Beloved West Hartford Landmark's 'Tail' To Live Forever

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A piece of a once-beloved local landmark will be erected this week and next in West Hartford, an act some hope will forever preserve that landmark's legacy.

The "tail" section of the "Conny the Whale" statue, which once was the main landmark in front of The Children's Museum in West Hartford, will be installed this week on the Trout Brook Greenway across the street from its prior location.

Since the 1970s, The Children's Museum was located at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford.

But in 2022, the museum was forced to move after the property was sold to a developer looking to build luxury apartments there.

While the apartment project has garnered the necessary approvals from the town, the museum — which is still looking for a permanent location — relocated to a temporary site at the Emanuel Synagogue at 180 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford.

Lost in the shuffle, however, was Conny, a giant sperm whale statue that was erected in 1976.

In the days and weeks after Conny was taken down, what to do with her has been a topic of discussion for locals.

Building Conny was an all-volunteer effort led by the Connecticut Cetacean Society, which is now known as the Cetacean Society International.

"Conny was built to help raise awareness about the plight of whales and the devastating impact of global commercial whaling and remained on The Children’s Museum property for over 47 years," wrote the society in a statement released Tuesday.

"After careful consideration, CSI determined in 2023 that the best way to preserve Conny’s legacy, and a significant portion of its structure, was to remove its tail and install it on the Trout Brook Greenway, across the street from its current location."

Work is tentatively slated to begin Thursday, May 23, with construction equipment expected to arrive that day.

Site work will start Friday and on Wednesday, May 29, the official installation of the tale will take place from 10 a.m. to noon.

The whole Conny statue was 20 tons and 60 feet long with estimates to move the whole Conny ranging from $250,000 and above, according to the society.

As a result, it was decided to only save Conny's tail, which has spent the past several months in the West Hartford Public Works storage facility on Brixton Street.

"Since that time, CSI has obtained all funding and local permits to secure Conny’s new home on the Trout Brook Greenway," wrote the society.

An official dedication ceremony will be held this fall.

For more information on The Children's Museum, click on this link.

From Sept. 14, 2022: 'West Hartford Museum's Iconic Whale Needs Fiscal Help For Move'