Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

Book of Lists 2014 Leisure & Hospitality 62 Hartford Business Journal • septemBer 22, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com Largest tourist attractions in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2013 attendance) Rank Company 2013 attendance Employees/ volunteers Admission Description Top executive(s) Year founded 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 9,500,000 7,600 DND Hospitality, entertainment, gaming. Karen O'Connell 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 5,110,000 DND DND Entertainment, gaming, dining, shopping, hotel, spa and meetings/conventions. Mitchell Estess 1996 3 Riverfront Recapture 50 Columbus Blvd., 1st Floor Hartford, CT 06016 860-713-3131; www.riverfront.org 800,471 DND Free Cultural events, entertainment, group sports and recreation along the Connecticut River. Joseph R. Marfuggi 1981 4 Mystic Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-5955; www.mysticaquarium.org 700,000 265 295 Adults: $33.95, seniors (60+): $30.95, youth (13-17): $29.95, children (3-12): $25.95, children (2 and under): free New England's year-round hands-on aquarium. Stephen M. Coan 1973 5 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 452,549 50 288 Adults: $19.95, children (3-12): $12.95, IMAX extra. 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 1988 6 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 326,000 82 (1) 3 Adults: $19, youth (4-18): $14, 3 and under: free. Group rates available. Science-based, educational and tourism. Matt J. Fleury 2009 7 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 280,000 42 200 Adults $14, children (3 -11) and seniors (62 and older): $10, children (under 3): free. Only zoo in CT. It has a tropical rain forest, New England farmyard, Alligator Alley, aviary and carousel. Gregg Dancho 1922 8 Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 888-973-2767; www.mysticseaport.org 250,000 DND Adults: $24, seniors and college students: $22, youth: $15, children (5 and under): free Maritime museum featuring historic tall ships, a working preservation shipyard, a re-created seafaring village, exhibits and more. Stephen C. White 1929 9 Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-432-0600; artgallery.yale.edu 225,000 164 30 Free and open to the public Oldest college art museum in America, and the third oldest in the world. The gallery holds more than 200,000 objects. Jock Reynolds 1832 10 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Rd. Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 300 DND Family amusement & waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two-dozen rides and attractions. George Frantzis II 1908 11 Essex Steam Train & Riverboat (Valley Railroad Company) 1 Railroad Ave. Essex, CT 06426 860-767-0103; www.essexsteamtrain.com 165,000 50 25 $10-$28 A narrated steam train and riverboat excursion with Circus Train, North Pole Express and The Essex Clipper Dinner Train. Robert Bell 1971 12 Historic Ship Nautilus 1 Crystal Lake Rd. Groton, CT 06349 860-694-3174; www.ussnautilus.org 150,000 9 Free U.S. Navy's official submarine museum with tours of the Nautilus, the first nuclear- powered submarine. Gretchen Marion 1964 13 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06511 203-432-5050; www.peabody.yale.edu 143,000 70 220 Adults: $9, seniors: $8, children (3-18) and students with ID: $5, children (under 3), Yale ID holders and visitors on Thurs. 2-5 pm from Sept.- June:: free From dinosaurs to diamonds, mummies to meteorites, early man to modern day birds, exhibits span 4 billion years of Earth history. Derek E. Briggs (2) 1869 14 Goodspeed Opera House 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT 06423 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org/ 120,000 75 40 $28-$75 Birthplace of the original productions of Man of La Mancha, Shenandoah, and Annie. Produces six musicals each season. Michael P. Price 1963 15 Discovery Museum and Planetarium 4450 Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-372-3521; www.discoverymuseum.org 109,800 15 22 Adults: $10 , students and seniors: $8, children (under 3): free, senior group discounts. Hands-on, interactive museum for all ages with over 100 exhibit areas. Joseph D'Avanzo 1958; open to the public in 1962 16 Yale Center for British Art 1080 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06520 203-432-2800; www.britishart.yale.edu 100,000 150 17 Free Largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. Amy Meyers 1977 17 New Britain Museum of American Art 56 Lexington St. New Britain, CT 06052 860-229-0257; www.nbmaa.org 80,146 40 425 Adults: $12, seniors: $10, students: $8, children (under 12) and members: free Three centuries of the nation's artistic output on view in nine galleries; upwards of 25 special exhibitions per year. Douglas K.S. Hyland 1903 18 Hartford Stage Co. 50 Church St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org 79,657 DND 200 DND Tony award-winning theater producing six MainStage productions and A Christmas Carol. Michael Stotts 1964 19 Mark Twain House & Museum 351 Farmington Ave. Hartford, CT 06105 860-247-0998; www.marktwainhouse.org 72,621 65 10 $16 National Landmark Home for 17 years; selected one of the top 10 historic houses in the world by National Geographic. Cindy Lovell 1929 20 Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme St. Old Lyme, CT 06371 860-434-5542; www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org 63,213 18 214 Adults: $10, seniors: $9, students: $8, visitors (12 and under): free The museum features a modern exhibition gallery, education center, landscape center, extensive gardens and a restored artist's studio. Jeffrey Andersen 1941 21 Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center 110 Pequot Tr. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-411-9671; www.pequotmuseum.org 60,000 50 3 Adults: $20, seniors (55+) and college: $15, children (6-18): $12, museum members and children (under 6): free Native American museum featuring natural and native history of New England. Travis Williams Dale Merrill Tony Beltran 1998 22 New England Air Museum 36 Perimeter Rd. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-623-3305; www.neam.org 55,843 24 151 Children (3 and under): free; children (4-11): $6.50; 12-65: $12; seniors (65+): $11 Largest aviation museum in the Northeast with three exhibit hangars featuring more than 80 aircraft. Debbie J Reed 1959 23 Dinosaur State Park 400 West St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-529-5816; www.dinosaurstatepark.org 50,000 (3) 3 (4) 0 Adults (13+): $6, children (6-12): $2, children (5 and under): free Five hundred Jurassic period dinosaur tracks housed under the exhibit center's geodesic dome. Meg Enkler 1966 Source: Individual institutions, Connecticut Office of Tourism. Notes: DND = Did not disclose. Lake Compounce did not respond to multiple requests to participate in the list. (1) 56 full-time employees, 11 part-time employees, 11 seasonal employees, 4 on-call employees. (2) Term ends June 30, 2014. David Kelly begins a five-year term as director on July 1, 2014. (3) Estimate. (4) In the summer there are 7-8 seasonal employees (many of whom are part-time). In the winter there are 2 seasonal employee (one full-time, one half time). —Compiled by Roger Magnus.

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