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Book of Lists 2014 Leisure & Hospitality 58 Hartford Business Journal • septemBer 22, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com Largest entertainment & sporting venues in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2013 attendance) Rank Venue 2013 attendance Employees/ volunteers Profit or nonprofit Description Executive director Year founded 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 9,500,000 NA Profit Hospitality, entertainment, gaming. Karen O'Connell Director of Resort Sales 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 5,110,000 NA Profit Entertainment, gaming, dining, shopping, hotel, spa and meetings/conventions. Mitchell Estess President & CEO 1996 3 Mohegan Sun Arena 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 860-862-8000; www.mohegansun.com 700,000 NA NA 10,000-seat arena hosting major global touring recording artists, comedians, ESPN2 Friday Night Fights and other major network broadcasting events. Also home of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. Tom Cantone Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for MTGA 2001 4 Mystic Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-5955; www.mysticaquarium.org 695,129 NA 295 NA New England's year-round hands-on aquarium. Stephen M. Coan President and CEO 1973 5 XL Center 1 Civic Center Plaza Hartford, CT 06103 860-249-6333; www.xlcenter.com 547,321 (1) 778 0 Profit Hosts Hartford Wolf Pack, UConn basketball, concerts and family entertainment. Chris Lawrence General Manager 1977 6 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 452,549 80 288 Nonprofit Exhibits sharks, seals, sea turtles, jellyfish, river otters and other animals native to Long Island Sound and its watershed, plus study cruises, educational programs and Connecticut's largest IMAX movie theater. Jennifer Herring President & CEO 1988 7 Fox Theatre 39 Norwich Westerly Rd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-200-2882; www.foxwoods.com 340,000 NA NA Headline entertainment and live championship sporting events. Robert Victoria chief marketing director 1992 8 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 326,000 82 (2) 3 Nonprofit Science-based, educational and tourism. Matt J. Fleury President & CEO 2009 9 New Britain Stadium 230 John Karbonic Way New Britain, CT 06050 (860) 224-8383; www.rockcats.com 307,097 NA Profit Stadium hosts 71 home games of the New Britain Rock Cats, a Double A baseball team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins. Tim Restall General Manager 1973 10 The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-987-6044; www.bushnell.org 300,000 NA Nonprofit More than 450 events annually, including Broadway tours, symphonies, family entertainment, local arts and community events. Cathy Stephens Senior Manager, Facility Sales and Service 1930 11 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 280,000 42 200 Nonprofit Only zoo in CT. It has a tropical rain forest, New England farmyard, Alligator Alley, aviary and carousel. Gregg Dancho Zoo Director 1922 12 XFINITY Theatre 61 Savitt Way Hartford, CT 06120 203-269-8721; www.livenation.com 257,000 NA NA Indoor/outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of more than 24,000. Jim Koplik Randy McArthur President/ Connecticut-Upstate New York general manager NA 13 Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 888-973-2767; www.mysticseaport.org 250,000 NA Nonprofit Maritime museum featuring historic tall ships, a working preservation shipyard, a re-created seafaring village, exhibits and more. Stephen C. White President 1929 13 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park 205 E. Thompson Road Thompson, CT 06277 860-923-2280; www.thompsonspeedway.com 250,000 30 15 Profit Road racing, Sports Cars, Motorcycles, SCCA, NASCAR modifieds, the World Series of Auto Racing. Donald J. Hoenig Jonathan Hoenig owner CEO 1940 15 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Rd. Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 325 Profit Family amusement & waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two-dozen rides and attractions. George Frantzis II co-owner 1908 16 Dodd Stadium 14 Stott Ave. Norwich, CT 06360 860-887-7962; cttigers.com 175,000 (3) 8 (4) 0 Profit Single-A Minor League Baseball team of the Detroit Tigers. C.J. Knudsen Eric Knighton Senior Vice President Vice President & General Manager 1995 (5) 17 Rentschler Field 615 Silver Ln. East Hartford, CT 06118 860-610-4700; www.rentschlerfield.com 169,437 (1) 608 (6) 370 Profit Hosts University of Connecticut football as well as concerts, family entertainment and exhibitions. Chris Lawrence General Manager 2003 18 Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 95 S. Turnpike Rd. Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-8721; specialevents.livenation.com/ venue/ toyota-presents-oakdale-theatre-wallingford-ct 115,000 NA NA Year-round concert venue and event space for graduations, weddings, parties, proms, galas, meetings and more. Natalie Krohn Director of Sales - Special Events 1954 19 Lime Rock Park 497 Lime Rock Rd. Lakeville, CT 06039 860—435-5000; www.limerock.com 100,000 (7) 19 200 Profit Major races include IMSA, SCCA, Trans-Am, Tudor United Sports Car Championship; historic festival. Skip Barber Georgia Blades President CEO 1957 20 Hartford Stage Co. 50 Church St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org 79,657 80 200 Nonprofit Tony award-winning theater producing six MainStage productions and A Christmas Carol. Michael Stotts Managing Director 1964 21 The Warner Theater 68 Main St. Torrington, CT 06790 (860) 489-7180; www.warnertheater.org 70,000 NA 1,000 Nonprofit Former movie palace now hosting more than 170 performances, including family entertainment and national performing artists, performing arts school and 300-seat black box theater. Lynn Gelormino James Patrick Executive Director 1931 22 Dinosaur State Park 400 West St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-529-5816; www.dinosaurstatepark.org 50,000 (8) 3 (9) 0 NA Five hundred Jurassic period dinosaur tracks housed under the exhibit center's geodesic dome. Meg Enkler Environmental Education Coordinator 1966 22 Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts 2132 Hillside Rd. Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-4226; www.jorgensen.uconn.edu 50,000 15 60 Nonprofit Offers 30-plus performances September to May, ranging from Broadway musicals to concerts and children's events. Rodney Rock 1955 24 Infinity Music Hall and Bistro Route 44, 20 Greenwoods Rd., PO Box 58 Norfolk, CT 06058 860-542-5531; www.infinityhall.com 48,000 55 (10) 10 (11) Profit Intimate concerts and creative cuisine in an 1880's Victorian music hall that has been restored and equipped with a state of the art sound system. Also includes a 4-star Bistro that is available for dinner before or during the live shows. Dan Hincks Founder & Owner NA 25 The Cabaret Theatre 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; www.mohegansun.com 16,458 NA Profit Features a 350-seat cabaret theater with comedy performances in an intimate atmosphere. Tom Cantone Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment 2001 Source: Individual venues. These venues were contacted but did not respond to the survey for this year's list or declined to partcipate: Goodspeed Musicals, Lake Compounce, Ridgefield Playhouse, Shubert Theater, Stafford Speedway, Toad's Place, Waterford Speedbowl, Webster Theater. and Webster Bank Arena. (1) Fiscal year: July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014. Ticketed events only; does not include meetings, or some exhibition events. (2) 56 full-time employees. (3) 68,757 for Connecticut Tigers games. (4) Full-time. Also 140 seasonal. (5) Connecticut Tigers 2010. (6) Includes sub-contractors. (7) Approximate number of people who pass through Lime Rock Park's gate in any given year. (8) Estimate. (9) In the summer there are 7-8 seasonal employees (many of whom are part-time). In the winter there are two seasonal employees (one full-time, one half time). (10) Approximately. Includes both full-time and part-time. (11) 5-10 per event. —Compiled by Roger Magnus.