Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
horne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, that the legendary author penned many of his greatest
works, including
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
and
Tom Sawyer
. The house itself,
a Victorian Gothic with fanciful turrets and gables, reflects Twain's quirky character.
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
MUSEUM
( 860-522-9258;
www.harrietbeecherstowe.org
; 77 Forest St; adult/child $9/6;
9:30am-4:30pm Tue-Sat, noon-4:30pm Sun)
Next door to the Twain house is the house of the
woman who wrote the antislavery book
Uncle Tom's Cabin
. The topic so rallied Americ-
ans against slavery that Abraham Lincoln once credited Stowe with starting the Civil
War.
Wadsworth Atheneum
MUSEUM
( 860-278-2670;
www.thewadsworth.org
; 600 Main St; adult/child $10/free; 11am-5pm Wed-
Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun)
The nation's oldest public-art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum
houses nearly 50,000 pieces. On display are paintings by members of the Hudson River
School, European old masters, 19th-century Impressionist works, sculptures by Con-
necticut artist Alexander Calder and a small yet outstanding array of surrealist works.
Old State House
HISTORIC BUILDING
( 860-522-6766;
www.ctoldstatehouse.org
;
800 Main St; adult/child $6/3; 10am-5pm Tue-
Sat Jul 4-Columbus Day, Mon-Fri Columbus Day-Jul 4; )
Connecticut's original capitol build-
ing (from 1797 to 1873) was designed by Charles Bulfinch, who also designed the Mas-
sachusetts State House in Boston, and was the site of the trial of the
Amistad
prisoners.
Gilbert Stuart's famous 1801 portrait of George Washington hangs in the senate chamber.
Sleeping & Eating
Hartford Marriott Downtown
BUSINESS HOTEL$$$
( 866-373-9806, 860-249-8000;
www.marriott.com
;
200 Columbus Blvd; d/ste $159/299;
)
This colossal Marriott hotel is located in the Adriaen's Landing District overlook-
ing the Connecticut River. There are 401 stylish rooms spread over 22-stories alongside
an indoor rooftop pool and fitness center. There's also an affiliated spa and an upscale
Mediterranean restaurant.
Bin 228
ITALIAN$$$
( 860-244-9463;
www.bin228winebar.com
; 228 Pearl St; paninis & small plates $8-12;
11:30am-10pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Fri, 4pm-midnight Sat)
This wine bar serves Italian fare -
