The John Brown 25-Cent Tour of Torrington, Connecticut
25 places to go, see, eat, and other tourism attractions—largely centered on abolitionist John Brown—when visiting Torrington, CT
Torrington, CT, has hosted some important John Brown dignitaries in the past couple of months, and this John Brown-focused tour of Torrington, CT, seemed like a good blog post. To that end, here are ten items for your agenda and some overnight accommodations options as well.
1/ Begin with coffee and breakfast treats at one of Torrington’s downtown coffee shops:
- Brinx on Main Street
- Crumbs in Franklin Park
It's worth pointing out that Manny’s Shoe Repair is right next to Brinx, so maybe drop off the broken shoes first thing and pick them up at the end of the day?
2/ Walk up Water Street to see the MLK Civil Rights mural on the side of WAPJ FM
(wave to the DJ through the window)
A New Dawn, by Ben Keller, was officially unveiled on Juneteenth, 2021, and broadcast live statewide via City-Views, as part of Connecticut’s twelve-city MLK mural unveiling.
It features three centuries of civil rights leadership:
John Brown (19th-century abolitionist)
Martin Luther King Jr. (20th-century civil rights leader)
Amanda Gorman (21st-century poet and civil rights advocate)
3/ Visit the Torrington History Museum and check out the John Brown Exhibit
Hotchkiss-Flyer House Museum with Torrington History Museum at left and carriage house visible behind, all located in downtown Torrington, CT.
The Torrington Historical Society is housed in two beautiful Victorian buildings in downtown Torrington: the Hotchkiss-Flyer House Museum and the Torrington History Museum. They also own and maintain the John Brown Birthplace.
Inside the history museum in the John Brown section is a strand of the rope used to hang him, as well as some rifle balls collected at the scene in Harper’s Ferry, VA.
192 Main St, Torrington, CT 06790
(860) 482-8260
Hours: Open mid-April through October, Tue – Sat 12 -4 pm
John H. Thompson Library and Archives
January – December
Wednesday – Friday 1-4 pm, by appointment
The research library is a wonderful trove of Torrington history and has a heck of a John Brown bookshelf, too.
John Brown Birthplace Site: Click for visiting information — speaking of the John Brown Birthplace…
4/ Visit the John Brown birthplace on John Brown Road
A granite marker and granite front step mark the front door of the home John Brown was born in. Corner stones define the footprint of the home on it’s original 40-acre site. A loop trail around the property is intersected by a Bog walk spur to the Five Points Arts Center, on University Drive.
This is a great place to meditate, absorb, or space out.
Or not.
But notice the quiet. Notice that there aren't any telephone poles.
Notice the sounds and realize that they are probably the same sounds that the Brown family heard when they lived here.
This site was listed in 2025 on the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, based on the site’s foundational and aspirational qualities. Foundational in that this is where John Brown's parents, Ruth and Owen, taught the Brown kids that slavery is wrong and that people are people. This is where John Brown’s passion for equality was kindled; ground zero.
Aspirational in that the site has been a pilgrimage since the day he was executed. People continue to visit every day and leave offerings on the granite marker.
5/ Walk the trails, including the new “Bog Walk” boardwalk
Walk in the footsteps of John Brown
We cannot say for sure, because they didn't make trail cameras in the early 19th century, but we're pretty confident that if John Brown lived here as a kid, he scampered around these woods.
The land probably looked different back then—the woods were likely cleared as fields—but the bog areas probably didn't look different. Bogs can only support trees until they grow to a certain size and collapse under their own weight into the muck (muck is bad at anchoring roots). The swamp that the Bog Walk winds through probably looks very much like it did when little Johnny Brown was getting in trouble for coming home muddy.
The trail loop and Bog Walk spur are about three-quarters of a mile long.
If you want to go for a longer walk, take a lap around "the block," which is a three-mile hilly walk. Park at the home site, walk west on John Brown Road, and keep taking rights. (Or walk East and keep taking lefts).
