TOURISM
Welcoming visitors since 1649.
$15 BILLION PER YEAR.
That’s the value of tourism in Connecticut. Stonington/Mystic is home to the two of the most popular tourist attractions in the state, Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport Museum, which draw more than 1,000,000 visitors per year.
Stonington is easily accessible by road and train from both New York and Boston which provide a large number of the area’s affluent visitors. Stonington is also accessible from eastern Long Island by ferry service into New London. It is the gateway to New England and a quintessential New England town.
Tourism spans nearly a dozen sectors, including lodging, recreation, retail, real estate, transport, food & beverage, marine services and car rental.
EXPLORE THE AREA
Mystic as a destination is growing with new, nationally recognized restaurants, a vibrant art scene, and many on-water activities. Mystic/Stonington has been a tourism destination since Mystic Seaport Museum opened its doors in 1929.
“Mystic Pizza,” one of Julia Roberts’s first movies placed Stonington on the map by filming on location and featuring many of the local waterways and houses. The restaurant in the title continues to draw tourists to this day with each looking for “their slice of heaven.”
Stonington is blessed with a beautiful and varied waterfront, beaches and nature reserves. It is home to 20 Marinas with over 1,500 slips and moorings in the Mystic River, Stonington Harbor and Pawcatuck River. Many transient boaters visit Stonington every year and some eventually move here to live.
Stonington has prospered from destination weddings because of its convenient location to large urban areas and collection of high quality wedding related services.
Stonington is centrally located between Foxwoods Casino and Mohegan Sun Casino. Both these casinos attract large number of visitors from New York and Boston. The Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus in Groton is close by the Atlantic beaches are easily accessible in Westerly.
Visitor spending has been increasing about 3% per year for the last 5 years.
A comprehensive website for all attractions and tourism services in the area can be found here:
$15 BILLION PER YEAR.
That’s the value of tourism in Connecticut. Stonington/Mystic is home to the two of the most popular tourist attractions in the state, Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport Museum, which draw more than 1,000,000 visitors per year.
Stonington is easily accessible by road and train from both New York and Boston which provide a large number of the area’s affluent visitors. Stonington is also accessible from eastern Long Island by ferry service into New London. It is the gateway to New England and a quintessential New England town.
Tourism spans nearly a dozen sectors, including lodging, recreation, retail, real estate, transport, food & beverage, marine services and car rental.
EXPLORE THE AREA
Mystic as a destination is growing with new, nationally recognized restaurants, a vibrant art scene, and many on-water activities. Mystic/Stonington has been a tourism destination since Mystic Seaport Museum opened its doors in 1929.
“Mystic Pizza,” one of Julia Roberts’s first movies placed Stonington on the map by filming on location and featuring many of the local waterways and houses. The restaurant in the title continues to draw tourists to this day with each looking for “their slice of heaven.”
Stonington is blessed with a beautiful and varied waterfront, beaches and nature reserves. It is home to 20 Marinas with over 1,500 slips and moorings in the Mystic River, Stonington Harbor and Pawcatuck River. Many transient boaters visit Stonington every year and some eventually move here to live.
Stonington has prospered from destination weddings because of its convenient location to large urban areas and collection of high quality wedding related services.
Stonington is centrally located between Foxwoods Casino and Mohegan Sun Casino. Both these casinos attract large number of visitors from New York and Boston. The Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus in Groton is close by the Atlantic beaches are easily accessible in Westerly.
Visitor spending has been increasing about 3% per year for the last 5 years.
A comprehensive website for all attractions and tourism services in the area can be found here: