Old State House



Hours:

10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday– Saturday

The Old State House is managed and operated by the Connecticut
General Assembly.

For Safety and Security Concerns contact the
State Capitol Police
24-Hour Dispatch-
(860) 240-0240

Links:

- CGA
- CT-N
- SCPD

 

 

The Old State House

From the earliest days of the Hartford settlement, the site of the Old State House has served as the magnetic center of the region we know today as Connecticut. The earliest colonists were drawn here, nurturing ideas of freedom and self-government, and in the wilderness that once pervaded, America’s earliest constitution and democracy were born.

By the time our nation had won its war for independence, the buildingDome that stands here today rose up out of the eighteenth-century skyline as Connecticut’s first state capitol. Today, people of all ages continue to be drawn to Connecticut’s Old State House. More than a museum, this centerpiece of Connecticut’s and America’s history symbolizes where we’ve been and where we’re going as citizens and stewards of our great democratic experiment. A beautifully-restored architectural marvel, the Old State House also plays host to a variety of community and cultural events.

Connecticut’s Old State House was conceived as – and Staircaseremains to this day – “the people’s house.” However you choose to visit, we invite you to “come home” to the Old State House soon!

Old State House
800 Main St.
Hartford, CT 06103
860. 522.6766

Upcoming Featured Events:


Summer Concert Series

Friday, July 9

Sound of New England - Sweet Adeline Chorus

Friday, July 16

Faye Green & Myke Ross - Jazz-Blues-R&B

Friday, July 23

The North Street Band - Jam-Rock-Jazz

Summertime Lecture Series

Register for the FREE Summertime Lecture Series

Join Connecticut’s Old State House for our Summertime Lecture Series! The series titled “Taking Sides: The Role of Partisanship in Politics and Policy” will explore the back story of three important election events in Connecticut. It was in the Old State House that debates were fought, decisions were made and elections were decided. The lectures will include a panel discussion that will bring to light how the contemporary issues today follow in line with our past. Each panel discussion will be moderated by broadcaster and CT-N Elections Coordinator Diane Smith.

July 14, 2010

“Contested Elections” Kevin Murphy, Author of “Governor Crowbar” to be published by Wesleyan University Press in 2011

Governor Morgan Bulkeley did not run for re-election in 1890, yet he served Connecticut as an unelected governor for two additional years after the 1890 race. Hotly disputed, fly-speck-stained election returns and officials’ refusal to certify them left each of the two actual gubernatorial candidates with less than 50% of the vote. Under then-existing law, this meant that the legislature had to choose the winner. However, in this case the House and Senate could not agree on a victor. Democrats decided to put their candidate in office—literally—by locking Bulkeley out of his governor’s office and installing their man. Bulkeley called for a crow bar, pried his door open, and remained in office. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that Bulkeley was the lawful governor and he remained in office two more years.

Join us as Mr. Kevin Murphy, Author of “Governor Crowbar” to be released by Wesleyan University Press in 2011, as he discusses the impact of this election on our state. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by broadcaster and CT-N Elections Coordinator Diane Smith.

September 15, 2010

“Partisan Print – Newspapers Taking Sides in the 19th Century”- Paul Janensch, Quinnipiac University Associate Professor

Lately the news has been filled with discussions about the increased partisanship that divides America. Many pundits cite biased journalism as an example of this national trend. Historically, however, political parties founded and supported newspapers that endorsed their party platforms. Numerous 19th-century elections can be characterized as mudslinging contests. Are politics really more partisan than they have always been? This lecture by Quinnipiac Associate Professor Paul Janensch will explore the history of partisan newspapers in Connecticut and how they affected the electorate. It will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by broadcaster and CT-N Elections Coordinator Diane Smith.

Old State House Summer 2010 Farmers’ Market
Grand Opening pdf

Monday, June 21

A perennial favorite, the Old State House Farmers’ Market returns for the summer.  Click here pdf for details!

Connecticut’s Old State House featured in
AAA Journeys Magazine pdf