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Things to Do in Hartford, CT: A Local's Favorite Spots
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items My go-to spots around Hartford: Elizabeth Park and Bushnell Park, the Mark Twain House, a Yard Goats game, and where to eat, from First and Last and Carbone's to Bear's BBQ, Parkville Market and Shady Glen burgers. Picked by a Hartford local.
Map
Sections
5
Outdoor Activities
Restaurants
Other Food & Drinks
Arts & Entertainment
Local Favorites
Outdoor Activities
Free park on the Hartford and West Hartford line with one of the oldest public rose gardens in the country, plus greenhouses and walking paths. Roses peak around June.
Elizabeth Park Conservancy
Downtown park next to the State Capitol with a restored 1914 carousel. Rides are cheap, and it runs seasonally, so check the hours before you go.
Bushnell Park Carousel
Riverfront park on the Connecticut River with walking and bike paths, a boat launch and a great view of the skyline. Easy, free way to spend an afternoon outside.
Riverside Park
Restaurants
The original First and Last on Maple Ave in Hartford's South End, open since the 1930s. Thin-crust pizza and classic red-sauce Italian.
First and Last Tavern Hartford
Classic Hartford Italian spot. After years closed, it reopened in September 2026 at a new location on Front Street, across from the Convention Center.
Carbone's Hartford
Downtown BBQ on Front Street: brisket, ribs and pulled pork with a big bar and space for groups. Easy to pair with a Yard Goats game or a night out downtown.
Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue
Other Food & Drinks
Specialty coffee shop on Capitol Ave, a short walk from the State Capitol and Bushnell Park. Good stop before or after a walk downtown.
Story and Soil Coffee
Old-school Italian bakery and pastry shop on Franklin Ave. Go for cannoli, Italian cookies and pastries, with a cafe next door for espresso and gelato.
Mozzicato Depasquale Bakery and Pastry Shop
Old-school diner and ice cream parlor in Manchester, open since 1948. Known for the cheeseburger with the crispy cheese crown, plus homemade ice cream.
Shady Glen Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor
Food hall on Park St in Parkville with a bunch of different food vendors, a bar and outdoor seating under one roof. Good when everyone wants something different.
Parkville Market
Arts & Entertainment
Guided tours of the house where Mark Twain lived and wrote Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, on Farmington Ave. The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center is right next door.
The Mark Twain House & Museum
Home of the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Cheap tickets, downtown ballpark views and fireworks nights in the summer.
Dunkin' Park
The oldest public art museum in the country, right downtown on Main St. Good rainy day spot, and it's a short walk to Bushnell Park after.
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Hands-on science museum on the riverfront with a whole area just for little kids. My pick for a rainy day with the family.
Connecticut Science Center
Where Broadway tours, concerts and comedy shows come through, right across from Bushnell Park. The main hall opened in 1930 and is worth seeing on its own.
The Bushnell Performing Arts Center
Local Favorites
Old-school drive-in on Main St in East Hartford. Hot dogs, burgers and breakfast sandwiches, quick and cheap.
Augie & Ray's Drive In