Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com June 20, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 9 To view the full list, please visit HartfordBusiness.com THE LIST Largest entertainment & sporting venues in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2015 attendance) Rank Venue 2015 attendance Employees/ Volunteers Profit or nonprofit Description Top executive Year founded 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 12,833,043 6,500 Profit Hospitality, entertainment, gaming, retail, dining, golf, spa and hotel Felix D. Rappaport 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-226-7711; mohegansun.com 7,300,000 (1) 6,735 Profit Entertainment, gaming, dining, shopping, hotel, spa and meetings/conventions Ray Pineault 1996 3 Webster Bank Arena (2) 600 Main St. Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-345-2300; websterbankarena.com 750,000 (3) NA Profit Family entertainment including Sound Tigers hockey and Fairfield University NCAA basketball Michael Picker 2001 4 Mystic Aquarium 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-5955; www.mysticaquarium.org 662,224 250 300 Nonprofit Underwater worlds and creatures including beluga whales, penguins and more; interactive experiences, exhibits and animal adventures Stephen M. Coan 1973 5 XL Center 1 Civic Center Plaza Hartford, CT 06103 860-249-6333; www.xlcenter.com 600,000 NA Profit Hosts Hartford Wolf Pack, UConn basketball, concerts and family entertainment Chris Lawrence 1977 6 Fox Theater 39 Norwich Westerly Road Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-200-2882; www.foxwoods.com 467,000 (4) NA Profit Theater featuring comedy, music, and international talent Monique Sebastian 1992 6 Grand Theater 39 Norwich Westerly Road Mashantucket, CT 06339 800-200-2882; www.foxwoods.com 467,000 (4) NA Profit Theater featuring performers, concerts, sporting events and off-Broadway shows Monique Sebastian 2008 8 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 459,829 125 337 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 Brian Davis 1988 9 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 332,000 NA 44 (5) Nonprofit Science-based museum, educational and tourism venue Matt J. Fleury 2009 10 The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-987-6044; www.bushnell.org 318,000 100 580 Nonprofit With two performance halls and multiple public event spaces, The Bushnell hosts more than 450 events annually, including Broadway tours, symphonies, family entertainment, concerts, and local arts and community events David R. Fay 1929 11 XFINITY Theatre 61 Savitt Way Hartford, CT 06120 203-269-8721; www.livenation.com 301,606 685 0 Profit Indoor/outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of more than 24,000 Jim Koplik 1995 12 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 280,000 40 (6) 120 Nonprofit 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species; South American rainforest with aviary, prairie dog exhibit, farmyard; hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, café, picnic grove, indoor carousel Gregg Dancho 1922 13 New Britain Stadium (7) 230 John Karbonic Way New Britain, CT 06050 800-246-GOAT; yardgoatsbaseball.com 267,377 350 0 Profit Stadium hosted 71 home games of the New Britain Rock Cats, a Double-A baseball team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins Tim Restall 1973 14 Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-0711; www.mysticseaport.org 258,829 350 600 Nonprofit Maritime museum featuring historic tall ships, a working preservation shipyard, a re-created seafaring village, exhibits and more Stephen C. White 1929 15 Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (8) 615 Silver Lane East Hartford, CT 06118 860-610-4700; www.rentschlerfield.com 230,000 NA Profit Hosts University of Connecticut football as well as concerts, international soccer matches, and family entertainment and exhibitions Chris Lawrence 2003 16 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 NA Profit Family amusement and waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two-dozen rides and attractions George Frantzis II 1908 17 Dodd Stadium 14 Stott Ave. Norwich, CT 06360 860-887-7962; cttigers.com 195,000 150 0 Profit Single-A minor league baseball team of the Detroit Tigers C.J. Knudsen Dave Schermerhor 1995 (9) 18 Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 95 S. Turnpike Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-8721; specialevents.livenation.com 176,649 35 NA Year-round concert venue and event space for graduations, weddings, parties, proms, galas, meetings and more Natalie Krohn 1954 19 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park 205 E. Thompson Road Thompson, CT 06277 860-923-2280; www.thompsonspeedway.com 150,000 5,075 (10) 20 Profit NASCAR short track racing featuring modified, late model, limited sportsman and mini-stock divisions; facility includes a 1.7-mile road course hosting sports car and motorcycle events Donald J. Hoenig Jonathan Hoenig Donald R. Hoenig 1940 20 Goodspeed Musicals 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT 06423 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org 102,800 250 40 NA Three musicals produced each year at the Opera House in East Haddam and additional productions at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester Michael Gennaro 1963 21 Lime Rock Park 60 White Hollow Road Lakeville, CT 06039 860-435-5000; www.limerock.com 100,000 25 100 Profit Major races include IMSA, SCCA, Ferrari Challenge, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship; Plus club racing, historic festival, track days, winter autocross, summer autocross, charity events and fireworks Skip Barber Georgia Blades Sewell Steve 1957 21 The Warner Theatre 68 Main St. Torrington, CT 06790 860-489-7180; www.warnertheatre.org 100,000 (11) 30 (12) 800 Nonprofit Former movie palace now hosting more than 170 performances, including family entertainment and national performing artists, performing arts school, 300-seat black box theater and 8,000-square-foot costume shop Lynn Gelormino 1931 23 Hartford Stage Co. 50 Church St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org 90,564 80 Nonprofit Tony award-winning theater producing six main-stage productions and "A Christmas Carol" Michael Stotts Darko Tresnjak 1964 24 Shubert Theater 247 College St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-624-1825; www.shubert.com 90,000 15 235 Nonprofit Presents Broadway, dance, opera, cabaret and family entertainment John Fisher 1914 24 The Ridgefield Playhouse 80 E. Ridge St. Ridgefield, CT 06877 203-438-5795; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org 90,000 NA Nonprofit The Playhouse presents national and local acts and is the cultural hub for the town of Ridgefield Allison Stockel 2000 26 Infinity Music Hall & Bistro 32 Front St. Hartford, CT 06103 866-666-6306; InfinityHall.com 75,000 50 25 Profit Music and dining destination in the Front St. Entertainment District Dan Hincks 2008 27 Dinosaur State Park 400 West St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067 860-529-5816; www.dinosaurstatepark.org 46,000 2 (13) 100 NA Five hundred Jurassic period dinosaur tracks housed under the exhibit center's geodesic dome Meg Enkler 1966 Source: Each venue via survey. Lake Compounce was contacted but did not respond to the survey for this year's list or declined to participate. (1) Average annual attendance. (2) Formerly called Arena at Harbor Yard. (3) Estimate from 2015 survey. (4) 285 events with over 467,000 tickets issued for the Fox and Grand Theaters. (5) Data from FY 2014 Form 990. (6) 32 seasonal employees. (7) 2015 was the Rock Cats' last season; now, the Hartford Yardgoats, a Double-A baseball team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies to play in Hartford's Dunkin' Donuts Park. (8) Known as Rentschler Field until Sept. 3, 2015. (9) Connecticut Tigers 2010. (10) Figure from 2015 survey. (11) Includes events not ticketed. (12) Eleven full-time employees. (13) 6 seasonal employees. —Compiled by Stephanie R. Meagher.

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