Bushnell Park

Ideally, Connecticut’s diverse capital city deserves at least a few days of exploration. But for travelers with less time, a visit to the visually striking Bushnell Park (the oldest publicly funded park in the United States) can give a good sense of Hartford’s beauty, history, politics, and ongoing revitalization. At one end of the park stands the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch. Looking like something out of a fairy tale, this monument spanned a bridge across the Park River until the 1940s, when the water was diverted underground. Gracefully landscaped paths take you past attractions like the Corning Fountain, which depicts the Saukiog Indians who first inhabited the area; the Pump House, an active element in river flood control and a public art gallery; and the 100 year old Carousel. Looming grandly over it all is the ornate State Capitol building, the only High Victorian Gothic-style state house in the country. Depending on when you go, there may be a public event or performance in Bushnell Park, which functions as a community gathering spot as well as a leafy respite for office workers on their lunch hours.

Idealmente, Connecticuts capital diversificada merece pelo menos alguns dias de exploração. Mas para os viajantes com menos tempo, uma visita ao impressionante visualmente Bushnell Park (o mais antigo parque de financiamento público nos Estados Unidos) pode dar um bom senso de Hartfords beleza, história, política e revitalização em curso. Em uma extremidade do parque está o Soldiers