Historically interesting places
Dinosaur State Park at Rocky Hill
Dinosaur State Park is located near the city of Rocky Hill in central Connecticut. The Dinosaur State Park has an area of approximately 0.25 km² and is therefore one of the smaller state parks. Here the footprints of dinosaurs are preserved under a geodesic dome. These footprints are approximately 200 million years old. This was discovered in 1966. Also part of the State Park is an arboretum which houses numerous old plant species that already existed at the time of the dinosaurs. Dinosaur State Park has also been a National Natural Landmark since 1968.
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Find common acronyms associated with Connecticut. Also see top 10 cities by population in Connecticut.
- Allcitycodes: Lists of all area codes of Connecticut. Also includes state overview and counties by area code in Connecticut.
| Contact | www.dinosaurstatepark.org |
Special buildings and structures
Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford
The Connecticut State Capitol in the capital Hartford is the seat of the State Senate and House of Representatives. The governor’s offices are also located here. The Connecticut State Capitol was built from 1872 until 1878. The building is in Victorian-Gothic style and the exterior is also made of marble and granite. The floor plan of the building is almost rectangular, but there were extensions from the north and south wings. There is an entrance in every direction and these are very artistically decorated, for example with statues, busts and sculptures. The interior of the Connecticut State Capitol knows how to impress with wall paintings. Contrary to the other construction of US state capitals, the Connecticut state capitol also has a dome, but this is located on the approx. 81 m high tower in the center of the building. Around the gilded dome there are further statues, each in pairs for the areas of education, trade, agriculture, military, music and science. However, the current State Capitol is not the first in the state. Before the construction, the Senate met alternately in Hartford and thus in the Old State House and New Haven. The Connecticut State Capitol is one of the most elaborate State Capitols and the Connecticut State Capitol has been a National Historic Landmark since 1970. The building can be visited on guided tours.
| Contact | 210 Capitol Avenue Hartford, Connecticut 06106 www.cga.ct.gov/capitoltours |
City Place I in Hartford
The skyscraper City Place I in the city of Hartford with a height of approx. 164 m is the tallest building in the city and the entire state. The 38-story building was completed in 1980 and mainly serves as an office building. But it is also very suitable for orientation.
| Contact | 185 Asylum Street Hartford, Connecticut 06103 |
Old State House in Hartford
The Old State House in the city of Hartford was built from 1792 to 1796 in the so-called Federal Style. The building is strongly reminiscent of the city hall of the English city of Liverpool. From 1839 to 1841, the famous Amistad processes also took place in the building, which was mainly used as the changing seat of the legislature. These court cases, which are often viewed as a significant step in the abolition of slavery in the United States, were filmed in 1997 by Steven Spielberg. The building now houses the Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities. The Old State House has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966.
| Contact | State House Square Hartford, Connecticut 06103 |
Cheney Building in Hartford
The Cheney Building, also known as the Brown Thomson Building, in the city of Hartford is a historically very interesting building. It was built from 1875 to 1876 from limestone and brown sandstone. For a long time it was used as an area for several shops and nowadays it is a hotel. The Cheney Building has been on the list of Historic Places since 1970.
| Contact | 942 Main St Hartford, Connecticut 06103 |
Harkness Tower in New Haven
The Harkness Tower is a bell tower on the Yale University campus in the city of New Haven. The Harkness Tower was built from 1917 to 1921 and is an important landmark of the university. The tower was built in the Gothic Revival style.
West Cornwall Covered Bridge near Cornwall
The West Cornwall Covered Bridge, near Cornwall, spans the Housatonic River with a length of approx. 74 m. This makes the West Cornwall Covered Bridge the longest wooden bridge in Connecticut. This roofed bridge (covered bridge) is single-track and the roof construction was made of American red spruce. The bridge was built in the 1860s. The bridge has been on the list of Historic Places since 1975.
Gillette Castle State Park at East Haddam
Gillette Castle State Park is located between the cities of Lyme and East Haddam. The core of the approx. 0.74 km² state park is Gillette Castle, which was built from 1914 to 1919. The name comes from the former appearance of the property, which was very reminiscent of a castle. The actor William Gillette, who became famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes, once lived here. After the actor’s death, the state bought the property and converted it to a state park in 1943. There are good views of the Connecticut River from the house. In addition to a visit to the house and the museum, it is a good idea to hike through the park and end the day with a picnic. Gillette Castle has been on the list of Historic Places since 1986.
| Contact | 67 River Road East Haddam, Connecticut 06423 www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/ |
Glass House in New Canaan
The Glass House, also known as Johnson House, is a rather unusual residential building in the city of New Canaan in southwest Connecticut. It was designed and built in 1949 by architect Philip Johnson. The peculiarity of the building can already be recognized by the name. All four outer walls of the building are completely transparent. Furthermore, the building consists of only one large room, which houses a small bathroom inside, the only part that is not visible. The Glass House has been a National Historic Landmark since 1997.
| Contact | 199 Elm Street New Canaan, Connecticut 06840 www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org |
Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford
The Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford City is a historic building from 1871. Here lived Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Hut, from 1873 to 1896. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House belongs to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, which manages the author’s estate. Harriet Beecher Stowe House has been a National Historic Landmark since 2013. By the way, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House is right next to the Mark Twain House.
| Contact | 77 Forest Street Hartford, Connecticut 06105 www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org |
Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard
The Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard is a mix of a hotel and a casino. The Foxwoods Resort Casino is located in the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation and offers a total of 6 casinos on an area of approximately 440,000 m². This makes the Foxwoods Resort Casino one of the largest casino complexes in the world and the second largest in the USA. Visitors will find around 7,000 slot machines and 400 tables for various games, such as “black jack”. The casino opened in 1986 and was funded by a Malaysian Chinese descent.
| Contact | 350 Trolley Line Boulevard Mashantucket, Connecticut 06338 www.foxwoods.com |
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Connecticut
Browse a collection of state, city, and historical maps of this US state.
Website: http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/connecticut.html
Connecticut – National Geographic Map Machine
View a shaded-relief map of the state and find out where the cities and rivers are. Includes an overview of what runs the economy there.
Website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/atlas/usstates/sconne
Connecticut – University of Texas Library
Features state maps, as well as topographic maps for cities including Danbury, Middletown, Norwich, Stonington and Windsor Locks.
Website: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/connecticu
Connecticut – US Census Bureau Map
Presents a clickable map divided into the state’s eight counties. Find county profiles and demographic information.
Website: http://www.census.gov/datamap/www/09.html
MAGIC – University of Connecticut
Browse the online database from the Map and Geographic Information Center to review geospatial data and historic maps.
Website: http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/
