Worcester Business Journal

62 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2025 | wbjournal.com F O C U S H O S P I T A L I T Y Most popular tourist attractions Ranked by 2024 attendance, then local employees Attraction Annual attendance 2024/ local employees Services offered Top executive(s)/ year founded 1 Wachusett Mountain Ski Area 499 Mountain Road, Princeton 01541 978-464-2300 • wachusett.com 1,000,000 1,400 Accessible mountain skiing and winter fun with three high-speed quads and 110 skiable acres Jeff Crowley president 1934 2 New England Sports Center 121 Donald Lynch Blvd., Marlborough 01752 508-229-2700 • nes.com 1,000,000 65 Hockey, figure skating and public skating with eight full- size rinks, a mini rink and studio rink as well as pro shop, two restaurants and video arcade; home of the Lady Flames and Minuteman Flames Minor Hockey Association Jason Silbor general manager 1994 3 Great Wolf Lodge New England 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg 01420 978-343-9653 • greatwolf.com/new-england 625,000 720 Family resort and waterpark Alex Matthews general manager 2014 4 DCU Center 50 Foster St., Worcester 01608 508-755-6800 • dcucenter.com 514,174 800 Gathering place for entertainment, sporting events and public functions; accommodates groups from 15 to 15,000 Sandra Dunn general manager 1982 5 Worcester Red Sox (Polar Park) 100 Madison St., Worcester 01608 508-500-1000 • woosox.com 509,955 250 Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox with 75 home games at Polar Park in Worcester's Canal District; holds capacity for 9,508 fans Charles Steinberg president 2021 6 Southwick's Zoo 2 Southwick St., Mendon 01756 800-258-9182, ext. 211 • southwickszoo.com 483,000 287 Family-owned zoo with over 200 acres and 950 animals from around the world, deer forest, petting zoo, shows, rides, attractions seasonal events including The Great Jack O'Lantern Journey and Winter Wonderland Cindy C. Brewer-Lavoie president 1965 7 New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill (1) 11 French Drive, Boylston 01505 508-869-6111 • nebg.org 213,105 66 Connects people with plants year-round through garden viewing, trail walking, educational programs, art exhibitions, special events and more, with garden shop and café Grace Chapman Elton CEO 1842 8 Old Sturbridge Village 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge 01566 800-733-1830 • osv.org 200,000 (2) 150 Living history museum James E. Donahue president & CEO 1946 9 Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts 2 Southbridge St., Worcester 01608 877-571-7469 • thehanovertheatre.org 189,499 108 Downtown destination for the performing arts and hub for meetings, celebrations and special events with Carroll Plaza and the PopUp and BrickBox spaces at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) Alan Seiffert president & CEO 2008 10 Discovery Museum 177 Main St., Acton 01720 978-264-4200 • discoveryacton.org 189,209 (3) 75 Children's museum of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) Marie Beam CEO 1982 11 EcoTarium 222 Harrington Way, Worcester 01604 508-929-2700 • ecotarium.org 136,650 50 Museum of science and nature, an indoor-outdoor experience dedicated to inspiring a passion for science and nature in visitors of all ages Noreen Johnson Smith president & CEO 1825 12 Johnny Appleseed Visitors' Center (4) 1000 Route 2 West, Lancaster 01523 978-534-2302 • visitnorthcentral.com 121,150 6 Open daily, year-round with tourism information and growing collection of exhibits and gift shop for local artisans to showcase crafts and products Roy Nascimento president 1997 13 Ski Ward Ski Area 1000 Main St., Shrewsbury 01545 508-842-6346 • skiward.com 100,000 (2) 175 Year-round outdoor recreation with summer & winter tubing, skiing, snowboarding, beach volleyball leagues and cycling; event packages and May-October outdoor dining, bar & ice cream Stephanie LaCroix general manager 1939 14 Worcester Art Museum 55 Salisbury St., Worcester 01609 508-799-4406 • worcesterart.org 100,000 120 Connects people, communities and cultures through the experience of art Matthias Waschek director 1896 15 Indian Ranch and Samuel Slater's Restaurant 200 Gore Road, Webster 01570 508-943-3871 (Indian Ranch); 508 943-1639 (Samuel Slater's Restaurant) • indianranch.com; samuelslaters.com 60,000 150 Outdoor amphitheater and on-site restaurant on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg with summer concert series and seasonal campground Suzette Robert president, Indian Ranch Julie Welch manager, Samuel Slater's Restaurant 1946 16 Tougas Family Farm LLC 234 Ball St., Northborough 01532 508-393-6406 • tougasfamilyfarm.com 60,000 75 Family-owned farm with pick-your-own strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apples & pumpkins; barnyard, playground, farm store and kitchen for seasonal baked goods, ice cream, cider donuts & more Kerrie Ward manager 1981 17 Mechanics Hall 321 Main St., Worcester 01608 508-752-5608 • mechanicshall.org 60,000 35 National Registered Historic Place that offers 19th- century elegance, modern amenities and red-carpet service for events and performances Meghan Montaner (5) executive director 1857 18 Groton Hill Music Center 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton 01450 978-486-9524 • grotonhill.org 50,000 30 Nonprofit music education and performance center, presenting over 50 renowned artists annually in two halls; music school with over 2,000 students of all ages and abilities Lisa Fiorentino CEO 1985 19 Spencer Fair 48 Smithville Road, Spencer 01562 508-885-5814 • spencerfair.org 35,000 0 (6) Traditional country fair taking place annually over Labor Day weekend Bobby Knight president 1888 20 The Center for the Arts in Natick 14 Summer St., Natick 01760 508-647-0097 • natickarts.org 30,000 8 Regional nonprofit arts venue established in 1997 featuring concert performances, feature films, and community programs David Lavalley executive director 1997 21 Bolton Fair (Fairgrounds at Lancaster) 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster 01523 978-365-7206 • boltonfair.org 30,000 0 (7) Annual fair with animal shows, exhibits, events and entertainment; Aug. 8-10, 2025 Rose Darden president & fair manager 1874 22 Vaillancourt Folk Art 9 Main St., Suite 1-H, Sutton 01590 508-476-3601 • valfa.com 27,400 20 One of the last family-owned Christmas studios in America producing fine-art collectibles and ornaments with retail gallery, Christmas theater, Christmas museum and renowned outdoor Christkindle markets Luke M. Vaillancourt president Judi and Gary Vaillancourt co-founders 1984 23 Museum of Worcester (8) (2) Dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting William D. Wallace David Crowley, member of family behind Wachusett Mountain, passes away David Crowley, a prominent member of the family which runs both Polar Beverages and Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, passed away in November 2024 at age 69 following a fight with a rare brain disease. Crowley, a member of the WBJ 2019 Power 50 alongside his four siblings, was one of the Crowley family members who focused on running the Princeton- based skiing destination, while others focused on running the Worcester manufacturer Polar Beverages. "David was bigger than life, and he loved working at Wachusett and being a part of such a great family and experience," a Nov. 20 social media post from the ski area read. "It's up to David Sr. now to work over the Snow Gods in our favor." Crowley was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, in 2014, according to WCVB. The 2024-2025 ski season was dedicated in David's memory and included efforts to raise awareness about PSP. Crowley played leadership roles at industry organizations including SnoCountry, the National Ski Areas Association, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1990s, David was instrumental in building up the Wachusett Mountain brand with creative radio and television advertising, including its catch "Wa-Wa- chusett" jingle. – Story by Eric Casey David Crowley

• Cover