Connecticut's Old State House

Fires, Floods, and Acts of God: A Downtown Hartford Walking Tour
2023-10-21 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
What a Disaster! Take to the streets for a unique walking tour centered on man-made and natural disasters that made history in Hartford. Join us on a 1.2-mile loop to hear compelling stories of ingenuity, resilience, and innovation and see how Downtown Hartford has grown.
All tours are FREE and start at Connecticut’s Old State House.
To attend, register here: https://bit.ly/FFAoG2023 This event is presented by Travelers

Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman Exhibit
2023-10-21 12:00 - 17:00, 2023-10-28 12:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
Exhibit runs Mondays – Saturdays though November 11, 2023.
Connecticut’s Old State House will host “Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and Cartoons of Clifford Berryman.” Election season in the modern era elicits a barrage of amusing and pointed memes – but historically, editorial cartoons have swayed opinions and helped shape elections for generations! Clifford Berryman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist with The Washington Star and The Washington Post, produced almost daily cartoons for over 50 years – from 1896 to 1949.
Unlike any other form of political commentary, cartoons show altered physical traits and highlight minute details to make a specific point. With simple pen strokes, they foreshadow the future, poke fun at the past, and imply hidden motives in ways that elude written or spoken reporting. This unique exhibit features a series of pen & ink drawings to highlight the timeless aspects of US campaigns and election processes. Running for Office was created by the National Archives with the support of the Foundation for the National Archives and organized for travel by Humanities Texas, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This exhibit is part of Connecticut’s Old State House “Go Big. Vote Local.” Series. For information about other upcoming programs in the series, return to our events calendar.
Extended hours until 8:00 pm on select Thursdays. On street parking is free on weekends. Garage parking is available at State House Square Garage, 55 Market Street, for $5 with validation.

LET ME DRAW YOU A PICTURE: A CONVERSATION WITH BOB ENGLEHART
2023-10-21 13:00 - 14:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
This event is FREE and open to the public.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is an editorial cartoon worth? Editorial cartoonists have been keeping us entertained and well informed for centuries. Their witty visual commentary can be powerful conversation starters, make us consider issues from new perspectives, or help us visualize what we were already thinking! Bob Englehart was the Hartford Courant’s editorial cartoonist for 35 years, as well as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the Editorial Cartoon category. His work played an integral part in how the public engage with Connecticut politics and news. Join CT’s Old State House in conversation with Bob as we take a look at the state of political cartoons and other forms of artistic political expressions today.
This exhibit is part of Connecticut’s Old State House “Go Big. VoteLocal.” Series.
Register Here
On street parking is available. Parking at State House Square Garage, 55 Market Street, is just steps away from Connecticut’s Old State House and is only $5 with a validated ticket.

The Making of the First Black US Diplomat: Conversations at Noon on the Connecticut Freedom Trail
2023-10-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Tuesday, October 24that 12:00pm
Connecticut native Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett was the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti from 1869 to 1877. He was the first African American to serve as a U.S diplomat anywhere in the world. His was a life of civil service, diplomacy, education, and activism in a time where African Americans were making strides breaking barriers in politics and government. He was also the first Black student to attended the Connecticut Normal School, now Central Connecticut State University. Join Counselor William Fothergill as he shares the story of his fellow CCSU alum and the making of the first Black US diplomat.
Register and learn more here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaq6y1FTpcVmRFoLvGbcEoL2QaSq_7ufhld2NNJKteM4FeIQ/viewform

Hartford History Lecture Series: Wadsworth Atheneum’s First Century: Collections and Patrons
2023-10-26 17:45 - 19:00 | Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
Thursday, October 26th
5:45pm-7:00pm
For more than a century, Daniel Wadsworth’s picture gallery, the Connecticut Historical Society and the Watkinson and Hartford Public Libraries were housed together within the complex known as Wadsworth Atheneum. Like no other museum its size in America, the Atheneum’s collections and identity were shaped by fascinating donors and patrons whose tastes and interests reflect the needs and priorities of their time and place. The lure of the local is abundantly presented in a collection 200+ years in the making. Former Atheneum curator William Hosley will introduce us to the stuff and stories belonging to such legendary personalities as JP Morgan, Daniel Wadsworth and Sam & Elizabeth Colt. It will explore Hartford connections between artists and collectors like Frederic Church, William Merrit Chase, and Wallace Nutting, and introduce pathbreaking patrons and philanthropists like Samuel P. Avery, Rev. Francis Goodwin and Henry Keney.
Register and learn more here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScydbE_z2ZfMBeGQm6TToXVuBPfRwK65Vb-9rMgzU8CzpaM3w/viewform

