Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com May 22, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 9 To view the full list, please visit HartfordBusiness.com ▶ ▶ Did we miss you? We want to publish the most complete and accurate lists possible. To correct an error or submit information, contact Stephanie Meagher, research director, at (508) 755-8004, ext. 262 or smeagher@nebusinessmedia.com. THE LIST Largest tourist attractions in Connecticut (Ranked by estimated 2016 attendance) Rank Attraction 2016 attendance Employees/ Volunteers (1) Description Top executive(s) Year founded 1 Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Blvd. Mashantucket, CT 06338 800-369-9663; www.foxwoods.com 12,719,466 6,500 0 Hospitality, entertainment, gaming, retail, dining, golf, spa and hotel Felix D. Rappaport 1992 2 Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 06382 888-MOHEGAN; www.mohegansun.com 9,000,000 6,800 0 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 718,993 292 465 Underwater worlds and creatures including beluga whales, penguins and more; interactive experiences, exhibits and animal adventures Stephen M. Coan 1973 4 Riverfront Recapture 50 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06016 860-713-3131; www.riverfront.org 627,484 93 2,333 Variety of events and recreational activities Michael Zaleski 1981 5 Bushnell Park (2) P.O. Box 230778 Hartford, CT 06123 860-232-6710; www.bushnellpark.org 500,000 1 50 Weekly tours of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch and monthly tours of the park, monuments and statues; newly renovated carousel is open year-round Mary Zeman 1854 5 Elizabeth Park Conservancy 1561 Asylum Ave. West Hartford, CT 06117 860-231-9443; www.elizabethparkct.org 500,000 5 1,000 Grounds include the oldest municipal rose garden, recreational areas, facilities and more Christine M. Doty Park 1897, Conservancy 1977 7 The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk 10 N. Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 203-852-0700; www.maritimeaquarium.org 485,313 127 310 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 8 Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 860-724-3623; www.ctsciencecenter.org 303,000 91 84 Science-based museum, educational and tourism venue Matt J. Fleury 2009 9 Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355 860-572-0711; www.mysticseaport.org 285,000 350 600 Maritime museum featuring historic tall ships, a working preservation shipyard, a re-created seafaring village, exhibits and more Stephen C. White 1929 10 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo 1875 Noble Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06610 203-394-6565; www.beardsleyzoo.org 280,000 40 120 Three hundred animals representing primarily North and South American species; South American rainforest with aviary, prairie dog exhibit, farmyard; hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, cafe, picnic grove, indoor carousel Gregg Dancho 1922 11 Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-432-0600; artgallery.yale.edu 233,814 132 32 Oldest college art museum in America, and the third oldest in the world; holds more than 200,000 objects Jock Reynolds 1832 12 Quassy Amusement & Waterpark 2132 Middlebury Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2913; www.quassy.com 220,000 N/A Family amusement and waterpark on Lake Quassapaug with more than two-dozen rides and attractions George Frantzis II 1908 13 Essex Steam Train & Riverboat (Valley Railroad Co.) 1 Railroad Ave. Essex, CT 06426 860-767-0103; www.essexsteamtrain.com 182,000 N/A Narrated steam-train and riverboat excursions, meals on the Essex Clipper Dinner Train, sunset cruises and fall foliage trains; Christmas North Pole Express and Santa Special Train Kevin Dodd 1971 14 Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 95 S. Turnpike Road Wallingford, CT 06492 203-269-8721; specialevents.livenation.com 176,649 35 0 Year-round concert venue and event space for graduations, weddings, parties, proms, galas, meetings and more Natalie Krohn 1954 15 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave. New Haven, CT 06511 203-432-5050; www.peabody.yale.edu 140,271 73 150 Jurassic-age dinosaur skeletons from the Peabody's paleontology collections, Rudolph Zallinger's mural "The Age of Reptiles"; exhibits on ancient Egypt, early man, CT geology, CT birds, minerals and meteorites David Skelly 1866 16 Historic Ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum 1 Crystal Lake Road Groton, CT 06349 860-694-3174; www.ussnautilus.org 138,561 7 34 U.S. Navy's official submarine museum with tours of the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine along with exhibits ranging from the Revolutionary War era to present day Reginald N. Preston 1964 17 Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park (3) 161 Brownstone Ave. Portland, CT 06480 866-860-0208; brownstonepark.com 130,000 225 0 Outdoor adventure sports park for all abilities and ages; rock climbing, wakeboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, cliff jumping, scuba diving, "Survivor-style" competitions, zip lines, swimming, floats, trails; groups, lessons and rentals Sean Hayes 2009 17 The Goodspeed 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT 06423 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org 130,000 250 83 Produces award-winning musicals featuring Broadway actors, directors and designers; surrounded by top-notch restaurants, shops and galleries; first theatre in the nation to be honored with two Tony awards Michael Gennaro 1963 19 Hartford Stage Co. 50 Church St. Hartford, CT 06103 860-527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org 117,543 73 274 Tony award-winning theater producing six main-stage productions and "A Christmas Carol" Michael Stotts Darko Tresnjak 1964 20 B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill 129 N. Stonington Road Old Mystic, CT 06372 860-536-3354; www.bfclydescidermill.com 100,000 19 0 Oldest steam-powered cider mill and producer of Hard Cider in the United States; family owned and run Harold W. Miner 1881 20 The Children's Museum 950 Trout Brook Drive West Hartford, CT 06119 860-231-2824; www.thechildrensmuseumct.org 100,000 46 45 A multidisciplinary learning center featuring a planetarium, wildlife sanctuary, preschool, hands-on educational exhibits, public programs, on-site and outreach educational programs, and a second site, Roaring Brook Nature Center Michael Werle 1927 22 New Britain Museum of American Art 56 Lexington St. New Britain, CT 06052 860-229-0257; www.nbmaa.org 86,824 39 400 First institution dedicated solely to acquiring American art, spans four centuries of American history, permanent collection known for its strengths in colonial portraiture, Hudson River School and more Min Jung Kim 1903 23 Discovery Museum and Planetarium 4450 Park Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-372-3521; www.discoverymuseum.org 85,000 20 40 Hands-on children's museum, planetarium, simulated space missions; school, homeschool and scout groups, scout badges, demos, children's workshops, summer programs, library and school outreach statewide Stephen H. Baumann 1958 24 Florence Griswold Museum 96 Lyme St. Old Lyme, CT 06371 860-434-5542; www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org 80,000 20 225 Galleries for changing exhibitions, education center, landscape center, extensive gardens, and a restored artist's studio Jeffrey Andersen 1941 25 Yale Center for British Art (4) 1080 Chapel St. New Haven, CT 06520 877-274-8278; www.britishart.yale.edu 76,793 133 69 Largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom Amy Meyers 1966 open to the public 1977 Source: Each attraction via survey, Connecticut Office of Tourism. Notes: N/A = not available or not applicable. Lake Compounce of Bristol and Ski Sundown of New Hartford do not disclose attendance. (1) Includes part-time employees. (2) Run by the Bushnell Park Foundation. (3) Data from 2016 survey and include Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort. (4) Venue re-opened May 11, 2016, after being closed for all of 2015 for an interior building conservation project; figures cover an eight-month period. —Compiled by Stephanie R. Meagher.

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