WEST HARTFORD, CT — A West Hartford property generations of families knew as home to The Children's Museum and its iconic whale will officially begin its next chapter Tuesday, Sept. 22, as a 172-unit luxury apartment community.
Continental Properties will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for One West Hartford at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 22 at 950 Trout Brook Drive, marking the ceremonial opening of the approximately $50 million development near Blue Back Square and West Hartford Center.
The project includes one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments along with a heated pool and private cabanas, fitness center, Pilates and yoga space, golf simulator and lounge, cinema room, co-working center, dog park and pet spa, according to Continental Properties.
West Hartford and state elected officials, community leaders and Continental Properties executives are expected to participate in the ceremony. Tours will follow a brief program.
The opening represents a major transformation for a site closely associated with childhood memories for generations of West Hartford-area residents.
The Children's Museum previously operated at 950 Trout Brook Drive, where its large whale statue became a familiar local landmark.
The museum left the property in 2022 ahead of redevelopment and relocated to temporary space at Emanuel Synagogue, 180 Mohegan Drive.
That temporary location later encountered its own problems.
Museum officials announced in February that the museum would close indefinitely after flooding at the Mohegan Drive location.
With no temporary or permanent site, the museum, essentially, is closed for good.
Meanwhile, Continental Properties moved ahead with construction of One West Hartford at the former museum property.
Continental Properties developed, owns, and operates the new apartment community.
The Sept. 22 ribbon-cutting marks the completion and ceremonial opening of the development, bringing 172 new residences to a property that, for decades, had a much different role in the West Hartford community.
From Feb. 4: 'Beloved Children's Museum In West Hartford Closes Indefinitely Amid Uncertainty'
From Sept. 16, 2022: 'Wrecking Ball For West Hartford Museum Gets The OK'
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