The courtroom has been significantly altered over time and today is used for educational programs, special events, and is available to rent.
The courtroom was the site of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, as well as the County and Superior Courts of Hartford.
Court was an important part of life in the 18th and 19th centuries. The courtroom included seats for spectators and a balcony located in the rear of the room. Sometimes the crowd was so large that people were forced to wait outside or sit on window sills.
Did you know? This courtroom and the Senate Chamber were the sites of the beginning of the Amistad trials in 1839. The case involved a revolt on board an illegal Spanish slave ship eventually seized in Long Island Sound. The trial started with a question of jurisdiction. The case was eventually tried before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Africans allowed to go free.
Explore The Old State House
THE SENATE CHAMBER
MUSEUM OF CURIOSITIES
HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE STATUE OF JUSTICE
THE GREAT HALL
THE OFFICES