The Pump House was built in 1947 by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Connecticut River Flood Control Program, which began after the downtown area suffered catastrophic floods in 1936 and 1938. The foot bridges on the north side of the park were removed when the Park River was buried, and many of those stones were incorporated into the design of the building.

The Pump House is located on the southeast side of the park and was designed by H. Hilliard Smith to resemble a Cotswold Cottage with Tudor influences.

In the past, the south side of the Pump House was used as an art gallery, restaurant, and public function room. During Winterfest you might find Santa there!

Today the public areas of the facility are managed by the Bushnell Park Conservancy on behalf of the City of Hartford. When not in use for Winterfest, the gallery room and courtyard are available for rent for meetings and celebrations. A portion of rental fees support the Conservancy’s stewardship of the park.