Witchcraft Panic in Colonial Connecticut
2023-10-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
Saturday, October 28th
at 2:00pm
Join Richard Ross III for a presentation on the fascinating history of the Hartford Witch Panic between 1647 – 1663. Dr. Ross will discuss the events in England that impacted how the Connecticut Colony handled witchcraft allegations. What deep seated beliefs led to fear and panic amongst the colonists? What was the process to investigate these claims? Learn how the religious and political leaders of the time handled these charges … and what happened to the innocent people who were accused. Did they really form a pact with the Devil?
This lecture is co-sponsored with the Ancient Burying Ground, located in downtown Hartford. Additional Hartford Witch Trials Programs are offered in October. In Guided Tours, view this historic site where many of the colonial magistrates and ministers were laid to rest.
Ross is the author of Before Salem Witch Hunting in the CT River Valley, 1647-1663. This history examines the outbreak of witch hysteria in the Valley, focusing on accusations of demonic possession, apotropaic magic and the role of the clergy. Although the hysteria was eventually quelled by a progressive magistrate unwilling to try witches, accounts of the trials later influenced the Salem witch hunts.
Register and learn more here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnsTsa5XpvJKZdBiN-0dPZ7nXVCm6VPpDrhBMiPytaBUPSNQ/viewform

Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman Exhibit
2023-11-04 12:00 - 17:00, 2023-11-11 12:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States

ELECTION CAKE BAKE-OFF 2023
2023-11-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
November 4, 2023 from 1:00 – 4:00 pmThis event is FREE and open to the public.
It’s time for a celebration and some sweet competition! Join Connecticut’s Old State House for the second annual Election Cake Bake-Off. Help us revive a long-lost Connecticut tradition that deserves a come back. In the 18th and 19th centuries Election Day combined voting with parties, libations, parades, and cake! Stores sold special Election Cake ingredients to women who transformed them into spicy cakes for crowds gathered to celebrate voting at the Old State House and other sites.
Come sample cakes, observe celebrity judging, enjoy music, and gear up for voting on Tuesday, November 7th. Connecticut pastry chefs and bakers have been challenged to win over the taste buds of a panel of judges who will proclaim which confection shall be the official Connecticut Election Cake of 2023. Celebrity judges include:
Jenna D’Amico, 2022 Election Cake Bake-Off WinnerAlex P. Taylor, Senior Community Manager at Yelp ConnecticutDavid Milton, food reviewer for “thedamgram” on Instagram and “thedamtok” on TikTok.
How the contest works: Each competitor registering to compete will create a non-partisan, election-themed cake that they must be able to carry into the building by themselves, without assistance. Cakes will be judged on presentation, creativity, and taste. Bakers can register for the competition HERE.
This event is part of Connecticut’s Old State House “Go Big. VoteLocal.” Series.
On street parking is available. Parking at State House Square Garage, 55 Market Street, is just steps away from Connecticut’s Old State House and is only $5 with a validated ticket.

CARICATURE WORKSHOP AT CT’S OLD STATE HOUSE
2023-11-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
This event if FREE and open to people ages 5 and up.
It’s time to break out the brushes and colored pencils. Do you have something to say? Why not say it in a drawing? Caricatures are a fun and straightforward way to express your thoughts and opinions in an artistic way. Join us to create your own caricature masterpiece! Learn how to draw your own caricatures and explore your creativity in this introductory workshop at CT’s Old State House! Materials and supplies will be provided.
This event is part of Connecticut’s Old State House “Go Big. VoteLocal.” Series.
Register Here
On street parking is available. Parking at State House Square Garage, 55 Market Street, is just steps away from Connecticut’s Old State House and is only $5 with a validated ticket.

