Mortensen Riverfront Plaza

A nice place to visit in the downtown for walking , trailing , river kayaking , etc .. some public and other events are also happening here . Nice view and to walk over connecting few downtown landmarks.

The banks of the Connecticut River, in Hartford and East Hartford were not maintained and overgrown. The area was under utilized despite the beautiful river view. In the early 80s, they cleaned up the area and connected four parks via the Riverwalk. This area gave me Waterplace Park Riverwalk, in Providence, RI vibes. The other parks are Charter Oak Landing, Riverside Park, and Great River Park. There is a bridge that connects the city with East Hartford, it goes over the river and connects it to the Great River Park. I visited this place during the Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival. The place was clean and large with beautiful views of the river. The CT Science Museum is also connected. It's a great venue for different events; food trucks, vendors, and live bands. It was spacious and we enjoyed walking around and seeing the river.

Just went for panda festival, it was awesome to try different foods all in one place. Cost to portion size was pricey went to 6 or 7 venders spent more than 150 but had a good time. Live music plus dj

The idea of celebrating Asian food and culture in Hartford is fantastic, and I truly wanted this festival to be a hit. However, the poor logistics — including overcrowding, long lines, missing signage, and fewer vendors than advertised — really overshadowed the positives.

I like the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza because they have the taste of the Caribbean every year. The Riverfront elevators 🛗 are open 7am-7pm and closed 7pm-7am then in the fall and winter the elevators 🛗 are closed for the season because people like to sleep 😴 💤 in them when the weather is cold 🥶.

We went here during Hartbeat Music Festival. They had several great bands, but the reason we went, was to see Jake Kulac & the Lowdown. They did not disappoint. There was food and drink available for a premium (expensive) price. There were also lots of people partaking in the recently legalized reefer smoking. It smelled of weed everywhere, and it was fairly constant. It was a nice event, and everyone seemed happy to get out and see/enjoy live music again... We parked on the east side of the river and walked over the bridge.

Went to see Changes in Lattitudes on a wonderful night in July. Band-A. Venue-C- website gives poor information about parking. Website actually really lacks overall information content and their responses to questions posed. Parking is a hike from the venue, unless you have access to the parking for Riverfront recapture employees. I’m one and done for this venue.

The actual space is pretty cool. A little steep for a concert venue, but otherwise nice. What sucks is finding parking and actually getting to the riverfront.

The banks of the Connecticut River, in Hartford and East Hartford were not maintained and overgrown. The area was under utilized despite the beautiful river view. In the early 80s, they cleaned up the area and connected four parks via the Riverwalk. This area gave me Waterplace Park Riverwalk, in Providence, RI vibes. The other parks are Charter Oak Landing, Riverside Park, and Great River Park. There is a bridge that connects the city with East Hartford, it goes over the river and connects it to the Great River Park. I visited this place during the Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival. The place was clean and large with beautiful views of the river. The CT Science Museum is also connected. It's a great venue for different events; food trucks, vendors, and live bands. It was spacious and we enjoyed walking around and seeing the river.

The Mortensen Riverfront Plaza hostess's the Jerk Festival every year. I come every year to enjoy the festivities, food, and my favorite, the riverfront. The riverfront is beautiful. While enjoying the riverfront, you can enjoy your food, listen to music, and enjoy all the boats coming in and out of the dock. It is truly relaxing. I always end up staying at the riverfront for hours. This year the festival was packed and the lines were very long. It was maybe an hour wait for each truck. This year I passed on the food since this my fifth year here and I really didn't feel like standing in the lines. The festival truly is a great event and I look forward to coming each year.

Really beautiful are for festivals and live bands. Absolutely beautiful view, and has elevators which is appreciated immensely. Went to the Caribbean Jerk Festical. Parking was super easy and only $7 at the Museum garage. It was hot as heck but there were still great places to hang out in the shade. Tonnnnnssss of food trucks, great food. Super fun atmospher!

Our party of four wandered around here on July 7, 2023. The views and surroundings are lovely during mid-morning hours. Free parking at the neighboring Riverside Park is just a short distance (about half a mike) away, allowing easy access.

I love walking here every day during my lunch breaks. It's such a nice spot to walk to across the bridge from East Hartford and to take in the river and the city bustle at lunch time. I'm excited for warmer weather when the food trucks will pop up again and there'll be some events again. For now though, it's just a peaceful place to walk to.

I was here in the wintertime when the riverfront was all icy, so there was not much going on here. When it is warmer, they have festivals and outdoor events happening. Still, this area was very pleasant and peaceful to walk around with great river views.

A nice place overall but lots of trash and debris all around! There are some good festivals and gatherings here. My family and I enjoyed it - except for all the litter..

