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January 2024 by Millinium Prince
The building and the CT Democracy Center are excellent!
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January 2024 by Matt Maletz
Friendly staff. We took the self-guided tour (they give you a pamphlet). The exhibit on the Amistad was the best part of the tour. The space is often used for civic engagement activities and when we were there, schoolchildren were putting on a mock trial in the old courtroom. Very good programming and it was cute for us and seemingly interesting and edifying for the kids.
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October 2023 by Abreu Abreu
Great place to learn a little about American history.
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October 2023 by Greener shades of Jade “JadeDream”
The outside venue with the stage it's just perfect there's food trucks along with free live music to soothe your soul whether it be jam or reggae or soul or Funk or Rock or Blues this place has the right idea and they even play during the week not just Fridays but Thursdays as well check out their website to see what their local lineups are looking like for the week ahead and find them on social media as well I think it's called Hartford live can't go wrong in a place like this when you got Smiles all around you dancing bodies and free music that is more spiritually rewarding if anything
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October 2023 by Libby M.
The staff here is all wonderful and it’s a great place to explore whether On a guided tour or just by yourself. Highly recommend checking out the museum of oddities. There’s also an interactive scavenger hunt in the downstairs museum. Great for kids and teens or just adults wanting to learn more about CT history.
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August 2023 by Jessica Tyrol
Fun night attending a free concert!Food truck lines were pretty long.One line to purchase drink tickets, two places to use them. Some of the drinks were quite pricey ($3/ticket, some drinks were 5 tickets... for a canned mixed drink beverage). Could be better organized to create a smoother & faster process.
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July 2023 by Scott G.
Connecticut's Old State House is a cool spot to visit and learn some CT history! This building served as the home to all three branches of the CT state government from 1796 to 1878. Here's the scoop:Hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 12-5PM, though Thursday they're open later, until 8PM. The last ticket is sold one hour before closing. Adult tickets are only $8 each and can be purchased at the front desk when you walk in. They have discounts for seniors, AAA members, etc. and children 5 and under, active military, veterans, etc. are free with ID. Parking is available on-street (metered, but free after 6PM and on weekends) or in the nearby State House Square Garage at 55 Market St. Before you leave have them validate your parking and it's only $5 (versus the $2 per half hour that the garage charges).Once inside, you can choose to take a guided tour or do self-guided. I chose self-guided, and they gave me an informational packet to read, which guided me through the various rooms including the Senate Chamber, House Chamber, court room, etc. I thought the coolest room was the Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities, which is located on the top floor. On display you can see a taxidermy two-headed calf, many other taxidermy animal heads, a two-headed piglet, reptile heads, etc. Very interesting stuff!Once you finish touring the main building, head to the basement for a more interactive/kids area where you can learn more about CT history. There's also a historical Hartford Fire Department truck on display, which was super cool to see!Overall an interesting and inexpensive place to visit if you like CT history!
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October 2022 by Joseph Michael Carilli
Entering a zone of history was exciting. But first a presentation about Pennington, a African American minister. At one point he was a slave, and he moved North to escape slavery of the South, and to preside over a church in Hartford. His story is amazing and it was educational. The Old State House offers a glance into the past, with some original chairs, and tables from when the actual Senate and House gathered there. It also is important to note, at the beginning of Connecticut's history, the capital was divided between Hartford and New Haven. This factoid I did not know. The staff had a wealth of information share with our class, Capital Community College, Financial Accounting class. They were able to answer any and all questions we had. Then we went into the most bizarre but exciting room. In this tiny corner of the Old State House, there are winged creatures, fish, and two-headed calf. This is just a scratch the surface, for there were many other animals of all types. I strongly recommend this as an educational visit for young and old alike.
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October 2022 by Bill Oas
This is a great stop if you have an hour to spare. $8 admission is well worth it. Staff are super friendly and helpful. 2nd floor senate and house floors are cool to see but the hall of oddities is where the place stands out. Taxidermy, bones, 2 headed calf and pig and so much more. This is a shockingly awesome thing to have in an old state house. Main floor features primarily the voting room and the court hall. Unfortunately barely a mention of the witch trails with zero mention of the hangings. Courthouse is mainly set with story boards about Amistad. In the basement they are renovating but Most is open and includes additional local historical facts and artifacts. Very much enjoyed seeing everything and learned more than I expected. Go check it out!
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October 2022 by Russell Davis
The secret is out or is it well let me tell you what I'm talking about Fridays at the old state house in front has music and guess what? fresh fruit and vegetables from the farm. the Farmers market at the old say house on Fridays and boy I don't miss it. grapes with seeds in them watermelon with seeds in them fresh peaches plums apples and so much more onion,l cabbage, peppers OMG that's the spot the secret is out the Old State House on Fridays. I'll see you there.
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September 2022 by Paul Federico
Great event with Dinosaur Jr. last night. Brought Hartford back to life for one night.
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August 2022 by Luke Greika
Went to the free concert. Belas Bartok and West End Blend. Absolutely incredible. This is what Hartford needs more of. Great music and a great crowd.
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August 2022 by Mr. Lee
Free concerts every Thursday this summer has been a blast! Good music and good vibes. Very well kept location great for picnics or lounging in the grass with friends and family.
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August 2022 by Paul Gardner
The new one is over on capitol Ave and is more grand and imposing etc. However this old state house has the revolutionary charm of colonial British America
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July 2022 by David Smith
The tour was amazing. Our tour guide took the time to tell us every detail about the building !
