Historic New Haven

The arts capital of southern New England
Founded in 1638, New Haven boasted a safe harbor on Long Island Sound that guaranteed a long and fruitful relationship with the sea. Through the 18th and 19th centuries it flourished with the shipping trade; later, manufacturing boomed, and it became known as the home of Yale University. New Haven was originally laid out in nine squares, a pioneering example of city planning. Visiting New Haven is like stepping into a pageant of historic treasures, marvelous architecture, great restaurants and shops, and lively arts and cultural organizations.

The region mixes reminders of the past with symbols of the present. Long-lived landmarks stand proudly. Schooners and sailboats cruise the historic harbor. Bustling city streets with world-class museums are studded with some of the best eateries in New England; we boast the most famous pizza in the country, and the world’s first hamburgers (at Louis’ Lunch on Crown Street).

Yale University, situated at the heart of New Haven, is the principal economic force in the city today. Yale has been at the forefront of the recent economic revival and restoration of the downtown. Come before or stay after the conference to visit Yale University Art Gallery, Yale Center for British Art, Sterling Memorial Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Peabody Museum of Natural History, or to simply walk the tree-lined paths of this renowned Ivy League university. After the conference concludes Saturday, a student-led tour of the Yale campus will leave from the Yale Visitor Center at 149 Elm (1:30 PM), across the New Haven Town Green from the Omni Hotel.