Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT is one of several large parks in the center of this Capital City. It is directly across from Union Station. The park was named for the Reverend Horace Bushnell, who officially proposed its creation to the City Council in 1953.
Ironically the local Hartford landscaper, Frederic Olmstead, renowned for his design of urban parks, was too busy designing Central Park in New York at the time and could not participate in the project. Olmstead recommended Swiss-born architect Jacob Weidenmann in 1861, who worked with Bushnell to develop the design.
1,100 specimens of 157 varieties of trees were planted in the original park. Today 750 trees native and rare trees are standing in the park.
The park has changed and evolved over time but it is still an oasis in the midst of urban life for Hartford residents.
Among the sights at Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT, is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch that commemorates the 4,000 Hartford born veterans and dead of the Civil War. The arch, with its two towers, stands in a Gothic and Romanesque Revival style. It is crafted of Portland brownstone and dates back to 1886. Visitors can tour the inside, climbing the 97 steps for a panoramic view of the park and the city.
The site is also home to the Spanish-American War Memorial that dates to 1937 and is in the form of the Greek War Goddess Nike.
Several other statues stand in the park dedicated to historical Hartford natives including the marble Corning Fountain which John Corning erected in tribute to his father late in the 19th Century. Curiously, no statue has ever been erected to honor the Rev. Bushnell, despite the fact the park continues to bear his name.
From May through October, the carousel is open in the park as well. This is one of the oldest wooden carousels in the US that is still in operation.
Located at 60 Elm Street in the Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT, is the Pumphouse, which is built of stones that were part of former bridges over the extinct and buried Park River. The Tudor-designed structure which appears to be an English Cottage is home to a working Pump House for flood control as well as an art gallery. It is the only art gallery in any Connecticut municipal park. It features the work of local area artists.
A Caf, is attached to the gallery with a 5,000 square foot outdoor area that boasts a full bar as well as lunch and dinner menus. It is closed in the colder months as well as on Sundays. Mon-Friday it opens at 11:30 AM and served food until 10 PM. It is open Saturday for dinner only. There is usually live music here in the evening.
The Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT is also home to a small pond near Jewell Street as well as a performance pavilion with a 3,200 square foot stage that hosts theater, music and community events.
