ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Museums, Trails, and Fairs, Oh My! Great examples of tourism draws from around the state
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onnecticut is one of the most interesting states in the union: it’s small, old, has coastline, rivers, bits of a famous mountain range, famous institutions, and the best pizza in the country. It is a great place to come see a baseball game or a concert, go to a few museums, or visit a fair, and that means it’s a growing tourist spot. Revenue from tourism has brought in $1.7 billion tax revenue per the Tourism Economic Study done by the state, including $910 million in State and local taxes: a 20 percent increase over the last five years. That means that tourism is an essential part of Connecticut’s economy. Many of our towns and cities have taken advantage of local features, or homegrown entire industries to bring people in, either for a day or a week. We at CCM decided to give you a brief overview of all that Connecticut has to offer.
Discovering CT through Museums One of the most important facets of a vibrant tourism strategy is culture. The arts, education, plays, and concerts all have the ability to bring in huge crowds. For instance, museums across America account for 850 million visits each year, which according to the American Association of Museums (AAM), makes up more than the attendance of all major league sporting events and theme parks combined. They contribute $50 billion to the economy every year, generating more than $12 billion in tax revenue, of which one third goes to state and local governments; this is why AAM has taken to calling them “economic engines.” Connecticut is fortunate enough to have unique and historical museums that make up a vibrant and enlightening part of our tourism. One could take a trip back to 1832, the year one of the state’s most important galleries opened. The Yale University Art Gallery was founded when John Trumbull donated 100 paintings to Yale College. Trumbull was
famous even at the time for his paintings of figures like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, and events like the signing of the Declaration of Independence. After a major renovation, the New York Times said that it had the “aura of a destination. New Yorkers […] will want to start checking New Haven train times.” A train ride to see Picasso, Van Gogh, and other art from around the world for a ticket price of free. This kind of attraction makes spending the day a very easy proposition. Another university-sponsored museum is the Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppertry at the University of Connecticut, which is the only college in the country that offers a degree in puppetry. It houses over 2,500 puppets from all over the world, and boasts the largest collection of media on puppetry in the United States. The museum was named after Frank Ballard who held puppet productions of Shakespeare’s plays and Wagner’s operas. A handful of graduates worked for Jim Henson’s Muppets, and his wife Jane Henson taught in the school leading to the display of Scooter from the 1970s and The Wizard of Id. With a museum about puppetry, one might think that there couldn’t be an even more obscure museum, but up in Litchfield County, there is a museum dedicated entirely to Tort Law. Located on Main Street in the Winsted portion of Winchester, Ralph Nader founded the American Museum of Tort Law in order to “education, inform, and inspire Americans about two things: Trial by jury; and the benefits of tort law.” If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t see television ads for cigarettes, why your coffee cup says “contents may be hot,” or why there aren’t many vintage Ford Pintos at the hot rod shows, then this museum will have a lot to teach you. Representative John Larson said in a remark to the House of Representatives: “[the museum] has attracted national acclaim […] Thousands of people have come away educated, entertained, and impressed by its presentation.”
Leonardo da Vinci, The Annunciation, ca. 1475–79, is on view at the Yale University Art Gallery from June 29 through October 7, as part of their exhibit Leonardo: Discoveries from Verrocchio’s Studio
28 | INNOVATIVE IDEAS | 2021
