Hartford

Mark Twain, one of America's most celebrated writers, lived in a stately house on Farmington Avenue between 1874 and 1891. This elegant, 19-room mansion, built in a Victorian Gothic style, was where Twain wrote many of his most famous and successful works (including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), and has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. Visitors to the Mark Twain Museum Centre can anticipate a fascinating Ken Burns documentary detailing Twain's life and work, and state-of-the-art exhibition facilities. William Faulkner once called Mark Twain 'the father of American literature', and anyone with even a passing interest in American culture, would be ill-advised to pass up a visit to this significant, and memorable museum.

Address : 351 Farmington Ave

Website : www.marktwainhouse.org

Telephone : (860) 247 0998

Mystic Seaport, just under an hour's drive from Hartford and a popular excursion from the city, allows visitors to experience a classic New England seafaring community. Its four sections include a restored 19th-century village, comprising more than 30 shops and businesses; the waterfront, featuring tall ships and other historic vessels that visitors can climb aboard and explore; the preservation shipyard, where antique vessels are restored using traditional methods and tools; and a collection of galleries and exhibits. Mystic Seaport, which describes itself as 'The Museum of America and the Sea', is the perfect family destination, with several restaurants, boating activities and programmes for children.

Address : 75 Greenmanville Avenue

Website : www.mysticseaport.org

Telephone : (860) 572 0711

The Old State House was built in 1796. It is one of the oldest state houses in the country and has been named a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can tour the magnificently restored rooms, listen to the audio tour and visit the education centre and museum shop. Celebrated as the site where Connecticut's democracy was born, the Old State House is an interesting monument to the state's proud history and contains some quirky and fun artefacts as well as more sombre, historic ones. The museum hosts frequent events and exhibitions and is open to the public year-round. A visit should entertain and educate the whole family.

Address : 206 Washington Street

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : www.ctosh.org

Telephone : (501) 324 9685

The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, and famously boasts the largest collection of paintings of the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American landscape art movement influenced by Romanticism. These fine paintings, originally obtained by Daniel Wadsworth, are now considered American masterpieces. The Wadsworth Atheneum now houses over 50,000 works of art ranging from the ancient to the contemporary, and the building itself is fascinating. The museum also hosts excellent temporary exhibitions and special events like lectures and seminars.

Address : 600 Main Street

Website : www.thewadsworth.org/

Telephone : (860) 278 2670