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10 Hartford Business Journal • May 27, 2019 • www.HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS THE LIST Most visited tourist attractions in Connecticut Ranked by estimated 2018 attendance 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