History & Learning in Hartford County, CT

History & Learning in Hartford County, CT: 44 upcoming history talks, author events, tours and lectures across 12 towns. Coming up: Declaring Independence: The Language That Challenged an Empire; Book Talk; Author Talk: Four Arrows by Clare McCarthy (Prosser or Virtual).

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Thursday, November 12

• Book TalkFree
  Windsor Locks Public Library · Windsor Locks · 3PM
  Book Talk
• Declaring Independence: The Language That Challenged an EmpireFree
  Bristol Public Library · Bristol · 6:30PM
  A historian unpacks the language of the Declaration of Independence.

Friday, November 13

• Ghost Tours of The Mark Twain HouseFree
  Mark Twain House & Museum · Hartford
  A tour of the house filled with haunted history, dark tales and Victorian traditions surrounding seances and spirits.
• Author Talk: Four Arrows by Clare McCarthy (Prosser or Virtual)Free
  Prosser Library · Bloomfield · 3PM
  Author Clare McCarthy talks about her novel Four Arrows at Prosser Library in Bloomfield.
• Dusty Slay: The Neighborhood Guy Tour$
  The Bushnell · Hartford · 7PM
  Dusty Slay brings The Neighborhood Guy Tour to The Bushnell with his laid-back delivery, sharp observations, and stories about the wonderfully strange business of everyday life.

Saturday, November 14

• Holiday Enchantment at the CT Science CenterFree
  Connecticut Science Center · Hartford
  The Connecticut Science Center gets a holiday glow-up with twinkling lights, seasonal science, hands-on workshops, and festive scenes around every corner.
• Make the World Write!Free
  Stowe Center for Literary Activism · Hartford · 10AM
  History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact.
• Common Ground: Local Indigenous Food SystemsFree
  Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Hartford · 1PM
  Mohegan anthropologist chef, Rachel Sayet (Akitusut), will host a panel of local indigenous experts to discuss modern foodways and systems.
• Hungerford Nature Center Presents "Preparing for Winter"Free
  Cora J. Belden Library · Rocky Hill · 2PM
  Hungerford Nature Center shows how local wildlife gets ready for winter, at Cora J. Belden Library.

Sunday, November 15

• Aerospace Academy - "A Convenient Villain" Author Talk about Charles Lindbergh$
  New England Air Museum · Windsor Locks · 1-2PM
  An author talk about Charles Lindbergh at the New England Air Museum.
• Author Signing Event at Barnes and NobleFree
  The Shops at Farmington Valley · Canton · 1PM
  Author meet-and-sign at Barnes & Noble.

Monday, November 16

• Simsbury Land Trust: Charcoal, Mining and the History Hidden in Our WoodsFree
  Simsbury Public Library · Simsbury · 6:30PM
  From the mid-1700s through the early 20th century, charcoal was in great demand throughout northwestern Connecticut.
• Talk About Memoir Writing With Wendy Swift: Author Of A Dream LifeFree
  Windsor Public Library · Windsor · 6PM
  Memoir author Wendy Swift talks writing at Windsor Public Library.

Tuesday, November 17

• Stowe Prize Series: The Phillips Manuscript and "James: A Novel"Free
  Stowe Center for Literary Activism · Hartford · 6PM
  Register to Attend in Person Register to Attend Virtually The Stowe Prize Series continues with a powerful exploration of history, storytelling, and the enduring struggle for freedom.

Thursday, November 19

• Boundaries of Belonging: Birthright Citizenship's JourneyFree
  CT's Old State House · Hartford · 5:30-7:30PM
  A history talk tracing birthright citizenship from Prudence Crandall to the Supreme Court.
• America 250 Forest Series: Old Growth Forests - Nature's Biotic Water PumpFree
  Simsbury Public Library · Simsbury · 6PM
  A Simsbury Library documentary night on old-growth forests, part of the America 250 Forest Series.
• HPL Cinemas: The Right to ReadFree
  Hartford Public Library · Hartford · 6PM
  Hartford Public Library's Downtown Library presents The Right to Read (2023, NR), an award-winning documentary exploring America's literacy crisis and the fight to ensure every child learns to read.
• Newcomers to Nutmeggers: Jewish History in Greater HartfordFree
  Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Hartford · 6PM
  Join us on November 19 for a panel discussion about how and why thousands of Jewish immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe made the North End of Hartford their home in the nineteenth and early twe

Friday, November 20

• The Legacy of Italian-American Carousel CarversFree
  New England Carousel Museum · Bristol
  Special presentation by Cate Mahoney, Carousel Museum board member and carousel historian, on Italian-American master carvers of the Golden Age of the American carousel.
• Mary When You Follow HerFree
  Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art · Hartford · 7PM
  Based on a short story by acclaimed author Carmen Maria Machado, Mary When You Follow Her (2026, NR) explores desire, obsession, and the uneasy space between truth and imagination.

