Art Exhibits at our Hartford Historic Properties

Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United States

Every year, the Amos Bull Community Room and Butler-McCook Aetna Gallery are home to featured exhibitions showcasing the amazing work of local artists. Read more about this year's lineup below! The exhibits will be open during open tour days and our free Sunset Sounds jazz concerts. If you would like to book a tour of the Butler-McCook House & Garden to accompany your visit, please see the calendar.

Free

Pastel Paintings Art Exhibit: Gina Trusiewicz

Phelps-Hatheway House 55 S Main St, Suffield, CT, United States

Stop into Phelps-Hatheway's Visitor Center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition by Gina Trusiewicz. With a longtime interest in art, Trusiewicz developed her craft in an online class during the pandemic. Her interest in nature, animals, and plants, combined with her certification as a Master Gardener, has inspired the work for this exhibit–capturing everyday moments, and the feelings they evoke, in West Hartford or right from her own backyard.

Free

Bellamy-Ferriday Zinnia Seed Campaign

Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden 9 Main St N, Bethlehem, CT, United States

Help us plant the seeds for the future of the Bellamy-Ferriday Garden with our special zinnia seed campaign! Sponsor a zinnia seed for $10 and a garden stake with your name will be placed next to the spot where the seed is planted. Your sponsorship comes with a garden pass to return to see the plants in bloom. 

$10

Exhibition | TRANSPARENT: Creating Advocacy Through Art by Samuel Avery Giardina

Palmer-Warner House 307 Town Street, East Haddam, CT, United States

Connecticut Landmarks is proud to honor the LGBTQ+ community by welcoming visitors to explore “TRANSPARENT: Creating Advocacy Through Art” by Samuel Avery Giardina. This exhibition is free to the public and is open during the Palmer-Warner House's open hours through June 28. Located in the Palmer-Warner Barn, this exhibition explores personal identity, transformation, and the profound impact of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history.

Exhibit | Letters of Unity: Building LGBTQ+ Community Through the Written Word    

On view during open hours, this exhibit will celebrate the power of written communication in shaping LGBTQ+ identity, activism, and community. From love letters to zines and personal diaries to protest flyers, these artifacts tell the stories of resilience, connection, and creativity that have sustained LGBTQ+ communities across generations. Using the Palmer-Warner House’s collection and loaned items, this exhibit will weave together your stories with the stories of the house’s previous residents, Frederic Palmer and Howard Metzger, who created a safe space together in East Haddam. This exhibit aims to not only showcase the power of the written word in building community, but also celebrate the resilience, love, and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community.  

Free – $7

Progress Flag Field

Palmer-Warner House 307 Town Street, East Haddam, CT, United States

The Progress Flag Field honors the legacy of Frederic Palmer and Howard Metzger, who created a welcoming space for friends, family, and the LGBTQ+ community. This installation serves as a place for reflection, with each flag representing the diverse identities within the community. It honors those who fought for equality and celebrates unity, resilience, and the importance of safe spaces.

Free – $10

CANCELED: Make Music Day New London | Choosing Freedom

Hempsted Houses 11 Hempstead Street, New London, CT, United States

New London joins cities worldwide on the longest day of the year to celebrate the annual Make Music Day. This event is open to all audiences and will have a special focus on African American music, such as freedom songs, songs to support justice, songs for protection, as well as songs of praise.   

Free

Make Music Day Hartford | Ed Fast & Congabop

Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United States

Hartford joins cities worldwide on the longest day of the year to celebrate the annual Make Music Hartford with perennial crowd favorite Ed Fast and Congabop. Music will happen rain or shine in the intimate setting of our community room of Amos Bull House from 6-8 pm, 59 S Prospect in Hartford at the rear of our historic Butler-McCook House & Garden.

Free

Weaving Workshop – Make Your Own Kitchen Cleaning Set  

Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South St, Coventry, CT, United States

Step back in time to learn a craft from the 18th century, with some modern tools to make the process a bit easier! Learn to make your own kitchen cleaning set including a whisk broom and your choice of one to two other kitchen tools, including a cake tester, pot scrubber, or mushroom brush. All materials included.  

$55

Connecticut Historic Gardens Day

On Historic Gardens Day, sixteen historic gardens around the state welcome you to explore a variety of beautiful garden styles from different periods. Enjoy free admission to visit the gardens of the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, the Butler-McCook House & Garden, and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden!

Free

QUIZTORY: Decades Edition

Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South St, Coventry, CT, United States

So, you think you know trivia? Now you can prove it! Don your thinking caps and dress as your favorite decade for tavern-style trivia in the Nathan Hale Homestead barn.

$8 – $10

Housing Panel Discussion

Hempsted Houses 11 Hempstead Street, New London, CT, United States

Join us for a conversation regarding housing in the Black communities of New London and surrounding towns. Our panel will share stories from their youth in New London County and the state of minority housing during their teenage and young adult years. We will discuss how housing changed from adolescence through adulthood, and where they think things went wrong. How can we work in partnership with our communities to fix these issues? 

Free – $8

Butler-McCook Open Tour Saturday

Butler-McCook House & Garden 396 Main Street, Hartford, CT, United States

Visit the Butler-McCook House & Garden, the only 18th-century home remaining on Hartford’s Main Street, for a guided tour to learn about the McCook family, who loved music, art, and travel through explorations of the museum’s collections which include paintings, Japanese samurai armor, furniture, and toys.

Free – $16

Flag Field for Heroes Opening Ceremony

Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South St, Coventry, CT, United States

Connecticut Landmarks honors heroes this July with the 9th annual Flag Field for Heroes, presented in partnership with the Coventry Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Coventry American Legion. The Opening Ceremony will include patriotic poem readings, fife and drum music, and brief words from some of our veterans.

Free

9th Annual Flag Field for Heroes

Nathan Hale Homestead 2299 South St, Coventry, CT, United States

The 9th annual Flag Field for Heroes will be on display at the Nathan Hale Homestead July 6-26, 2025. Presented in partnership with the Coventry Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Coventry American Legion.

$10
Go to Top