Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • May 27, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 11 FOCUS Source: Each attraction via survey, Connecticut Office of Tourism. Notes: N/A = not available or not applicable. Lake Compounce of Bristol and Ski Sundown of New Hartford do not disclose attendance. Hartford's Dillon Stadium is expected to reopen in June 2019. (a) Includes part-time employees. (b) Named interim CEO in July 2018, after the sudden passing of the late Felix Rappaport. (c) Run by the Bushnell Park Foundation. (d) Fairfield-based GoodWorks Entertainment Group acquired Infinity Music Hall's Hartford and Norwalk locations in March. (e) Data from 2018 survey. —Compiled by Stephanie R. Meagher. 27 Bushnell Park Carousel 1 Jewell St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-585-5411; www.thecarouselmuseum.org 75,000 7 0 Century-old carousel in the shadow of skyscrapers and a giant Turkey Oak, 24-sided pavilion houses 48 hand-carved wooden horses and two lovers' chariots that swirl around a booming Wurlitzer band organ Louise L. DeMars 1914 28 Mark Twain House & Museum 351 Farmington Ave. Hartford, CT 06105 860-247-0998; www.marktwainhouse.org 65,473 80 81 National Historic Landmark home and National Geographic's top 10 historic houses in the world; tours of Twain's restored home, activities and educational programs Pieter Roos 1929 29 New Britain Museum of American Art 56 Lexington St. New Britain, CT 06052 860-229-0257; www.nbmaa.org 64,472 N/A First institution dedicated solely to acquiring American art, spans four centuries of American history, permanent collection known for its strengths in colonial portraiture, Hudson River School and more Min Jung Kim 1903 30 Discovery Museum and Planetarium 4450 Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-372-3521; www.discoverymuseum.org 64,000 18 200 Hands-on children's museum, planetarium, simulated space missions; school, homeschool and scout groups, scout badges, demos, children's workshops, summer programs, library and school outreach statewide Bill Finch 1958 31 GoodWorks Infinity Hartford (d) 32 Front St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-560-7757; www.infinityhall.com 60,000 (e) 25 60 Two-hundred live concerts yearly, four-star restaurant for dining before or during the show, happy-hour bar scene, corporate and private events Chris O'Brian Janelle Jenkins 2007 32 New England Air Museum 36 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-623-3305; www.neam.org 49,700 7 150 Historic aviation artifacts; more than 80 aircraft and extensive collection of engines, instruments, aircraft parts, uniforms and personal memorabilia Debbie Reed 1959 33 GoodWorks Infinity Norwalk (d) Route 44, 20 Greenwoods Road Norfolk, CT 06058 860-542-5531; www.infinityhall.com 40,000 (e) 25 50 Intimate concerts and creative cuisine in an 1880's Victorian music hall with newly restored sound system, 4-star bistro before or during the live shows The venue is also available for private events. Dan Hincks 2007 34 Dinosaur State Park 400 West St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-529-5816; www.dinosaurstatepark.org 39,900 12 100 Eighty-acre state park with 700 Jurassic period dinosaur tracks housed under the exhibit center's geodesic dome Allison Weinsteiger 1966 35 Hill-Stead Museum (e) 35 Mountain Road Farmington, CT 06032 860-677-4787; www.hillstead.org 39,213 39 170 National historic landmark featuring 33,000-square-foot house, filled with art and antiques, set on 152 hilltop acres; c. 1920 Beatrix Farrand-designed Sunken Garden Susan Ballek 1901 (f) 36 Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut 409 Main St. Niantic, CT 06357 860-691-1111; www.childrensmuseumsect.org 35,000 13 100 Science and art, imagination stations, fishing boat, lighthouse, fire engine, global bazaar, cafe, farmer's market, discovery room, animals, zipline, outdoor tree house and musical instruments, obstacle course, water and bubble tables Holly Cheeseman 1992 37 The Connecticut Historical Society 1 Elizabeth St. Hartford, CT 06105 860-236-5621; www.chs.org 33,291 32 27 Nonprofit museum, library and education center with exhibitions, programs and Connecticut-related collections Robert Kret 1825 38 Harriet Beecher Stowe Center 77 Forest St. Hartford , CT 06105 860-522-9258; harrietbeecherstowe.org 30,000 22 5 Twenty-first century museum links history to current issues and uses Harriet