What a Connecticut treasure the Wadsworth Atheneum has become! It's fresh and exciting, representative of people from all walks of life. From Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin sculpture to an absolutely fascinating Frederick Douglas exhibit, the Atheneum, the Wadsworth grabs your attention, whether young or old. We recently took 30+ college-age students to visit, and I kid you not, they did NOT want to leave when the bus arrived. My group's guide was Anne Butler Rice and she was PHENOMENAL! Her ability to engage with our students, excite them, and encourage them to ask questions was a work of art in itself. I was and am still in awe of her. The museum staff is inviting and helpful and will make your experience there one to remember. I absolutely encourage you to visit. It's so much fun.

I've lived 2 hours from here my whole life and yet whenever I had a reason to go to the Atheneum I found a reason to say no. Finally we're doing a road trip and wanting to see the Isaac Julien show decided it was time to go to Hartford. And what a great surprise! So many classic gems but also some great cutting edge pieces. Hartford is lucky to have such a resource. I've become a member and will keep a closer watch on their exhibitions and pop up more often. Well- again!

I had long heard about the Wadsworth but never had a chance to visit. Then they collaborated with the Detroit Institute of Arts on the By Her Hand exhibition of Italian women artists, and I was able to watch the curators from both museums talk about the exhibition. So when we were planning this trip, the Wadsworth was high on the list to visit. And we were not disappointed... from our first view of the castle and Tony Smith's Amaryllis sculpture, then the Kusama Pumpkin, into the Morgan's Great Hall gallery...through the Cabinet of Curiosities and the galleries of European and American art. Truly an honor to view one of Monet's Water Lilies and Renoir's Claude Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil. Their collection of Hudson River School works is superb. And there are so many other wonderful works to enjoy throughout the Wadsworth galleries as our 4 hours spent there can attest!

This is such museum that has so many fun and interesting programs. I go every year for the Festival of Trees. Businesses and organizations decorate trees or make beautiful wreaths. These are a fundraiser for the museum. All the items are for sale and you can bring them home well before Christmas. They offered music and dance performances during the event. They do a Fine Art and Flowers show in April. Last year they had floral artists making arrangements based on a painting the museums owns. So cool. They have a big auditorium in the basement where they have lectures and movies. One Saturday a month is free for Hartford families. They also have a large courtyard in the center of the museum where they have events and outdoor movies in the summer. Last year, they set up a glass demonstration there in conjunction with beautiful exhibit of a variety of glass art. The gift shop is really nice too. I've done many tours there also. Some discuss the current exhibit or go into detail about a specific painting or artists. Make sure you check their calendar before you go so you can take advantage of some of the thing I mentioned above.