A Multifaceted Hartford 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.
