Historic Hartford walking tours return with new Revolutionary and cemetery routes

2024 Olmsted walking tour photo by Connecticut Landmarks — Olmsted walking tour photo by Connecticut Landmarks

The Butler-McCook House & Garden will relaunch its annual series of Historic Hartford Walking Tours this weekend, featuring a lineup of six guided explorations through the capital city’s architectural and Revolutionary history.

The 2026 season begins Saturday, May 2, with the “Hartford Art & Artists” tour. Led by Jana Colacino of Connecticut Landmarks, the walk coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hartford-born painter Frederic Edwin Church. The tour will highlight Church and other artists connected to the city, including Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt.

The museum, operated by Connecticut Landmarks, has introduced two new tours for the 2026 season: “Old South Cemetery & the Camp Field” and “Revolutionary Hartford.” The latter is designed to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary by focusing on the September 1780 conference between George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau.

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The 2026 tour schedule includes:

May 2: Hartford Art & Artists
May 9: Old South Cemetery and the Camp Field (New)
May 16: Beyond Main Street, Hartford
June 7: Historic Main Street, Hartford (Free for Connecticut Trails Day)
Sept. 19: Revolutionary Hartford (New)
Sept. 26: Charter Oak & Coltsville

Most tours are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., departing from the Amos Bull House at the rear of the Butler-McCook property. Tickets are $20 per person, with discounts available for Connecticut Landmarks members.

Following the May 2 walk, the museum will host a 2 p.m. house tour specifically focused on the Butler and McCook families as art collectors. The Butler-McCook House is the oldest remaining residence in Hartford, housing four generations of the McCook family and their collections of paintings, toys, and Japanese samurai armor.

Advance registration is required for all walking tours as space is limited. Click here to register.

Don’t miss

• Norwalk Symphony and Fairfield County Chorale to perform Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’
• Olivia Rodrigo to open ‘The Unraveled Tour’ with two-night stand in Hartford
• Lake Compounce to open for 180th season with coaster upgrades and new history exhibit

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May events at Fairfield Theatre Company

5/1 – The Kingston Trio
5/2 – Eric Andersen and Jon Pousette – Dart
5/3 – The Little Things That Run the World
5/5 – Bre Kennedy
5/6 – Howie Day
5/8 – A Night of Jazz
5/9 – Gary Louris
5/10 – Grahame Lesh & Friends
5/12 – The Lone Bellow
5/14 – Andrew Duhon
5/16 – Graham Parker
5/16 – Buckethead
5/17 – FTC Short Film Festival
5/18 – Second Wind
5/20 – Joanna Chang
5/21 – Arrival from Sweden
5/22 – Als Fest
5/22 – Drayton Farley
5/23 – Pangea Worldbeat
5/27 – Suzy Bugguss
5/28 – Steve Forbert
5/29 – Adrenalize: Def Leppard Tribute
5/30 – Goodnight Moonshine

Click here for more information & order tickets.

May events at PeoplesBank Arena

5/24 – Journey, click here to purchase tickets
5/29 -Don Toliver, click here to purchase tickets
5/30 – LA Sparks vs Connecticut Sun, click here to purchase tickets

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Historic Hartford walking tours return with new Revolutionary and cemetery routes