Sleeping with the Ancestors: The Educational Value of Sleeping in Slave Dwellings: Conversations at Noon on the Connecticut Freedom Trail
2023-11-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Tuesday, November 28th
at 2:00pm
Join us for a deep dive honoring the enslaved Ancestors by sleeping in the places they once dwelled. In its twelfth year, Joseph McGill of the Slave Dwelling Project has spent nights in slave dwellings in 25 states and the District of Columbia. The sleepovers are chronicled in the book Sleeping With the Ancestors which is cowritten by Herb Frazier.
Register and learn more here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffPtZJQx0voq0jihkqMo_sLkUHuZcYHZweDIS1PS3fufP9Sw/viewform

Encounters: A Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Democracy
2023-12-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
This event is hosted by UCONN’s Democracy & Dialogues Initiative and Connecticut’s Old State House.
Everyday, there seems to be more talk about Artificial Intelligence. Experts suggest it will soon affect every aspect of our lives, from education to business and even art. As this new technology becomes more entwined in our everyday lives, one also wonders how it will affect our democracy and how the government is run. How could law makers and politicians utilize these tools in policy making? How could it be implemented during elections and in communication between candidates and the electorate? Should A.I. be incorporated into our systems of government at all, or has it already? Join us for an informed and collaborative exploration of these critical and fascinating questions!
Encounters programs dive deep into subjects through facilitated, small-group dialogues followed by a question-and-answer style conversation with our UConn faculty and community partners. Resources are provided beforehand to encourage informed and informal dialogue. The aim is to develop a forum for respectful and challenging dialogue, followed by a communal meal and coffee.
This event is FREE and open to the general public. To reserve your seat, register here: https://events.uconn.edu/dodd-human-rights-impact/event/54780-encounters-artificial-intelligence-and-democracy
PARKING:On street parking is available. Garage parking at StateHouse Square Parking Garage, located at 55 Market Street just steps awayfrom Connecticut’s Old State House, is $5 with a validated ticket. Pleasepresent your parking ticket to the museum’s Visitor Services desk forvalidation.

Holiday Shopping Fair at Connecticut's Old State House
2023-12-07 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-12-08 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-12-09 11:00 - 16:00
Connecticut’sOld State House is ringing in the holiday season by bringing back their annual HolidayShopping Fair. This event, scheduled for December 7-9, has a long tradition of attractingtalented crafters and artists from around Connecticut for a festive shoppingexperience throughout the historic rooms of the State House. The HolidayShopping Fair will run 11 am – 4 pm and will feature home décor, toys, candles,photography, jewelry, glassware, ornaments, photography, prints crocheted plushies,body products, clothing, accessories and more.
Vendors can accommodate arange of payment options including credit/debit cards, Venmo, Apple Pay, andCashApp. Shoppers working in and visiting Downtown Hartford will find uniquegifts for family, teachers, colleagues and friends, and can venture to explorelocal restaurants and independently owned shops just steps away. On streetparking is available. Garage parking at State House Square Parking Garage,located at 55 Market Street is $5 with a validated ticket. Please present yourparking ticket to the museum’s Visitor Services desk for validation.

Connecticut Freedom Trail: 2023 Year in Review!
2023-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Join us online. Register here https://bit.ly/CFT2023YearInReview
The CT Freedom Trail is home to over 160 heritage sites that recognizes extraordinary individuals whose lives made impactful strides toward equity and social justice in Connecticut.
As we wrap up 2023, join CT Freedom Trail Outreach Director Tammy Denease, CT Freedom Trail Chairman Charles Warner, and CT Freedom Trail Coordinator Todd Levine for a retrospective look at the growth and progress on the trail in this benchmark year!
Register here: https://bit.ly/CFT2023YearInReviewStream here: https://streamyard.com/watch/WcY2ibfYbWu5

