Hartford's primary business district, Downtown has several monuments, landmarks and is home to several historic sites and cultural attractions.

In 1749, a square – marked with monuments set at each corner – contained the Meeting House, House of Correction, stocks and a pillory for punishing criminals. The square was where all town festivities and ceremonies took place. The north and south lines were about where Kinsley and Grove Streets are now located.

Main Street – the primary north/south thoroughfare – was once known as King's Highway. It was road that Generals Washington and Knox, Alexander Hamilton and Lafayette used during the Revolutionary War to greet Rochambeau and his French officers on what is now Central Row.

Bushnell Park, prominently positioned in the city center, provides not only respite from concrete and steel, but is a venue for festivals, music and events. Created in the early days of the American Park Movement, the park might have been designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted was it not for the fact that Central Park in New York City was already under development. Instead, Jacob Weidenmann, a Swiss born landscape designer, designed Bushnell Park.

Riverfront Plaza provides a terrific view of the Connecticut River and is the site of river-related events, performances and festivals.

Cultural institutions in the city include the Hartford Stage Company, Bushnell Memorial and Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford Symphony, and Theatreworks.

The seat of state government is located at the State Capitol Building, with adjoining Legislative Office Building. The Connecticut State Library is also located in the downtown district, and contains historical records, reference materials and collections relative to the state's history, including the Colt Firearms Collection.

The southern area of Downtown is known as SoDo. It has its own unique character and retains a greater number of human-scale buildings than does any other part of the city center ... (more)