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LEISURE & HOSPITALITY BOOK OF LISTS 2020 | 69 LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTING VENUES IN CONNECTICUT (Ranked by estimated 2018 attendance) Largest entertainment & sporting venues in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2018 attendance) Rank Venue 2018 attendance Employees/ Volunteers/ Profit or nonprofit 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 Profit Hospitality, entertainment, gaming, retail, dining, golf, spa and hotel John J. James (a) 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 9,000,000 7,000 0 Profit Entertainment, gaming, dining, shopping, hotel, spa, 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 Nonprofit Underwater worlds and creatures including beluga whales, penguins and more; interactive experiences, exhibits and animal adventures Stephen M. Coan 1973 4 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 509,073 117 312 Nonprofit 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 Dave Truedson 1988 5 XL Center 1 Civic Center Plaza Hartford, CT 06103 860-249-6333; www.xlcenter.com 502,000 NA NA Profit Hosts Hartford Wolf Pack, UConn basketball, concerts and family entertainment Pearson Davis 1977 6 Dunkin' Donuts Park 1214 Main St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-246-GOAT; yardgoatsbaseball.com 408,942 350 50 Profit State-of-the-art venue and home to the Hartford Yard Goats, a Double-A baseball team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies Mike Abramson 2016 7 The Bushnell 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-987-6044; www.bushnell.org 350,000 100 600 Nonprofit Two performance halls and multiple public event spaces, Broadway tours, symphonies, family entertainment, concerts, local arts and community events David R. Fay 1929 7 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park 205 E. Thompson Road Thompson, CT 06277 860-923-2280; www.thompsonspeedway.com 350,000 100 50 Profit NASCAR stock car events on 1.7-mile course , Clubhouse Circuit with New England's only competitive drifting events, 18-hole golf course, Clubhouse Restaurant and banquet facility, ice cream stand, corporate and private events Jonathan Hoenig 1940 7 XFINITY Theatre 61 Savitt Way Hartford, CT 06120 860-548-7370; www.livenation.com 350,000 400 NA Profit Indoor-outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of more than 24,000 Jim Koplik 1995 10 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 313,814 89 42 Nonprofit Science-based museum, educational and tourism venue Matt J. Fleury 2009 11 Mystic Seaport Museum 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-0711; www.mysticseaport.org 285,000 350 600 Nonprofit Maritime museum on the Mystic River with historic vessels, working preservation shipyard, seafaring village, exhibits, galleries and more Stephen C. White 1929 12 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 260,000 52 130 Nonprofit Three hundred animals, tigers, leopards, ocelot, South American rainforest with aviary, prairie dogs, maned wolves, Chacoan peccaries, giant anteaters; cafe, indoor carousel Gregg Dancho 1922 13 Grand Theater 39 Norwich Westerly Road Mashantucket, CT 06339 800-200-2882; www.foxwoods.com 231,805 NA NA Profit Theater featuring performers, concerts, sporting events and off-Broadway shows Monique Sebastian 2008 14 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 350 0 Profit Family amusement and waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two dozen rides and attractions George Frantzis II Eric Anderson 1908 15 Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field 615 Silver Lane East Hartford, CT 06118 860-610-4700; www.rentschlerfield.com 184,000 NA NA Profit Hosts University of Connecticut football as well as concerts, international soccer matches, and family entertainment and exhibitions Justin Levasseur 2003 16 Fox Theater 39 Norwich Westerly Road Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-200-2882; www.foxwoods.com 143,031 NA NA Profit Theater featuring comedy, music, and international talent Monique Sebastian 1992 17 Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 95 S. Turnpike Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-8721; oakdale.com 137,000 35 0 Profit Year-round concert venue and event space for graduations, weddings, parties, proms, galas, meetings and more Lorraine Nuha 1954 18 Stafford Motor Speedway 55 West St. Stafford Springs, CT 06076 860-684-2783; www.staffordspeedway.com 125,000 75 10 Profit Half-mile paved oval with NASCAR racing every Friday night from May through September along with Monster Jam, Auto Swap Meets, Motorcycle Swap Meets, Kart Racing and Subaru Meet Mark Arute 1959 19 Lime Rock Park 60 White Hollow Road Lakeville, CT 06039 860-435-5000; www.limerock.com 124,000 50 80 Profit Races include IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Festival; track days, manufacturer days, autocross, charity events, July 4th fireworks Skip Barber Georgia Blades Steven Sewell 1957 20 Goodspeed Musicals 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT 06423 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org 120,000 76 30 Nonprofit Home of the American musical and birthplace of the original productions of Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah and Annie; first regional theatre to receive two special Tony Awards Michael Gennaro 1963 21 Fastpitch Nation Park 1001 Day Hill Road Windsor, CT 06195 860-242-0055; fastpitchnaiton.net 50,000 25 0 Profit Eleven-field outdoor fast-pitch softball facility; largest in the Northeast, retail, storage and restrooms, LED scoreboards, covered dugouts and other amenities David Rocha 2008 22 Dinosaur State Park 400 West St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-529-5816; www.dinosaurstatepark.org 38,000 NA 100 Nonprofit Sixty-acre state park with 700 Jurassic period dinosaur tracks housed under the exhibit center's geodesic dome Michael Ross 1966 23 GoodWorks Infinity Norfolk Route 44, 20 Greenwoods Road Norfolk, CT 06058 203-659-0057; www.infinityhall.com 27,000 50 50 Profit 1880's Victorian music hall with newly restored sound system, 4-star bistro before or during the live shows; available for private events Tyler Grill 2007 Source: Each venue via survey. Notes: NA = not available or not applicable. Hartford's Dillon Stadium undergoes continuing revitalization after reopening July 2019. Lake Compounce of Bristol does not disclose attendance. Unable to confirm data for Bridgeport's Webster Bank arena. (a) As of Aug. 12, 2019, succeeded interim CEO Rodney A. Butler —Compiled by Heide Martin. A Texas-based consultancy that specializes in studying event facilities has been hired to examine the financials and future opportunities of downtown Hartford's aging XL Center, which has an uncertain future after failing to gain state funding for much-needed upgrades. Attendance continued to grow during the Hartford Yard Goats' third season at downtown's Dunkin' Donuts Park. The Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies led Minor League Baseball's Eastern League in total attendance for the second consecutive year in 2019, drawing 414,946 fans, up nearly 1.5 percent from 2018. The Hartford Yard Goats also announced its stadium will host the 2021 Eastern League All-Star Game.