Hartford Business Journal

60 | HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL • DECEMBER 26, 2017 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 The Lyman Farm Inc. d/b/a Lyman Orchards 32 Reeds Gap Road Middlefield, CT 06455 860-349-1793; www.lymanorchards.com 600,000 50 0 Orchard, bakery, grocery, event venue, golf club John Lyman III Stephen L Ciskowski 1741 6 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 6 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 8 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 9 The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-987-5900; www.bushnell.org 350,000 55 600 Two performance halls and multiple public event spaces, more than 450 events annually, Broadway tours, symphonies, family entertainment, concerts, local arts and community events Charles Meyers 1929 10 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 11 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, recreated seafaring village, exhibits and more Stephen C. White 1929 12 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 rain forest with aviary, prairie dog exhibit, farmyard; hoofstock trail featuring bison, pronghorn, deer, cafe, picnic grove, indoor carousel Gregg Dancho 1922 13 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 14 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 15 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 16 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 Lorraine Muha 1954 17 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 18 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 19 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 20 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 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. —Compiled by Stephanie R. Meagher. LARGEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN CONNECTICUT (Ranked by estimated 2016 attendance) Malloy signs bill authorizing third CT casino Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in June signed legislation allowing a joint venture run by the operators of Mo- hegan Sun and Foxwoods to open a new casino gaming facility in East Windsor. The law allowing for a third ca- sino in Connecticut was a contro- versial one this legislative session but ended up receiving broad, bipartisan support in the House and Senate. The law specifies that the casino will be owned and operat- ed by MMCT Venture LLC, a joint venture of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. As required under the legisla- tion, MMCT will need to make a $1 million initial payment to the state of Connecticut. The state will also receive 25 percent of gross gam- ing revenue from the casino. Of that amount, 10 percent will fund the state's tourism efforts and the remaining 15 percent will fund the state's general budget. The casino, however, still remains in legal limbo and there is no clear construction timetable. LEISURE & HOSPITALITY

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