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July 2, 2021

New Haven-area tourist attractions bank on a busy summer

PHOTO | Contributed The Naugatuck Railroad will resume scenic rides along the Naugatuck River starting on July 9
By Liese Klein

The scenic trains are running, outdoor concerts are drawing crowds and New Haven-area tourist attractions are gearing up for a busy summer as life returns to some kind of normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the latest sign of a return to business, the Naugatuck Railroad announced this week it would resume scenic train rides along the Naugatuck river starting on July 9. The “Naugy” train, powered by vintage diesel locomotives, takes riders from Thomaston Station to stops including Fascia’s Chocolate Factory in Waterbury. 

“We are so excited to call guests ‘all aboard’ The Naugy once again,” said John Cerreta, president of the train’s operator, the Railroad Museum of New England. “It’s been over a year since we’ve been able to provide these fun adventures and lasting memories.”

Tourism businesses across the state are anticipating surging traffic due to pent-up demand from more than a year of pandemic curbs on travel, said Christine Castonguay, interim director of tourism for the state. Pre-pandemic, tourism generated $15.5 billion a year in revenue and supported 123,000 jobs, according to the tourism office. 

In a recent regional survey, more than 60% of residents said they planned to take a trip once vaccinated, with 68% of those saying they planned to stay within 100 miles of home. That puts much of New Haven within range of the massive New York market. 

To help encourage those trips, the state launched the $1.2 million “Say Yes to Connecticut” advertising campaign in May, running across digital platforms and social media. 

“People are really starting to feel safe,” Castonguay said. “Bookings are up… [hotels] are experiencing a lot of demand from the region.” 

The New Haven Museum saw 150 people turn out recently for a concert at the Pardee-Morris House on Lighthouse Road in Morris Cove, attendance that surprised and thrilled organizers. Crowds are also anticipated for the next concert on July 7, featuring local favorites the Professors of Bluegrass. 

“I’m really delighted about that,” Executive Director Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky said of concert crowds. Although open only three days a week, attendance has also been solid at the main New Haven Museum at 114 Whitney Ave., which reopened to visitors in May. 

Tockarshewsky said she’s looking forward to another new state promotion, Connecticut Summer at the Museum, to bolster numbers during the traditionally quiet summer months in New Haven. The program, which launched this week, admits children for free through Sept. 6 at more than 90 museums across the state.

New Haven County attractions offering the program include the Dudley Farm in Guilford, the 
Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, the Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven and the Ward Heitmann House Museum in West Haven. (Yale’s art museums in the city are always free for all.)

Summer at the Museum was created to encourage residents to venture out and enjoy the state’s attractions, Castonguay said. 

“It’s really designed to encourage our families to get out and have fun,” Castonguay said. “The state really wanted to make sure there was ample opportunity for everyone to get out… Connecticut businesses are open and they’re ready to welcome them back safely.”

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