page_title: Hartford, Connecticut
section_title: Points of interest
hierarchical_section_title: Hartford, Connecticut / Culture / Points of interest
caption_attribution_description: English: Aetna building in Hartford, Connecticut Español: La sede de Aetna en Hartford, Connecticut 中文: Aetna的总部
context_page_description: Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the 2010 United States Census have indicated that Hartford is the fourth-largest city in Connecticut, behind the coastal cities of Bridgeport, New Haven, and Stamford.
  Hartford was founded in 1635 and is among the oldest cities in the United States. It is home to the country's oldest public art museum, the oldest publicly funded park, the oldest continuously published newspaper, and the second-oldest secondary school. It is also home to the Mark Twain House, where the author wrote his most famous works and raised his family, among other historically significant sites. Mark Twain wrote in 1868, "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief."
  Hartford was the richest city in the United States for several decades following the American Civil War. Today, it is one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with 3 out of every 10 families living below the poverty threshold.
context_section_description: Aetna building – Aetna building on Farmington Avenue is the world's largest colonial revival building, crowned by a tall Georgian tower inspired by the Old State House downtown.
  Ancient Burying Ground – The oldest historic site in Hartford and the city's first graveyard. Many of Hartford's renowned residents and founders are buried there.
  Armsmear – The Colt family estate.
  Bulkeley Bridge – A stone-arch bridge spanning the Connecticut River and connecting the city of Hartford with East Hartford.
  Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts – The theater was constructed in the 1930s by the same architects who designed New York City's Radio City Music Hall. It features a Georgian Revival exterior and an Art Deco interior, with a large hand-painted mural suspended from the ceiling that is the largest of its kind in the United States.
  Bushnell Park – This park is located below the State Capitol and legislative office complex and consists of lawn, sculpture, fountains, and a historic carousel. It is the first park in the country purchased by a municipality for public use, and it was designed by Jacob Weidenmann. The Soldiers & Sailors Civil War Memorial Arch frames the northern entrance to the park, the first triumphal arch in the United States.
  Cathedral of St. Joseph – This 281-foot (86 m) limestone Roman Catholic cathedral was built in 1961 to replace its predecessor lost to fire. It is located west of downtown along Farmington Avenue in the Asylum Hill neighborhood and has large Parisian stained glass windows, an 8,000 pipe organ, and the largest ceramic tile mural of Christ in Glory in the world.
  Center Church – The First Church of Christ in Hartford is located at 60 Gold Street and is also known as Center Church. It was founded by Thomas Hooker.
  Cheney Building – This building was designed in the late 19th century by H. H. Richardson. It is located downtown on Main Street and once housed the Brown, Thomson & Co. department store.
  Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House - Commissioned by Elizabeth Jarvis Colt in 1866 and 1895 respectively to commemorate her husband, Samuel Colt, and her son, Caldwell Hart Colt, and designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter. Both buildings are part of the Coltsville Historic District.
  City Place I – The tallest building in Connecticut at 38 stories, located at 185 Asylum Street.
  Colt Armory – The complex was once the main factory building of Colt's Manufacturing Company, topped with a blue and gold dome. It is currently being redeveloped and renovated and will feature apartments, retail space, and office space.
  Xfinity Theater (formerly the Meadows Music Theater) – An indoor/outdoor amphitheater-style performance venue located in the North Meadows.
  Connecticut Science Center – 154,000 square foot (14,000 m²), nine-story, $165 million museum, designed by César Pelli and opened on June 12, 2009.
  Connecticut State Library – The building also contains the Museum of Connecticut History and a number of galleries devoted to Samuel Colt memorabilia, located in the hill district near the State Capitol atop Bushnell Park.
  Connecticut Convention Center – The 540,000 square foot (42,000 m²) convention center is now open and overlooks the Connecticut River and the central business district. Attached to the center is a 409-room, 22-story Marriott Hotel. ConnectiCon is hosted every summer at the convention center.
  Connecticut Governor's Mansion – An imposing Georgian revival mansion situated near the highest point in the City of Hartford on upper Prospect Avenue.
  Connecticut Opera – Founded in 1942 and performing three fully staged operas per season, primarily at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford.
  Connecticut State Capitol – This large Gothic-inspired building is located atop Bushnell Park and features many statues and engravings on its exterior. It is topped with a gold-leafed dome.
  Constitution Plaza – Constitution Plaza is a renowned and notorious redevelopment project built in the early 1960s.Hartford's historic Front Street neighborhood was razed to build the plaza. The complex is c
caption: Aetna building in the Asylum Hill neighborhood
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