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Learn About Connecticut
First Inhabitants	Early History	Geography & Landforms	Economy
Capital: Hartford	Entered the Union: 1/9/1788	Population: 3,405,565	Area (square miles) 5,543
State Bird: Robin	State Flower: Mountain Laurel	Nickname: Constitution State, Nutmeg State	Governor: M. Jodi Rell
Web Links: State Home Page	Home Page for Students	Members of Congress

Places to Visit in Connecticut: (Click the links to learn more.)

The Mark Twain House - Hartford
This National Historic Landmark was the home to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and his family from 1874 to 1891. While living here, Clemens wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

Mystic Seaport - Mystic
Mystic Seaport is the largest and most comprehensive maritime museum in North America. Learn about the maritime history of America as you sail or row exact replicas of traditional wooden boats, ride in an antique steamboat, star gaze in the planetarium, or explore the beautiful riverfront gardens.

Peabody Museum of Natural History - New Haven
Egyptian mummies, mighty dinosaurs, and saber-toothed cats can be found at this museum that documents 300 million years of prehistory. There are also outstanding exhibits on Ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica, the Andes, the Pacific, the Great Plains, and the Northwest Coast. Eleven dioramas blend art and science as they portray aspects of the natural world. Other exhibits focus on minerals, meteorites, mammals, and fossil plants.

The Henry Whitfield House - Guilford
Built in 1639, it is the oldest remaining house in Connecticut. It was the home of Guilford’s first minister and served as an important meeting place for town leaders. The home is filled with many historical artifacts that reveal the culture of Early New England settlers. Take a virtual tour of the historic stone house on-line.

Connecticut Audubon Center - Fairfield
Discover Connecticut’s varied ecosystems at this science center and nature preserve. Raised boardwalks and bridges allow visitors to easily explore the varied habitats that include woodlands, meadows, marshes, and ponds. Many environmental activities and programs for children and adults are offered throughout the year.

Famous Citizens:

P.T. Barnum
P.T. Barnum was born in 1810 in Bethel, Connecticut. He was one of the most colorful and well-known personalities in American history. Barnum was the founding force behind one of America's most famous circuses: Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Charles Ives
Composer Charles Ives was born in Danbury, Connecticut in 1874. He is recognized as the most original and significant American composer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ives was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1947.

Edwin Herbert Land
Edwin Herbert Land, inventor and physicist, was born in Bridgeport, Ct. in 1910. Land and a group of scientists founded the Polaroid Company in 1937. During WWII, the company produced military related items like target finders and dark-adaptation glasses. Their most successful product was the Polaroid Land Camera, the first "instant" camera. It was introduced in the late 1940s.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut in 1811. Her best known novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was instrumental in drawing attention to the abolitionist movement in America. The novel became an internationally acclaimed bestseller.

Noah Webster
Noah Webster published the first American dictionary in 1810. Webster was born in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1758. He was the first person to document distinctively American words such as skunk, hickory, and chowder. He also modernized spellings of words, changing the traditional English "musick" to "music," "centre" to "center," and "plough" to "plow."