The Black Heritage Project at CT State Community College Capital
2024-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
FEATURING:Dr. Frank Mitchell, Curator of the Nutmeg Pulpit ExhibitionProfessor Antoinette Brim-Bell, Capital Community College Faculty and CT State Poet Laureate Dr. Duncan Harris, CEO of CT State Community College Capital
This online event is FREE and open to the general public
To kickoff 2024, the Connecticut Freedom Trail highlights The Black Heritage Project, which celebrates the people and history of the Talcott Street Church, Hartford’s first Black church and site of Hartford’s first school for Black children. The historic Talcott Street Church site is next to Connecticut State Community College Capital’s building but remains unmarked and unnoticed. Capital is seeking to raise awareness of the site’s significance with three specific strategies, each of which will be explored in this presentation: the Nutmeg Pulpit exhibition, curriculum development, and the annual Pennington Lecture.
To register, click here: https://bit.ly/CFT2024WinterJoin us online at https://streamyard.com/watch/MnpWTFR7QYPP

Connecticut Democracy Center Awards
2024-02-01 18:00 - 21:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) will host the firstannual Connecticut Democracy Center Awards at Connecticut’s Old State House onFebruary 1, 2024, to pay tribute to business, community, and philanthropicleaders including The Honorable Alvin W. Thompson, CitizenTravelers, the non-partisan civicengagement initiative of The Travelers Companies, Inc., and Mary Gawlicki of the Gawlicki Family Foundation.
The CTDCestablished the award to recognize those committed to strengthening democracythrough acts of citizenship, service, and community engagement. The eveningincludes an inspirational program, drinks, small plates, dessert, a champagnetoast, and networking with business professionals, educators, and communityleaders. Tickets start at $100 and are now on sale at https://bit.ly/CTDCAwards. Seating is limited.
The event will include drinks, small plates, live music, dessert and a champagne toast. For more information, click here.
Tickets are $100 per person and are now on sale HERE. Seating is limited.

Discovering Amistad Freedom Forum
2024-02-16 15:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
In honor of Black History Month, Discovering Amistad in collaboration with Connecticut’s Old State House and Connecticut Freedom Trail presents aninvigorating moderated roundtable discussion.
This forum will be moderated by Tammy Denease, Outreach Director for the Connecticut Freedom Trail. Three phenomenal Scholars will share fascinating history and their remarkable work to reclaim and highlight Black Narratives from Black Descendants.
Panelists include:Jeffrey FletcherDescendant of Ruby and Calvin Fletcher
Constance RoysterDescendant of the Judge Constance Baker Motley
John MillsGeneologist
This in-person event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP to Mariana.Garcia@cga.ct.gov

"Evening Conversations" Hidden Laws: How State Constitutions Stabilize American Politics
2024-02-22 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
Featured Speaker: Professor Robinson Woodward-Burns, Political Science, Howard UniversityThe public is always excited about big, federal legislation that affects the whole country. But they might not realize that some of the biggest changes in national government actually started at the state level. Sometimes, it’s these local politics that end up having the biggest impact.
As Woodrow Wilson said back in 1908, “The question of the relation of the States to the Federal Government is the cardinal question of our constitutional system.” The development of that relationship is the backbone of our government, with State Constitutions existing in synchronization with the U.S. Constitution. But a closer look shows us that many of the biggest changes in our government had their roots in the individual states. So often we focus on the broad national debates, when it could be that the more local constitutional reforms have the biggest impact on citizens everywhere. From slavery to voting rights and labor laws, State Constitutions set the trends that the federal government followed. Join us in conversation with Prof. Robinson Woodward-Burns as we explore these ideas.
This event is FREE and open to the general public. To register, click here: https://bit.ly/OSH2024HiddenLaws

"Conversations at Noon on the Connecticut Freedom Trail" Belinda Royal Sutton: Reparations Then and Now
2024-02-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Featured Speaker: Raymond A. Wimbush, Director of the Institute for Urban Research Morgan State University
This event is FREE and open to the general public.
Among reparations scholars and activists, Belinda Royall’s 1782 Petition to the Massachusetts Legislature, marks the beginning of the reparations struggle in what would become the United States of America. Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman’s lawsuit just a year earlier, may have been an inspiration for Belinda, and her remarkable lawsuit 241 years later echoes in all areas of the reparation movement. For this month’s Conversations at Noon on the CT Freedom Trail join us for an exploration into Belinda Royall’s story and the reparations movement.
To register, click here: https://bit.ly/CFT24Winter

