Connecticut

The Connecticut State Capitol is a stunner! That’s a high bar considering most state capitols are beautiful, but this capitol building usually rates among the best in the United States—and with good reason.

Located in downtown Hartford near I-84, the Connecticut State Capitol houses the Connecticut Governor and Connecticut General Assembly, which includes the Senate and House of Representatives.

Learn more about the Connecticut State Capitol history or plan your visit. The League of Women Voters, which is responsible for capitol building tours, also offers a photo album that has pictures I am not including in the gallery below.

Downtown Hartford wasn’t particularly busy, so we had no trouble getting around. We parked in a lot across from 41-acre Bushnell Park, which surrounds the capitol building, so we got to walk through the park on the way.

Under the dome interior is The Genius of Connecticut, a plaster reproduction of the original bronze statue that once stood atop the dome until it was destroyed during a hurricane in 1938.

In the lobby is a statue of Nathan Hale, who served as a spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. His cousin, a British sympathizer, betrayed him and he was captured, tried and convicted of spying, then hanged. His reported last words were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”  

In 1985, he was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. Too bad he wasn’t around to enjoy that.

The Senate and House chambers (called “halls”) are grand, especially for such a small state. Like some other Senate chambers in New England, the Connecticut Senate desks are arranged in a circle around the state seal in the center.

The Charter Oak Chair (carved from a fallen oak tree in 1857) sits on the dais. They call it the “Wishing Chair” because the lieutenant governor, who presides over the Senate, sits in it and wishes to be governor.

The House Hall is the largest room in the building, with carved walnut paneling and stained glass windows. Like the rest of the building, it is exceptionally ornate.

The path to this capitol is proof that sometimes, adjusting to circumstances beyond your control is necessary when you are on the road.

My uncle and I visited this capitol as part of our road trip to the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. I had hoped to visit this capitol on our way to Rhode Island from Maryland, but our visit in New Jersey took too much time, and we were not going to make it. Since our room in Rhode Island was booked, we had to stay on track.

We doubled back a couple of days later; the reward was being able to drive the back roads in Connecticut, which is such a pretty state. It all worked out.

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