"Small Wonders: Rediscovering East Haddam’s Cultural & Environmental Treasures" - East Haddam has the largest concentration of cultural and natural attractions of any town its size in Connecticut, including such “stars” as Gillette Castle – one of the most popular historic sites in the state - and Goodspeed Opera House, a preservation icon and one of the most beloved performing arts venues in the state. But it also has a “supporting cast” of nationally-significant, but lesser-known or less well-developed attractions that could be the basis for economic transformation if the town and stakeholders pursue their destiny as a destination. The key involves not just marketing the entire tableaux of attractions, but marketing the place; developing the potential of each facet of the experience, building bridges from one attraction to the next and embracing the idea that what’s there is bigger than the sum of its parts. Art critic Lucy Lippard writes of how “few small towns yearning for business have any idea of the attractions hidden in their back streets.” This program, developed by Connecticut cultural heritage impresario Bill Hosley, provides a bird’s-eye view of East Haddam’s attractions together with thoughts on how these treasures can become a catalyst for a “game-changing” exercise in place, image, marketing.

1. Small Wonders: Rediscovering East Haddam’s Cultural & Environmental Treasures

3. Geotourism & Placemaking

4. Outstanding New England Architecture

5. Venture Smith & America’s Journey of Freedom

6. A Place for Memory, a Place for Ideas

7. America’s First Patriot, Nathan Hale

8. Gillette Castle Connecticut’s most popular historic house

9. Connecticut River – A “Last Great Place”

10. Premiere State Parks

11. Goodspeed Opera -Connecticut’s Most Distinctive Performing Arts Venue

12. Amasa Day House museum- untapped potential

13. Day-Chaffee Family History & Art Gallery Impressionist Art Photography / Story of America though the experience of one family

15. Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism – Leadership through trails…

16. … and destination development

17. Standing up to the sprawling and strip-malling of America!

18. For long version of this program contact Bill Hosley - Terra Firma Northeast [email_address] Like - “Creating Sense of Place” and “Historic Hartford” on