There’s a trail write-up on it at Alltrails.com, but regardless of which direction you choose, you may want to visit the Five Points Arts Center as you walk past it.
6/ You're probably hungry by now, so head back downtown for some vittles
Here are five lunch choices in downtown Torrington, CT:
Vega’s (Latin Cuisine)
Sasso's (pizza/Italian)
Salt 2.0 (burrito bowls and wraps)
Cafe 38 (soup and sandwiches) -- Cafe 38 sometimes has "John" Brownies!
7/ Quick side trip to The Nutmeg Fudge Company
If there are no “John” Brownies at Cafe 38—or even if there are—it is worth crossing the street to The Nutmeg Fudge Company.
There are lots of homemade candy and treats, which will be good to have handy for the drive home. After all, you owe it to yourself.
8/ Visit the Torrington Post Office to see WPA paintings depicting John Brown's life
John Brown leading formerly enslaved Americans to freedom. Brown’s raiders overtook a plantation in Missouri to free twelve people, transporting them to Ontario during the winter. When they arrived, there were 13 in the party, a young boy born in freedom, named after the kid from Torrington. This is one of three large murals at the post office. Artist: Arthur Covey
Location: 185 E. Elm St, Torrington, CT
When you walk into the Torrington Post Office front door, you enter a foyer. Two paintings are in the main office to the right, and a third painting is where the PO boxes live, to the left.
All three were painted in 1937 by Arthur Covey, one of New England's best‐known muralists.
In the main office, one painting shows the Brown family on the farm in Torrington, CT the other shows John Brown teaching children in a school room, possibly in Morris, CT.
In the PO box room is a large mural depicting John Brown leading 12 formerly-enslaved Americans to freedom. He raided a plantation in Missouri, liberating a dozen people, and led them north during the winter of 1859 through Detroit to Ontario.
9/ Visit the Torrington Public Library's John Brown collection
Sssshhhh!
A letter from John Brown on display at the Torrington Public Library from John Brown.
Here is a list of John Brown documents in the Torrington Library:
A land deed from Owen Brown
Hand-written letters from John Brown
A pencil sketch of one of the Post Office murals
Other items
If you ask nicely, you may be able to see the closed-door collection, which includes a large painting of the Old Man and a strand of the rope used to hang him. The Torrington Historical Society and the Torrington Public Library have a friendly competition going for the most impressive John Brown Collection. Sometimes, if you play one off the other, you can get special treatment.
It is wise to call ahead to make sure you can get access to the closed-door John Brown collection. There are also a lot of other books to explore in the library, if you like that sort of thing...
10/ Satiated and edified, your inner reserves may be slipping, so scope out a supper spot
Two local favorites for great food in a casual atmosphere are:
Casa VALIJO Rooftop (delicious Acapulqueña cuisine)
Sawyer's Bar and Grill (American/Caribbean bar food—but good bar food)
Sol Cafe (delicious Dominican cuisine)
There are also two excellent fine-dining Italian restaurants right downtown:
As long as you're in town, you might as well catch a show at the Warner Theater; it's a large building in the middle of downtown Torrington with the huge marquee—you can't miss it.
11/ Overnight accommodations in Torrington, CT
Unfortunately, there are not very good hotels in Torrington, but there are a couple of great Bed and Breakfast options. There are also Airbnb options.
- The Inn at Mt Pleasant is a B and B right near the John Brown homesite, with a special John Brown Suite, so bonus points.
- The Torringford Manor is another wonderful B and B. It is on the other side of town, but Torrington is a small town, so who cares? PLUS, it is right near Pizzeria Marzano, which is FABULOUS.
More tourism opportunities in Torrington
For more tourism information about Torrington, CT, you can dig through the CT Tourism page about Torrington. AND, maybe if you check in with the NW Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, you can call it a business trip and write the whole thing off!