I hate to disparage something that obviously took a lot of time and money to develop and that I'm sure befits a lot of workers on their lunch break in downtown Hartford but the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza may be the least visitor friendly city attraction I've been to and we stopped at nearly every such attraction we could as we traversed 7 states in New England on a recent trip. First there simply is no parking nearby that is accessible to anyone but maybe government employees. Hartford in general seemed to have this problem, even on a Sunday when practically no one was around as on our recent trip. But looking for access to the Riverfront we ended up having to park several blocks away in an underground hotel parking lot (for cash obviously), then we walked to the plaza and found the elevator was only used on weekends for "events". So we found the stair access and walked up but by this point dark was well on its way and we didn't want to begin a large trek along the walkway. It looked pretty from the ledge where we were though. One other thing that struck us as a bit odd--the banners and posters would lead you to believe the Lincoln statue is a, you know, statue. It's cool and all but it's really only about 3 feet tall on a table like sculpture.

I'm so glad I work close to here . Stop by on a random weekday and you'll see people walking along the river, enjoying the views and getting a little bit of peace on a hectic day. Over the past year it's been host to a number of food trucks, especially the Agave and Mercado trucks. What's better than buying a delicious lunch from a local business and eating with a view?

From cultural performances and festivals to sporting events, the always-free and family-friendly entertainment at the Riverfront are some of my favorites in Hartford. Every year I find myself at the Food Truck Festival, SambaFest, Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival, or simply watching the July 4th fireworks or dragon-boat races. With a stage at the river's edge, enjoy performances with a scenic view while relaxing on the grassy terraces. Feeling active? Take a walk and enjoy some of the surrounding parks, or get in a workout by running the terrace stairs. If you're craving a jog or run, head north along the riverside walk-way and you can find yourself at the beautiful Riverside Park. Wander down south and you'll find yourself at the Charter Oak Landing. Cross Founder's Bridge or go for a stroll into Great River Park, there's something for everyone!

Great place to eat your lunch, then go for a riverside walk, then do some stairs if you want! Wonderful path to follow, some odd art along the way....or salvaged ships parts..not sure. A nice stage area to do some workout moves, if one is so inclined. Boat watch, people watch. They have the Food truck festival here.....what a great festival. I have not been to a concert, but I can see how it would be great. The plaza connects to the CT Science Center. A nice area!

This is one of Hartford's gems, re-joining the city to its riverfront after decades of separation by levees and limited access highways. The stage, with its distinctive circus-tent awning, shelters performers at a wide range of music festivals. As a traditional music fan, I've really enjoyed the annual Pipes in the Valley event, but the grassy seating area has also accommodated fans of rock, blues, jazz, and more. The path running along the riverside can bring you north to Riverside Park with its boathouse, picnic area, and challenge course, or south to Charter Oak Landing. Statues inspired by the life of Abraham Lincoln and the end of slavery add an elegant and reflective touch. The grassy lawn above the stage is one of my favorite features, disguising what lies beneath it - Interstate 91 - so beautifully that I frequently forget that it's there. In addition to the stairways leading down to the river, elevators will also raise and lower visitors from one level to another. The Connecticut Science Center stands just at the entrance to the Plaza, and other aerial walkways link it to the Convention Center. Hartford is fortunate to have such a great venue.

If it's not flooded.... Yes, this is a really cool place to go for a walk if you work or live in and/or you're visiting downtown Hartford. It's peaceful and pretty and if you are looking for a step work out, then try your calves on the steps in the amphitheater. They also host a large number of quality, cultural events here every year. My favorite event is the Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival. They also have a dragon boat race, a Latino Festival and a great 2-day Irish festival. ALL of the events held at Riverfront are FREE. Yes, the art is also great to look at and also to photograph.

One of the best places downtown to go for a walk. Great events here in the summer as well. The walk by the river is nice , there is also Froyo nearby and you can walk along the river to get to the boathouse about a mile down

Mortensen Riverfront Plaza allows you to enjoy nature and the picturesque waterfront while simultaneously experiencing all of the hustle and bustle of a small metropolis. There are always great free activities on the Plaza and you are a stone's throw away from great attractions like the Connecticut Science Center.

It's right there in front of you but you're all too busy wizzing past it on the bridge. Stop and enjoy the sculpture walk, and take part in one of the many awesome events hosted at this venue.

Too crowded .... Wasn't organized well ... People were standing on the steps when clearly it's a fire hazard so going up or down the steps was nearly impossible... Cops were more busy getting in lines to order food then staying on the clock to work.... When to 4 stands to order food .... Hubby got pina colada he liked it , I got a margarita it was too sweet but can't complain it wasn't a bar, we got pork w tostones big mistake it dry tough and no flavor. Also ordered chicken stew with rotti in one of the trini stands ehhh I guess u can't expect much from festival food and lastly ordered rice and peas w some oxtails a 3 year old could cook better... Will I go again next no just went because we were visiting family and that's what was planned for the day...

Great place to go for a walk. Sometimes when you need to get out and Bushnell park isn't cutting it! Nice area to do stairs and cross the river, or walk the path along the river. Good people watching, but I would walk in pairs! Great place to watch fireworks in the summer.