 100 pre-1849 buildings...

  • 1 Restaurants
  • 0 Hotels
  • 0 Things To Do

Windsor Locks

Incorporated in 1854, Windsor Locks is halfway between Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts. Named for the locks of a canal built to bypass falls in the...

  • 0 Restaurants
  • 0 Hotels
  • 0 Things To Do

Explore Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley

Sights 23

Nightlife 4

Performing Arts 5

Restaurants 16

Hotels 7
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