A Night at the Public House: Let Them Vote!
2024-03-21 05:30 - 07:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
Hike up your petticoats and join us in Hartford for A Night at the Public House: Let Them Vote! Pulitzer Prize -winning journalist (and special guests from Sea Tea Improv) will be on hand to tell the story of Isabella Beecher Hooker and the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association’s fight for the enfranchisement of women in Connecticut. Learn more about Isabella and her work to change laws regarding women’s rights to vote and own property.Thomas Hooker Brewery will be onsite with a cash bar and the famous courtroom in Connecticut’s Old State House will turn into a public house — a pub if you prefer. Public house style refreshments will be served.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Registration for A Night at the Public House: Let Them Vote! is not required but encouraged! For tickets copy or click this link: https://bit.ly/CTOSHLetThemVote
PARKINGParking available at State House Square Parking Garage, located at 55 Market Street is only $5 with a validated ticket.Please present your parking ticket to the museum’s Visitor Services desk forvalidation. Free on-street parking is available after 6:00 pm. For moreinformation, please call (860) 522.6766.
About Susan Campbell
Susan Campbell is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a widely-read newspaper columnist, and the author of three books. She has worked across the media landscape as an award-winning print journalist, a regular commentator on WNPR, and a guest on CBS’ “Sunday Morning,” the BBC, WTNH-TV, and the local news show “Face the State.” She was also part of the Connecticut Health Investigative Team, an award-winning health and safety website.
Her work at The Hartford Courant – where she was a staff writer and columnist for 25 years – was recognized by the National Women’s Political Caucus, the New England Associated Press News Executives, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and the Society for Professional Journalists, among numerous other organizations. She’s also written for Connecticut Magazine, Salon.com, the Ms. Foundation blog, and Patheos.com. She currently writes a weekly Sunday column for Hearst newspapers in Connecticut.

"Conversations at Noon on the Connecticut Freedom Trail" The Life of Private William Webb
2024-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Featured Speaker: Kevin Johnson, History & Genealogy UnitConnecticut State Library
This event is FREE and open to the general public.
The Connecticut Freedom Trail and CT’s Old State House are pleased to present present Kevin Johnson as William Webb, an African-American Civil War Soldier from Connecticut. Private Webb was an actual soldier, a native of Hartford. He was recruited in 1863 and served in the Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry in several battles in Virginia.
Johnson’s presentation of Webb is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that vividly illustrates the struggle of the African-Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War. He tells of his early life in Hartford, his recruitment and training, and the traumatic final battles of the Civil War. The presentation is based on extensive research in the collections of the Connecticut State Library and the Museum of Connecticut History at 231 Capitol Ave, opposite the State Capitol in Hartford.
To register, click here: https://bit.ly/CFT24Winter

The American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit
2024-04-09 12:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-10 12:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-11 12:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-12 12:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-13 12:00 - 17:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA
The Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution and the American Battlefield Trust are excited to feature the American Revolution Experience at The Old State House from April 9 – April 19, 2024. The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.
Tuesday-Saturday, the exhibit is open 12-5. On Thursday April 18 the exhibit is open from 12-8 pm.

Fires, Floods and Acts of God: A Downtown Hartford Walking Tour
2024-04-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
What a Disaster! Take to the streets for a unique walking tour centered on man-made and natural disasters that made history in Hartford. Join us on a 1.2-mile loop to hear compelling stories of ingenuity, resilience, and innovation and see how Downtown Hartford has grown.
The tour was start from inside Connecticut’s Old State House by the Visitor Desk at 6 pm on Thursdays and at 10 am on Saturdays. The tour will take place rain or shine, so please come prepared for the weather! The tour will last approximately one hour and is about 1 mile long with the potential for some stairs – weather and river flooding depending.
For more information, please call us at 860.240.5340 or email Nicole Sousa, Events and Outreach Manager, at nicole.sousa@cga.ct.gov.
To register, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VzJRfD7EJtgKYG-HtEWXB5U50WxK7ZmIQ3yC5gpXoWU/edit
