Shopping

Almost all of the city’s shopping lies outside the city itself, in suburbs like Farmington, West Hartford, and Avon. That said, there are some distinctive souvenirs to be found at the Museum Store at the Old State House (800 Main St., 860/522-6766, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tue.–Sat.)—namely a solid stash of books about Connecticut [1], distinctive jewelry, and games and toys.

There’s also The CT Creative Store (25 Stonington St., 860/297-0112, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Wed.–Fri.; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.; hours may vary, call ahead), selling locally made products such as honey, jam, sauces, wool, and hand-crafted bowls. All proceeds go toward building a proposed Hartford Botanical Garden.