2013 Summer Solstice Event info Click Here! 2012 Solstice in the...

Hartford in the 1850s was a rapidly growing river town, doubling in population from 1850 to 1860. The city’s economy was booming, driven by industries such as publishing, insurance, banking, munitions, manufacturing and river shipping. Like many American cities of the time, Hartford was enjoying the benefits of the...

Although technically not part of Bushnell Park, the magnificent state Capitol building cannot be ignored since one of the reasons Bushnell Park was created was to provide a proper setting for this imposing building. In 1873, the citizens of Connecticut voted to name Hartford as the single capital of Connecticut. Before then,...

Bushnell Park Foundation volunteer Arch Guides offer free tours of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch on Thursdays from noon – 1:30 pm, beginning the first Thursday in May through the end of October.  If you have a large group or would like to request a tour outside of the routine weekly hours, please contact us...

The carousel operates May through Mid October and by special arrangement. The facility can be rented for private parties. For the latest information contact The New England Carousel Museum, 860-585-5411 or click here to visit their website. Click here to read about the history of the...

Bushnell Park is an arboretum of rare and native trees.  From the beginning, the Reverend Horace Bushnell and Bushnell Park designer Jacob Weidenmann shaped a graceful landscape that included over 150 varieties of trees.  Though many of the originals were lost over the years to both age and neglect, the Bushnell Park...

Perhaps the biggest change in Bushnell Park since it was established in 1854 is the disappearance of the Park River, one of its chief features. This river once entered Bushnell Park near the State Armory, and meandered along the Park’s north side, where Asylum, Ford and Jewell Streets now edge the Park. At the end of...