1. Chimney Crest Manor
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 582-4219
Address: 5 Founders Dr.
Insider Pick:
Description: At the top of a steep hill in Bristol is this Tudor Revival mansion, with a huge, 40-foot “grand room” with stone fireplaces at either end, a vaulted ceiling arcade, a paneled library, a sunroom, oak paneling, plaster ornament ceilings, and framed artwork. It’s really more than a “manor,” it’s a castle. However, there are only 5 rooms here, 3 of which are suites, 1 with a fireplace and 1 with a thermal spa. So, you will be treated like visiting aristocracy by Cynthia and Dante Cimadamore, with pillow chocolates, fresh fruit, homemade cookies, and a large breakfast. Sit on the back terrace for tea, and enjoy views of the Farmington Ridge to the west. If you get up early enough, you can watch the sun rise here, although with the plush feather king beds, you’ll be lucky to get up before noon.
2. Bristol Hospital
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (860) 585-3000
Description: This full-service, 134-bed facility serves the greater Bristol area. The Connecticut Gastroenterology Institute at Bristol Hospital and the Comprehensive Spine and Pain Center are two of the specialized care facilities.
3. Espn
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Media
Telephone: (860) 766-2000
Address: 935 Middle St.
Description: The leading sports broadcaster on cable, ESPN transmits from its Connecticut headquarters in Bristol. It has been called one of the most innovative companies by Fast Company rankings, and its 116-acre facility employs over 4,000 people.
4. Bristol Press
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Media
Telephone: (860) 584-0501
Address: 188 Main St.
Description: This paper provides local news for Bristol, Plymouth, Plainville, Terryville, Thomaston, and Burlington.
5. Dick’S Antiques
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (860) 584-2566
Address: 670 Lake Ave.
Description: With over 40 years of experience in the antiques business, Dick Blaschke not only rules the roost in Bristol, but is consulted on many of the appraisals in Connecticut. The store on Lake Avenue has a fine collection of furniture, lighting, glass, and pottery. You’ll find different styles here, too, from Art Deco to Art Noveau. Dick loves oak, and you’ll find some great furniture from this sturdy wood. He’s open Mon through Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sat noon to 5 p.m., except in the summer, when he is often only open one day a week. Call ahead to make sure. If you get him in a good mood, he’ll regale you with antiquing stories that sound straight out of Lovejoy Mysteries.
6. American Clock And Watch Museum
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 583-6070
Address: 100 Maple St.
Description: The oldest in America dedicated to clocks, this strange and wonderful museum sits in an 1801 house donated by Edward Ingraham, great-grandson of the founder of the Ingraham Clock Factory. It is simply chock-full of clocks and watches of every sort, from a giant tower clock with a heavy pendulum to the most delicate pocket watch. After your ears adjust, the overwhelming ticking forms a sort of pleasant cicada-like hum. Interactive recordings tell visitors about Connecticut clock making and the Industrial Revolution. One room features the role of women in the industry, including the nationwide radium-poisoning tragedy of dial painters. There’s a re-creation of a Plymouth clock store, sandglasses, sundials, astrolabes, “dock clocks,” experimental devices, and the 1830 desk of Connecticut’s premier clock maker, Eli Terry. Try to get there at the noon hour, when all the clocks strike.
7. New England Carousel Museum
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 585-5411
Address: 95 Riverside Ave. (Route 72)
Description: This is billed as three museums in one, set in an old brick 1836 factory that once made silk underwear for Civil War soldiers. You’ll find a museum of Greek culture, fire history, and the headliner, the Carousel Museum. Dozens of carousel animals hide around every corner: river monsters, tigers, herons, deer with real antlers, and even a UConn Husky dog. Many people hold parties in this unique venue, with a huge banquet hall that holds 250 people upstairs and smaller rooms downstairs. Kids love the museum of fire history upstairs, ringing the old fire bells and inspecting the old round-bottomed buckets. Helmets, nozzles, and spanners from around the world are featured, as well as code signal transmitters, antique fire truck toys, and historical photos. For the parents, a history of the carousel as entertainment is detailed, from the Byzantine age to the height of the phenomenon in the early 20th century. The museum also maintains the Bushnell Park carousel in Hartford, and does restoration on-site of horses from around the world. Don’t miss the gift shop, which sells some really amazing museum-quality pieces, usually donated to help the museum.
8. Lake Compounce
City: Bristol, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 583-3300
Address: 186 Enterprise Dr.
Description: In 1846 Lake Compounce was the site of a series of electrical experiments, and the huge crowds made the owner consider the monetary possibilities of the property, setting up picnic tables for concerts. In later years rides and other entertainments were added. Today the country’s oldest continuously running amusement park includes an old-fashioned carousel with original carved horses and a Wurlitzer organ. In addition to the roller coasters and rides, Compounce has a water park called Splash Harbor. If you haven’t run off the kids’ energy in the park, there is a nice section of the Tunxis Trail right behind the park, including part of an old, stone-walled road that George Washington rode on. Try to go on Halloween, when the haunted house scares the heck out of all those brave enough to enter.