New Britain, CT

Showcasing an interesting and extensive collection of American artists, the New Britain Museum of American Art should feature on every visitor’s to-do list. The museum was founded in 1930 and today houses a priceless collection of over eight thousand artworks produced solely by American artists.

Highlights of your visit will include viewing colonial portraiture, works by the famous Hudson River School and Ash Can School of artists as well as some excellent examples of American Impressionism by masters like Theodore Robinson and Willard Metcalf. To make the most of your visit the museum suggests that you book a docent-led tour of the museum, available daily.

New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT 06052, Phone: 860-229-0257

Providing visitors and locals with a delightful green space where they can enjoy walking, running or relaxing, Walnut Hill Park is a great place to spend a couple of hours enjoying the fresh air and sporting facilities. The park covers over 40 hectares west of downtown and offers tennis courts, baseball fields and a paved one-mile trail suitable for walking, jogging or biking.

There is a beautiful rose garden for you to explore if you visit in summer and a children’s playground and some outdoor exercise equipment completes the picture. The park also features a World War I Memorial Garden with a monument to celebrate locals who lost their lives during the war.

Walnut Hill Park, 184 W Main Street, New Britain, CT 06050, Phone: 860-826-3360, Walnut Hill Park Video

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

Baseball enthusiasts should make a point of visiting the New Britain Stadium to see the New Britain Bees in action at their home base at the New Britain Stadium. The stadium is modest in size (seating just six thousand fans) when compared to many major-league stadiums which makes it perfect for families and those who are uncomfortable with large crowds. You can look forward to enjoying a fun family evening out at a very reasonable cost and you may get to see a great firework display if you visit during weekend summer matches. The stadium offer on-site parking, comfortable seating and good food and drink concessions.

New Britain Stadium, 230 John Karbonic Way, New Britain, CT 06051, Phone: 860-826-2337

New Britain is sometimes referred to as “Hardware City” due to its prominent role as an innovative manufacturing center, where much of America’s early machinery and hardware originated. Today you can explore the industrial history of the city at the New Britain Industrial Museum which is dedicated to safeguarding and showcasing an amazing collection of industrial artifacts. Here you will have the chance to admire everything from 19th century hooks and eyes (essential wardrobe components of the day) to a 20th century ERA Cobra Car. Between these two extremes you will see thousands of every-day objects and tools which innovative pioneers designed and created to lighten their work-load. The Museum offers excellent viewing for the whole family.

New England Industrial Museum, 59 West Main Street, New Britain, CT 06050, Phone: 860-832-8654

Activities and Attractions for Couples:

Operating out of the historic Repertory Theatre in Norden Street, the Connecticut Theatre Company endeavors to entertain visitors to New Britain with a full annual program of plays, comedies, musicals and other professional performances. Theatre lovers have the chance to enjoy a varied menu of entertainment (including Broadway musicals) without having to move far from town. The Theatre Company thrives to expose all visitors and residents to a wide variety of performing art forms so as to stimulate an enduring love of theatre and if you live close by you can buy an annual Season Ticket which will ensure you never miss a moment of the fun and have first option on the best seats in the house.

Connecticut Theatre Company, The Repertory Theatre, 23 Norden Street, New Britain, CT 06051, Phone: 806-223-3147

From extremely modest beginnings in a cramped paperback book store (hence the unusual name) the Hole in the Wall Theater has progressed through over 40 years of producing a wonderful variety of plays, musicals and reading for the residents and visitors of New Britain. Hole in the Wall is a community theater project which relies on local artists to produce quality entertainment for all theater-lovers to enjoy, regardless of their circumstances and they still produce several Pay-What-You-Can performances each year to ensure that no community member is prevented from enjoying the magic of live theater entertainment due to their financial circumstances.

Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main St, New Britain, CT 06051, Phone: 860-229-3049

Visiting golf enthusiasts will be pleased to know that a great golfing day out awaits them at the 27-hole Stanley Golf Course in New Britain. The course offers beautifully manicured fairways and greens and is suitable for both beginners and seasoned golfers. To get into the swing of things you can book a private lesson (or two) or spend a couple of hours polishing up your technique at the heated and lit Driving Range or at the chipping and putting facility. The course encourages younger players by offering free green fees to under 18’s after 2pm (when accompanied by a paying adult).

Stanley Golf Course, 245 Hartford Rd, New Britain, CT 06053, Phone: 860-827-8570

New Britain has a large Polish immigrant community, some of whom travelled to the state as far back as the 1870’s. The Polish American Foundation of Connecticut strives to keep the Polish language and culture alive in New Britain by producing regular concerts, shows and musical performances to showcase Poland’s rich cultural heritage. To ensure that later generations of Polish immigrants can learn about their ancestor’s traditions the foundation hosts Polish language classes, Folk Dancing groups, the Chopin Society and various other educational programs for both adults and children. The foundation is headquartered in the historic Sloper-Wesoly Mansion, where visitors are welcome to attend many of the programs and activities.

Polish American Foundation of Connecticut, Sloper-Wesoly Immigrant Heritage Center, 27 Grove Hill, New Britain, CT 06052, Phone: 860-893-0074

If you happen to be visiting New Britain with children you should make a point to take them to visit the New Britain Youth Museum for a couple of hours of interactive fun activities. Your children can join various educational programs which could include meeting animals, story-telling sessions and art sessions for children over 7 years and much more. The museum offers a special “Sisters in Science” program to introduce girls to the magical world of science from age five, with the express purpose of getting more girls interested in the sciences. The museum has an outdoor nature center where children can learn about the natural world as they follow an outdoor trail.

New Britain Youth Museum, 191 Farmington Ave, Berlin, CT 06037, Phone: 860-827-9064