Beecher Stowe's life and work to inspire social justice and positive change Briann Greenfield 1941 39 Connecticut Trolley Museum 58 North Road East Windsor, CT 06088 860-627-6540; www.ct-trolley.org 29,000 9 152 Historical and educational experience, three-mile round trip on restored trolley cars, static displays, movie in the theater, gift shop, picnic area and entrance into Fire Museum Gina Maria Alimberti 1940 40 Knights of Columbus Museum 1 State St. New Haven, CT 06511 203-865-0400; www.kofcmuseum.org 26,223 0 10 Rotating exhibitions of history and art, permanent gallery of the Knights of Columbus' annals and renowned Christmas exhibitions Kathryn Cogan 1982 41 Connecticut State Capitol Tours 210 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-240-0222; www.cga.ct.gov/capitoltours 20,466 4 12 Gold-domed State Capitol and legislative office buildings with tours featuring historic displays and statues Kimberly Fabrizio Tours 1971 building opened 1878 42 Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum 211 Main St. Wethersfield, CT 06109 860-529-0612; www.webb-deane-stevens.org 18,736 26 12 Visitors are immersed in the life of the mid-18th and early-19th centuries during one-hour tours; annual events to entertain and educate visitors Charles T. Lyle 1919 43 New England Carousel Museum 95 Riverside Ave. Bristol, CT 06010 860-585-5411; www.thecarouselmuseum.org 16,000 9 84 Museum of Fire History, Museum of Greek Culture, fine art galleries, regularly changing exhibitions, indoor carousel and the New England Carousel Museum Louise L. DeMars Morgan Urgo Sue Daigle 1837 44 Barker Character, Comic & Cartoon Museum 1188 Highland Ave. (Route 10) Cheshire, CT 06410 203-699-3822; www.barkermuseum.com 15,000 2 0 Collection of about 80,000 cartoon or character-based toys and artifacts Barker Family (g) 1997 45 U.S. Coast Guard Museum 15 Mohegan Ave. New London, CT 06320 860-444-8511; www.uscg.mil/hq/cg092/museum 12,713 1 2 Maritime and military museum that documents the U.S. Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies; primary dispay for the Coast Guard Heritage Asset Collection Scott Price 1966 46 New Haven Museum 114 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06510 203-562-4183; www.newhavenmuseum.org 10,259 12 11 Collects, preserves and interprets the heritage of Greater New Haven bringing more than 375 years of history to life through collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky 1862 (h) 47 Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center 132 Main St. Ridgefield, CT 06877 203-438-5485; www.keelertavernmuseum.org 10,200 4 200 Eighteenth century historic house that was target of British cannon fire during the Revolutionary War, home to a Civil War chronicler and country retreat of Cass Gilbert, architect of U.S. Supreme Court and other landmark buildings Hildegard M. Grob 1966 48 B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill 129 N. Stonington Road Old Mystic, CT 06372 860-536-3354; www.bfclydescidermill.com 10,000 20 0 Family-owned winery producing hard ciders and apples wines; last steam-powered cider mill in the U.S. with sweet cider making demonstrations weekly (i) Harold W. Miner 1881 48 The Barnum Museum 820 Main St. Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-331-1104; www.barnum-museum.org 10,000 N/A Exhibits featuring artifacts that belonged to P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb and others, open June-August Kathy Maher 1893 50 Custom House Maritime Museum 150 Bank St. New London, CT 06320 860-447-2501; www.nlmaritimesociety.org 6,000 2 48 Stories of New London's waterfront, museum tours, boat trips to three lighthouses (New London Harbor, Ledge, and Race Rock Light) Susan Tamulevich 1983 51 Prudence Crandall Museum (j) 1 S. Canterbury (Routes 14 & 169) Canterbury, CT 06331 860-546-7800; www.cultureandtourism.org 3,100 1 35 A National Historic Landmark; New England's first academy for African-American young women, established in 1833 by Connecticut's State Heroine Kazimiera Kozlowski 1984 52 Cedar Hill Cemetery & Foundation 453 Fairfield Ave. Hartford, CT 06114 860-956-3311; www.cedarhillcemetery.org 1,800 15 55 American rural cemetery, 270 acres of landscaped woodlands, waterways and memorial grounds; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, open from sunrise to sunset Beverly Lucas Mary Anne Hawthorne Cemetery 1864 foundation 1999 53 Coltsville National Historic Park 