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Waterbury is a city of about 115,000 people in the hills of western Connecticut, along the Naugatuck River. Known as the Brass City, it was the brass-making capital of the world in the 1800s and early 1900s, producing buttons, clocks and shell casings, and the wealth of that era built its grand downtown and hillside mansions.
Downtown centers on the Green and West Main Street, with the Mattatuck Museum of Connecticut art and history, the restored 1922 Palace Theater and the Silas Bronson Library nearby. The clock tower of Waterbury's old Union Station, modeled on a tower in Siena, Italy, is one of the city's best-known landmarks.
On a hill above the highway, the giant illuminated cross of Holy Land USA is visible across the city. Fulton Park has a stone gazebo, rose gardens and ponds in the city's historic Overlook area, and the Mad River winds through town. Brass Mill Center, built on the site of an old brass mill, is the region's main shopping mall.
The 240-foot clock tower of Waterbury's 1909 Union Station, modeled on the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy, is the city's best-known landmark and visible from Interstate 84. The station building now houses newspaper offices, and Metro-North trains still stop next to it.
A grand Colonial Revival city hall designed by Cass Gilbert and completed in 1915, part of a group of his civic buildings on Grand Street facing the Chase headquarters. It was restored in the 2000s. View the facade from Grand Street and step inside the lobby on weekdays.
A hilltop religious theme park built in the 1950s by a local lawyer, with miniature Bible-scene buildings and a large illuminated cross that overlooks the city and Interstate 84. It has been partly restored and opens for limited visits. The lit cross is best seen at night from downtown.
A large Italian Renaissance style church on the Waterbury Green, completed in 1928 and designated a minor basilica, with marble interiors, murals and stained glass. It is an active parish, so visitors are welcome outside service times. Look up at the painted ceiling inside.
Waterbury's art and history museum on the Green, with Connecticut art from colonial times to today, a large collection of brass buttons and exhibits on the city's industrial past as the Brass City. A renovated building opened in 2021. Plan about two hours and check for family days.
An ornate 1922 theater on East Main Street restored in 2004, hosting Broadway tours, concerts, comedy and dance in a richly decorated auditorium with a large dome. It is one of the best venues in western Connecticut. Book early for touring musicals and park in the nearby garages.
A professional regional theater in a former pavilion in Hamilton Park, staging musicals, plays, cabaret shows and children's theater through the year. Its intimate size means every seat is close to the stage. Check the season schedule and arrive early, as parking is in the park.
Waterbury's compact downtown around the Green has well-preserved 19th and early 20th century architecture, the Mattatuck Museum, Palace Theater and local restaurants. It is easy to explore on foot. Take a walking loop from the Green to Grand Street to see the Cass Gilbert buildings.
A landscaped city park on Waterbury's west side with a pond, a rose garden, walking paths, playgrounds, a public pool and a popular sledding hill in winter. It was laid out in the early 1900s and is listed on the National Register. It is a pleasant place for a picnic or a stroll.
A large park on the East End along the Mad River with a pond, walking trails, sports fields, a pool, playgrounds and the Seven Angels Theatre. It is a popular gathering spot in summer for cookouts and events. Visit on a fall afternoon when the trees around the pond change color.
A state park just northwest of Waterbury in Watertown, with a swimming beach on Black Rock Pond, campgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails including a short climb to Black Rock lookout. Part of the Mattatuck Trail passes through. Non-residents pay a parking fee in season.
A large enclosed shopping mall on the site of former brass mills just off Interstate 84, with department stores, a food court, a movie theater and many chain shops. It is the main shopping destination in the Waterbury area. Weekday mornings are quietest, and parking is free.
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