A & C Computers

Get a taste of Broadway without having to hop a train into New York City when you choose to take in a show at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Several big touring shows are regularly scheduled at this impressive entertainment venue that features state of the art sound and lighting within a classically designed theater that brims with a warm, vintage feel. Shows like Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, A Chorus Line and Phantom of the Opera are just a few examples of the type of top-drawer attractions that are frequently on the bill.

Exploration and discovery is what your whole family will be experiencing when you take them for a visit to the Connecticut Science Center. This incredible facility is a nine-story museum located on the Connecticut River and welcomes a constant stream of visitors. Through exciting exhibits and attractions, you'll learn about the art of animation, check out a movie in the 3-D theater, get inside a tornado to see how it is formed and much more. The museum welcomes groups and school organizations and also is an ideal place to host your child's birthday party. Call or check the website for more details.

Make your way to the checkered flag–the one that signals you've arrived for a good time at Checkered Flag Raceway. Located in Berlin just a few minutes from Hartford, this is undoubtedly the best outdoor go-kart racetrack in all of New England. This challenging but fun ¼ mile track will find you revving up the engine in your kart as you put the pedal to the metal. Plus, there is an excellent arcade with all the latest video games as well as a snack bar. It's high-speed fun and recreation for the whole family!

Hartford resident Harriet Beecher Stowe attracted plenty of attention when she published her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her outspoken nature and desire to champion issues like human dignity and equality were hallmarks of not only her work, but of the woman herself. You can learn more about her and her various campaigns to end racism when you visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. The center and museum of sorts hosts various exhibits that stand alongside Stowe's personal effects that all work together to tell the story of this courageously outspoken author whose battle is still being fought today. The center spotlights current projects that are still being implemented in Stowe's honor.