120 Huyshope Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-500-6078; www.nps.gov/colt 1,660 1 1 Partner events, public and private tours Kelly Fellner 2014 54 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art 600 Main St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-278-2670; www.thewadsworth.org N/A N/A Nearly 50,000 works of art, spanning 5,000 years and encompassing European art from antiquity through Modernism as well as American art from the 1600's through today Thomas J. Loughman 1842 Source: Each attraction via survey, Connecticut Office of Tourism. Notes: N/A = not available or not applicable. Lake Compounce of Bristol and Ski Sundown of New Hartford do not disclose attendance. Hartford's Dillon Stadium is expected to reopen in June 2019. Most visited tourist attractions in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2018 attendance) Rank Attraction 2018 attendance Employees/ Volunteers (a) Description Top executive(s) Year founded 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 12,000,000 5,500 0 Hospitality, entertainment, gaming, retail, dining, golf, spa and hotel Rodney A. Butler (b) 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 9,000,000 7,000 0 Entertainment, gaming, dining, shopping, hotel, spa and meetings and conventions Ray Pineault 1996 3 Mystic Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-5955; www.mysticaquarium.org 794,454 313 735 Underwater worlds and creatures including beluga whales, penguins and more; interactive experiences, exhibits and animal adventures Stephen M. Coan 1973 4 Riverfront Recapture 50 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06016 860-713-3131; www.riverfront.org 750,000 91 1,864 Four parks on the Connecticut River with annual events, fireworks, food truck festival, rowing regatta, free fitness programs and concerts, rowing and educational programs, dragon boating Michael Zaleski 1981 5 The Lyman Farm Inc. d/b/a Lyman Orchards 32 Reeds Gap Road Middlefield, CT 06455 860-349-1793; www.lymanorchards.com 540,000 75 Over 1,100 scenic acres with Pick Your Own Orchards, scratch bakery, fruits and vegetables, cafe, cheese and more; beginner and championship public golf on 45 holes John Lyman III Gary Jalbert 1741 6 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 509,073 117 312 Exhibits, sharks, seals, sea turtles, jellyfish, river otters and other animals native to Long Island Sound and its watershed; study cruises, educational programs and IMAX movie theater Vacant 1988 7 Bushnell Park (c) 99 Trinity St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-232-6710; www.bushnellpark.org 500,000 1 250 Weekly tours of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch and monthly tours of the 37-acre park, monuments and statues; monthly park cleanups with beautiful new playground behind historic carousel Mary Zeman 1854 7 Elizabeth Park Conservancy 1561 Asylum Ave. West Hartford, CT 06117 860-231-9443; www.elizabethparkct.org 500,000 7 150 The oldest municipal rose garden, tulips, annuals, perennials, iris, dahlias, herbs, medicinals, rock garden, hosta garden, duck ponds, recreational and picnic areas, running trails, playground, cafe Christine M. Doty Park 1897, Conservancy 1977 9 The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-987-5900; www.bushnell.org 350,000 100 600 Two performance halls and multiple public event spaces, more than 450 events annually, Broadway tours, symphonies, family entertainment, concerts, local arts and community events David Fay 1929 10 Stony Creek Brewery 5 Indian Neck Ave. Branford, CT 06405 203-433-4545; www.stonycreekbeer.com 334,000 72 Located on the Branford River waterfront, open for tastings, tours and special events Manuel V. Rodriguez 2015 11 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 313,814 89 42 Science-based museum, educational and tourism venue Matt J. Fleury 2009 12 Mystic Seaport Museum 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-0711; www.mysticseaport.org 285,000 350 600 Maritime museum on the Mystic River with historic vessels, working preservation shipyard, seafaring village, exhibits, galleries and more Stephen C. White 1929 13 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 260,000 52 130 Three-hundred animals with Amur tigers and leopards, Brazilian ocelot; South American rainforest with aviary, prairie dog exhibit; Pampas Plain with maned wolves, Chacoan peccaries, giant anteaters; cafe, indoor