AVON

Avon Historical Society - 8 East Main St. (Rte. 44).,860- 678-7621
Restored 19th century schoolhouse with photos and exhibits about life along the Farmington Canal in the 1830s

Farmington Valley Arts Center - 50 Simsbury Rd. Rte. 10 (north), 860-678-1867
An exceptional arts education resource for all ages. Regular classes and workshops by professional artists, gallery shop and annual Christmas sale. .

Avon Old Farms School - 500 Old Farms Rd., Avon. Left at Rtes. 44 and 10, 860-404-4100
Farmington architect Theodate Pope Riddle’s tribute to the English cottage style. (She also designed Hill-Stead Museum.)

The Pickin’ Patch - Route 185 to Nod Rd., south past Tower Ridge Country Club., 677-9552
Family-operated since 1666! Acres of pick-your-own products and a brimming farm store.

The Governor’s Horse Guards - 232 West Avon Rd. (Rte. 176),860- 673-3525
The First Company Governor’s Horse Guards operates from a 139-acre facility off Route 176. Troop drills every Thursday night are open to the public. The group appears at parades and events and is a prominent part of the inaugural ceremonies every four years. Founded in 1788 by Hartford veterans of the Revolutionary War, it’s been called into national service during wars and conflicts over the years. More than 60 men and women are Horse Guards members.

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CANTON

Collinsville Historic District - Rte. 179 at Collinsville Center. Explore a 19th-century mill village that has been sensitively adapted to our era. The old Collins Axe Factory has antiques shops and studios. LaSalle Market is legendary for sandwiches, hearty breakfasts and informal dinners. The Canton Historical Museum has an interesting collection of local artifacts, and historic buildings like Collinsville Savings and Canton Town Hall line the streets.

Roaring Brook Nature Center - 70 Gracey Rd. From Rte. 44 west turn onto Lawton Road to left-fork onto Gracey., 860-693-0263
Affiliated with the Children’s Museum of Connecticut, the nature center features standing exhibits as well as changing seasonal exhibits. Excellent bird watching opportunities. Kids’ programs and folk concerts are scheduled regularly.

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EAST GRANBY

Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine - Newgate Rd., 860-653-3563
America’s first chartered copper mine in 1707; a prison for British sympathizers during the Revolutionary War and Connecticut’s state prison until 1827. Visitors tour the eerie underground dungeon rooms where prisoners were shackled.

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FARMINGTON

Hill-Stead Museum - 35 Mountain Rd., 860-677-4787
An outstanding example of Colonial Revival domestic architecture, it houses the Pope family’s collection of Impressionist paintings by Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Degas, and Whistler, and antique furniture, rugs and decorative arts. Educational and cultural events including the summer Sunken Garden Poetry Festival.

Stanley-Whitman Museum - 37 High St., 860-677-9222
Built in 1720 and restored to depict life in 18th century Farmington it is a National Historic landmark. Programming for families and children.

Day-Lewis Museum -158 Main St. (rear)., 860-677-2754
Houses a small, but impressive, collection of Native American artifacts.

Lewis-Walpole Library - 154 Main St., 860-677-2140
A non-circulating research library for 18th-century English studies. Bequeathed to Yale University by W.S. Lewis, collector of letters and works by Horace Walpole, it houses the United State's most extensive collection of English 18th century satirical prints.

Farmington Village/Freedom Trail - Main St., Rte. 10., 860-678-1645
Underground Railroad “safehouses,” which hid slave runaways are featured with homes connected to the Amistad case. For a site map or guided tour, call 860-678-1645

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GRANBY

McLean Game Refuge has over 20 miles of well-marked trails—there’s a footpath here for everyone. Trails are easily accessible from two main entrances. The Route 10 entrance is one mile south of the junction of Rtes. 202/10 and 20 in Granby center. The west entrance is off Rte. 20 West on Barndoor Hills Rd.

Salmon Brook Historical Society located at 208 Salmon Brook St. (Rte. 202/10) just south of Granby Center, Consists of two historic homes, the Abjahiah Rowe House (c.1732) and the Weed-Enders House (1790), a one-room schoolhouse (1870), and a tobacco barn (1914) that house a variety of exhibits.

Holcomb Farm -113 Simsbury Rd., West Granby,860- 844-8616
From Granby center take Rte. 20 West and turn left onto Day St.—the farm is the intersection with Simsbury Road. Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, this 320-acre site was donated to the town of Granby in 1991. Offers a variety of programs including the arts, nature study and hiking trails.

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HARTFORD

The Artists Collective - 1200 Albany Ave., 860-527-3205
Founded by renowned Jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean and his wife, Dolly, this cultural arts center emphasizes the arts and culture of the African Diaspora.

The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts -166 Capitol Ave., 860-987-5900
Broadway shows, Connecticut Opera, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, International performers. Broadway tours and travel series.