Saturday, November 21

• WeFlip$
  CT Science Center · Hartford
  An afternoon of acrobatics and flips at the Connecticut Science Center.
• The Decision – An Evening with Balloonist Bert PadeltFree
  New England Air Museum · Windsor Locks · 5:30PM
  An evening with balloonist Bert Padelt at the New England Air Museum.
• Second Annual 29th & 30th Connecticut Colored Regiment Memorial WalkFree
  Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main St, Hartford, CT 06103, USA · Hartford · 9AM
  Commemorating the 161st anniversary of Connecticut's 29th and 30th Colored Regiments' return from the Civil War.

Monday, November 23

• The Nutmeg Anthology: Contemporary Poems of Connecticut (A Reading)Free
  Welles-Turner Memorial Library · Glastonbury · 6PM
  The Nutmeg Anthology , a collection of poems inspired by Connecticut's history, landscapes, landmarks, and communities.

Tuesday, November 24

• Second Annual 29th & 30th Connecticut Colored Regiment Memorial WalkFree
  Connecticut's Old State House · Hartford · 9AM
  Walk in the footsteps of history through downtown Hartford as the Alex Breanne Corporation and Connecticut’s Old State House commemorate the 161st anniversary of the return of Connecticut’s 29th and 3

Wednesday, November 25

• Lutz Talk TurkeyFree
  Lutz Children's Museum · Manchester · 10:30AM-12PM, 1:30-3PM
  Meet bird ambassadors, hear the story Turkey in Disguise, and learn about turkeys and feathered friends.

Friday, November 27

• Behind the Scenes Restoration Tour$
  New England Air Museum · Windsor Locks · 10AM-2PM
  Go behind the scenes of aircraft restoration at the New England Air Museum.

Saturday, November 28

• Make the World Write!Free
  Stowe Center for Literary Activism · Hartford · 10AM
  History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact.

Monday, November 30

• Wild Alaska: A Photographic JourneyFree
  Welles-Turner Memorial Library · Glastonbury · 6:30PM
  A photographic journey through wild Alaska at Welles-Turner Library in Glastonbury.

Tuesday, December 1

• Author Program: A Dream Life w/ Wendy SwiftFree
  Bristol Public Library · Bristol · 6:30PM
  Meet author Wendy Swift.

Wednesday, December 2

• An Evening with Illeana DouglasFree
  Mark Twain House & Museum · Hartford
  Join us for a riveting discussion with actress and author Illeana Douglas about her most recent book, Jungle Red!

Friday, December 4

• Holiday Evening Tours$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Saturday, December 5

• Inspire Center - New Theme!Free
  Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Hartford · 10AM
  The Inspire Center brings history and problem-solving together in a hands-on creative space for visitors of all ages!
• Holiday Evening Tours$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Sunday, December 6

• Inspire Center - New Theme!Free
  Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Hartford · 12PM
  The Inspire Center brings history and problem-solving together in a hands-on creative space for visitors of all ages!

Monday, December 7

• Echoes of Yuletide: Reminiscing on American Holiday Traditions (America's 250th)Free
  Welles-Turner Memorial Library · Glastonbury · 6:30PM
  Historian John Cilio on American holiday traditions.

Tuesday, December 8

• A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story of ChristmasFree
  Newington Public Library · Newington · 6:30PM
  Michael Langlois presents the story behind A Christmas Carol.

Friday, December 11

• Holiday Evening Tours$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Saturday, December 12

• Make the World Write!Free
  Stowe Center for Literary Activism · Hartford · 10AM
  History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact.
• Holiday Evening Tours-$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Friday, December 18

• Holiday Evening Tours-$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Saturday, December 19

• Holiday Evening Tours-$
  Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum · Wethersfield · 6PM
  Holiday Evening Tours TICKETS Enjoy the magic of Christmas lights and holiday decorations after-hours in three historic houses for three weekends in December.

Saturday, December 26

• Make the World Write!Free
  Stowe Center for Literary Activism · Hartford · 10AM
  History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact.

Tuesday, December 29

• A Musical History of the Ovation Guitar (Prosser)Free
  Prosser Library · Bloomfield · 5:30PM
  The story of the Connecticut-made Ovation guitar.

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