Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Book of Lists 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 103 Top tourist attractions Ranked by annual attendance in 2017 Name 2017 attendance No. of employees Description Chief executive Year founded 1 Great Wolf Lodge New England 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg 01420 978-343-9653 • www.greatwolf.com 500,000 650 Two waterparks, slides and hot tub, fitness center, arcade, mini-golf, ropes course, climbing, resort and conference center Henry Tessman general manager 2014 1 Southwick's Zoo 2 Southwick St., Mendon 01756 800-258-9182 x 210 • www.southwickszoo.com 500,000 180 More than 850 wild animals; educational presentations, rides, picnic grounds, food and gift venues; events for large and small groups Peter Justin Brewer president 1963; incorporated in 1965 1 Wachusett Mountain Ski Area 499 Mountain Road, Princeton 01541 978-464-2300 • www.wachusett.com 500,000 1,000 Ski resort open year-round for festivals, private events, weddings, summer outings and business meetings Jeff Crowley president 1934 4 DCU Center 50 Foster St., Worcester 01608 508-755-6800 • dcucenter.com 468,570 140 Arena and convention center Sandra Dunn general manager 1982 5 Old Sturbridge Village 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge 01566 800-733-1830 • www.osv.org 253,087 200 200-acre living history museum depicting a 19th- century New England rural farm village James E. Donahue president & CEO 1946 6 Mechanics Hall 321 Main St., Worcester 01608 508-752-5608 • www.mechanicshall.org 250,000 14 Performance and special events venue celebrating 160 years serving Central Massachusetts Robert M. Kennedy executive director 1857 7 The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts 2 Southbridge St., Worcester 01608 877-571-7469 • thehanovertheatre.org 214,000 50 Ten seasons of award-winning Broadway shows, music and more; historic theatre is a catalyst for the economic development of downtown Worcester (a) Troy Siebels president & CEO 2008 (b) 8 EcoTarium 222 Harrington Way, Worcester 01604 508-929-2700 • www.ecotarium.org 176,559 77 Indoor-outdoor museum of science and nature, three floors of interactive exhibits, digital planetarium, science discovery programs, live animal habitats, trails, outdoor play and more Patricia Crawford deputy director 1825 9 Johnny Appleseed Country Visitors' Center 1000 U.S. Route 2, Lancaster 01523 978-534-2302 • appleseed.org 165,000 4 Open daily and year-round with gift shop, local products, information on local attractions and events, rest rooms, vending machines and ATM machine Roy Nascimento president N/A 10 Worcester Railers HC DCU Center, Door 22 105 Commercial St., Worcester 01608 508-365-1750 • railershc.com 150,000 (c) 20 ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders hockey team Michael G. Myers president 2016 11 New England Baseball Complex 333 Southwest Cutoff, Northborough 01532 508-409-4101 • newenglandbaseball.com 125,000 N/A Fully equipped baseball and softball facility and home to the New England Ruffnecks with three fields, concessions and batting cages; hosts college baseball, tournaments, traveling teams, indoor and outdoor clinics and flag football Peter Batchelder development manager 2014 12 Tower Hill Botanic Garden 11 French Drive, Boylston 01505 508-869-6111 • www.towerhillbg.org 119,754 N/A Year-round museum of plants on 171 acres owned and operated by the Worcester County Horticultural Society; special events, cafe and gift shop Grace Elton CEO 1842 13 Worcester Art Museum 55 Salisbury St., Worcester 01609 508-793-4330 • worcesterart.org 108,331 193 Houses art from more than 50 centuries, including paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings, new media, arms and armor Matthias Waschek The C. Jean and Myles McDonough director of Worcester Art Museum 1896 14 Animal Adventures Family Zoo and Rescue Center 336 Sugar Road, Bolton 01740 978-779-8988 • www.animaladventures.net 100,000 25 Exotic animal rescue center, open to the public for general admission and private tours; traveling presentations to schools, libraries, universities, corporations, fairs, festivals and private businesses and homes Ed and Brenda Laquidara owners & founders 1997 15 Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field 1 College St., Worcester 01610 508-793-2753 • hanoverinsurancepark.com; worcesterbravehearts.com 72,928 N/A Home of Worcester Bravehearts and the College of the Holy Cross Crusaders (baseball) Nathan Pine athletics director 2005 16 Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex 1 College St., Worcester 01610 508-793-2323 • www.holycross.edu 56,028 N/A Home of College of the Holy Cross Crusaders (basketball and hockey) Nathan Pine athletics director 1975 17 Indian Ranch (d) 200 Gore Road, Webster 01570 45,000 125 Summer concert series along Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagung- Suzette Raun president The Worcester Railers hockey team has donated $250,000 to the EcoTarium as part of a five- year partnership to enhance sci- ence-based learning, which will include a new train engine for the museum's Explorer Express. The 55-acre EcoTarium pur- chased the new train engine from Kansas manufacturer Chance Rides. The engine is a replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive. The EcoTarium, on Worcester's Harrington Way, offers guests a scenic 12-minute ride around the museum grounds. About 50,000 passen - gers ride the attraction each year. The Railers benefit with advertising: the blue and gray colors of the hockey club now adorn the train station and train engineers are now outfitted in Railers apparel. The Railers, the East Coast Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, came to Worcester as an expansion team. The club began play in October, selling out its first game at the DCU Center and finishing the year with a record of 37-37- 4, racking up 82 points and a Kelly Cup playoff berth. The Railers took the Adirondack Thunder to a Game 6 in the first round of the play- offs, but lost 3-1 at the DCU Center in April. The team has remade parts of Worcester, including the building of an $18-million ice rink and practice facility in the Canal District complete with a restaurant and other amenities. Worcester restaurant group Niche Hospitality opened the Railers Sports Tavern across from the DCU Center. Railers donate to Ecotarium The Railers donation largely covered sponsorship of the museum's signature train. T O U R I S M & H O S P I T A L I T Y F O C U S

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