Bushnell Gardens

Bushnell Gardens is the first significant expansion of Bushnell Park in 150 years. The successful realignment of Gold Street offers the opportunity to physically link Bushnell Park to Main Street, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Travelers Campus, and beyond to the river.

Named Bushnell Gardens, the multi-use landscape plan includes botanical gardens, a café terrace and open lawns. Bushnell Gardens adheres to the three principles of the iQuilt Plan— Walking: creating a vibrant gathering place to walk to, and enhancing the connections of downtown’s pedestrian network; Culture: linking downtown cultural destinations, and highlighting the historic and cultural features of the site; Innovation: showcasing innovation in land stewardship through water management and sustainable design.

The design of the Gardens incorporates the exceptionally rich history of this site, including The Ancient Burying Ground; Center Church’s Tiffany windows; America’s first school for the deaf; and the Heublein Hotel, birthplace of Hartford’s jazz scene. These and other narratives are woven into the features and storytelling component of the design of the Gardens.