carousel and more Gregg Dancho 1922 14 Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-432-0600; artgallery.yale.edu 222,894 167 0 Oldest college art museum in America, and the third oldest in the world; holds more than 250,000 objects Stephanie Wiles 1832 15 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 350 0 Family amusement and waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two dozen rides and attractions George Frantzis II 1908 16 Essex Steam Train & Riverboat (Valley Railroad Co.) 1 Railroad Ave. Essex, CT 06426 860-767-0103; www.essexsteamtrain.com 193,638 N/A Historic steam-train and riverboat excursions, Essex Clipper Lunch & Dinner Trains, Sunset Cruises, Fall Foliage Trains, Christmas North Pole Express & Santa Special Train; wedding and events venue in historic Dickinson Bottling Plant Kevin Dodd 1971 17 Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 95 S. Turnpike Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-8721; oakdale.com 137,000 35 0 Year-round concert venue and event space for graduations, weddings, parties, proms, galas, meetings and more Jim Koplik 1954 18 Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort 161 Brownstone Ave. Portland, CT 06480 866-860-0208; brownstonepark.com 132,000 225 0 Outdoor adventure sports park for all ages, rock climbing, wakeboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, cliff jumping, scuba diving, zip lines, skiing, snowboarding, tubing, mountain biking, disc golf and more; weddings and events Sean Hayes 2009 19 Goodspeed Musicals 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT 06423 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org 120,000 76 30 Produces award-winning musicals featuring Broadway actors, directors and designers; surrounded by top-notch restaurants, shops and galleries; first theatre in the nation to be honored with two Tony awards Michael Gennaro 1963 19 The Children's Museum 950 Trout Brook Drive West Hartford, CT 06119 860-231-2824; www.thechildrensmuseumct.org 120,000 47 148 A multidisciplinary learning center featuring a planetarium, wildlife sanctuary, preschool, hands-on educational exhibits, public programs, on-site and outreach educational programs, and a second site, Roaring Brook Nature Center Michael J. Werle 1927 21 Historic Ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum 1 Crystal Lake Road Groton, CT 06349 860-694-3174; www.ussnautilus.org 110,272 8 20 U.S. Navy's official submarine museum with tours of the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine along with exhibits ranging from the Revolutionary War era to present day Bradley M. Boyd 1964 22 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06511 203-432-5050; peabody.yale.edu 102,683 70 115 Jurassic-age dinosaur skeletons from the Peabody's paleontology collections, Rudolph Zallinger's mural "The Age of Reptiles"; exhibits on ancient Egypt, early man, CT geology, CT birds, minerals and meteorites David Skelly 1866 23 Real Art Ways 56 Arbor St. Hartford, CT 06106 860-232-1006; www.realartways.org 91,595 22 0 Contemporary arts with daily film screenings, visual arts exhibitions, performances, readings, concerts and education programs for greater Hartford students Will K. Wilkins 1975 24 Hartford Stage Co. 50 Church St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org 89,100 74 298 Tony award-winning theater producing six main-stage productions and "A Christmas Carol" Darko Tresnjak 1963 25 Yale Center for British Art 1080 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06520 203-432-2800; www.britishart.yale.edu 89,032 133 69 Largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom, encompassing works in a range of media from the Elizabethan period to the present Amy Meyers 1966 (opened to the public in 1977) 26 Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme St. Old Lyme, CT 06371 860-434-5542; www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org 80,000 19 200 Galleries for changing exhibitions, education center, landscape center, extensive gardens, and a restored artist's studio Becky Beaulieu 1947 CT tourist attractions must focus on 'personalized experiences' Q&A talks to Jan L. Jones, a lecturer on hospi- tality and tourism management at the University of New Haven, about trends reshaping the state's tour- ism industry. Q. You recently were on a panel discussion at the Connecticut Conference on Tourism in Hartford talking