Bushnell Park is a 40-acre municipal park created in 1854 adjacent to the State Capitol Building. Free concerts. Antique carousel with 48 colorful horses operates mid-April to mid-October. Available for parties. 860-585-5411

Charter Oak Cultural Center - 21 Charter Oak Ave., 860-249-1207
Built in 1876 as Connecticut’s first synagogue, this is now a venue dedicated to the exploration of world cultures through the visual and performing arts.

Connecticut Historical Society - 1 Elizabeth St., 860-236-5621
Museum galleries feature interactive exhibits plus over 3 million manuscripts on Connecticut history.

Connecticut Science Center - 250 Columbus Blvd, 860-SCIENCE
The souring building designed by Cesar Pelli & Assoc., houses 150-hands-on exhibits, a 3-D digital theater, four education labs, daily programs and events for children, teens and adults. all woth one goal - to engage young people in science!

Elizabeth Park - Prospect and Asylum Aves. The country’s first municipally-owned rose garden with more than 900 varieties and 15,000 bushes with peak bloom in late June. Greenhouses open to public. Includes a skating pond in winter and an excellent restaurant.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center - 77 Forest St., 860-522-9258
Home beautiful grounds of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and 30 other books. Carefully restored with period art and memorabilia. On the same “Nook Farm” location as the Mark Twain House. Guided tours.

Mark Twain House - 351 Farmington Ave., 860-493-6411
The Victorian mansion was once the home of Hartford’s most famous citizen. Open for tours. Part of Nook Farm site that includes Harriet Beecher Stowe House.

Hartford Stage Company - 50 Church St., 860-527-5151
Live professional theater in downtown Hartford. This Tony-Award-winning theater produces original works as well as adaptations of classics.

Theaterworks - 233 Pearl St., 860-527-7838
Cutting-edge theater in an intimate setting.

The Wadsworth Atheneum - 600 Main St., 860-278-2670
The nation’s oldest public museum, this grand and historic building has significant collections of American and international art and major touring exhibitions.

Old State House - 800 Main St., 860-522-6766
Designed by Charles Bulfinch and built in 1796, it's the oldest state house in the nation. Guided tours. Changing exhibits.

Real Art Ways - 56 Arbor St., 860-232-1006
Contemporary art, theater and films.

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SIMSBURY

Arts Exclusive Gallery - 690 Hopmeadow St. (Rte. 202/10),860- 651-5824
The treasure in the Webster Bank Building is Philip Janes’ Arts Exclusive Gallery, one of New England’s finest regional galleries. It features the original work of more than 30 well-known American artists.

Flamig Farm - 7 Shingle Mill Rd., West Simsbury,860- 658-5070
This is a unique place to learn and have fun. It offers a petting zoo, outdoor concerts, an Earthday celebration, facilities for kids’ birthday parties as well as a summer environmental education camp for kids. The outrageously scary Halloween Hayride through the fields is always sold out. Fresh eggs are always available, and recently-ringmaster Nevin Christenen has initiated experiments with solar energy and bio-diesel fuel.

The Talcott Mountain Summer Music Festival - Simsbury Meadow, on Iron Horse Blvd. Home of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s popular summer music series. 860-244-2999

The Pinchot Sycamore - Rte. 185 at Nod Rd. Connecticut’s largest tree grows on the banks of the Farmington River. A great spot for a swim, to launch a boat or picnic.

Heublein Tower - Rte. 185 on Talcott Mountain. The 165-foot tall structure atop Talcott Mountain is the Valley’s most visible landmark. Part of Talcott Mountain State Park, it was built as a summer retreat, between 1911 and 1914, by Gilbert Heublein of Heublein, Inc., distillers. Hiking and views.

Tulmeadow Farm - Village Rd., Rte. 309., 860-658-1430
An operating dairy farm since 1786, and today produces what may, in fact, be the world’s best ice cream!

International Skating Center of Connecticut -1375 Hopmeadow St. Rte. 202/10, 860-651-5400
Oksanna Baiul, Victor Petrenko and Katerina Gordeiva all trained here. So do lots of other up-and-coming skating stars. Skating lessons, community skating and hockey. Regular shows by the stars, too.

Phelps Tavern Museum and Homestead - Hopmeadow St. (Rte. 202/10),860- 658-2500
Imaginative tours and presentations. Special exhibits and interactive galleries interpret the tavern’s use as an inn from 1786 to 1849.

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WEST HARTFORD

Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society - 227 South Main St, 860-521-5362
Open year round, offering costumed tours of Noah Webster's birthplace (Author of the American Dictionary, Blue-Backed Speller, abolitionist, father of American copyright law ) and a variety of programs for kids and adults. A new hands-on area for kids will debut in 2009.

The Children's Museum - 959 Trout Brook Rd., 860-231-2824
A fabulous hands-on science environment for children. The campus includes a planetarium and nursery school.

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