about new trends impacting the state's tourism industry. What did you focus on? A. I focused on the need for leisure and tourism stakeholders to collaborate more with each other in the creation of more personalized experiences for guests. In general, travelers are paying more attention to sustainable business practices, expect high-tech experiences, and want more personalization. Instead of calling a travel agent, younger generations are using social media and the internet to develop their trip itineraries. Therefore, it is ex- tremely important that your content is current, relevant and easy to navigate. Q. A lot of your focus has been on expe- rienced-based tourism and developing tour packages that include a hands-on experience for tourists. Can you tell us about this and what you recommend? A. The example I gave during my pre- sentation related to food tourism. While some tourists are still looking for locally sourced, well-crafted meals, others also want to learn about the chef or how to prepare the meal so that they can enjoy it again when they return home. I gave the example of 'The Petra Kitchen' in Jordan where visitors are provided night classes to both learn how to create and to enjoy an authentic local dish. The key is leaving guests with an experience they can recreate when they get home, and a way to stay connected to your business after they leave. A simple effort like creating a hashtag for visitors to post their recre- ation at home is a simple way to keep them interacting with your business. In the state of Connecticut, we have sev- eral amazing hospitality and culinary programs. Why not partner with a local college to offer some type of experience for your guest to learn how to make one of your favorite local dishes. Collaborative entertainment and lei- sure experiences for hotel and restaurant guests are also extremely important to promote. Connecticut has so much to offer in these areas. In my opinion, we should be cross-training staff more to increase awareness of the local arts, culture, entertainment and recreational opportunities available to guests. Consider partnering with your local spas, boat clubs, yoga or karate studios to create a wellness package for your guests. These are just some ways you can create personalized experiences. Q. How has the tourism industry in Connecticut changed over the last decade? A. The first year I began teaching recreation, tourism and hospitality in Connecticut, state tourism funding was reduced to $1. It was shocking, and since I was working on the devel- opment of a new tourism and hospital- ity concentration not the best news. Attending the CT Tourism Confer- ence that year was like attending a funeral. People were in shock. What I did see shortly after that was the incredible resilience of tourism and hospitality stakeholders. With later administrations, the fund- ing improved for a bit, but research shows in other states that there is still lack of sufficient state funding and sup- port for the industries to truly thrive. Now that we have new leadership I am hopeful that state funding will con- tinue to grow especially knowing that our neighboring states continue to increase their funding. Q. There is a lot of talk about Con- necticut needing to rebrand. What are your thoughts about the state's "Still Revolutionary" slogan? A. I think that the CT Office of Tour- ism does an incredible job with mar- keting Connecticut with the resources it has. I do not believe we should spend our already limited resources on a completely new rebrand. I do, however, think that we need to continue to collect data and conduct research about current trends and po- tential new markets. I would encour- age tourism stakeholders to contact their local education programs to conduct their own focus groups. I am also fairly indifferent about the slogan 'Still Revolutionary. I have trav- eled to over 14 different countries and I can't remember one single slogan from those places. I do, however, remember how easy it was to find unique experi- ences, how welcoming the people and tourism stakeholders were, the places I stayed and the memorable activities that I participated in. We need to move beyond the discus- sion of the slogan and focus on feeding tourists the experiences they want via our marketing efforts. Jan L. Jones Lecturer on hospitality and tourism management, University of New Haven

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