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6 Million and counting: Discover Green Bay opens new visitor center

New center aims to attract visitors to Green Bay, features history of region
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  • The Discover Green Bay Visitor Center opened its door Wednesday morning. The center helps visitors and community members locate nearby attractions and activities, along features of Northeastern Wisconsin history.
  • According to Discover Green Bay, each year visitors to Green Bay spend more than $750 million. Food and beverage purchases with a total of $184 million
  • 6 million people visit the area each year which creates about $1.3 billion in economic impact.

Visitors to our area have a new place to checkout — The Discover Green Bay Visitors Center in Ashwaubenon.
People from all over the greater Green Bay area showed up for this special event.

"Everywhere in the country have them, all over the world they have them," Brad Toll, Discover Green Bay President and CEO, said. "We've gotten so much support from the surrounding municipalities."

Toll explained the top goal for the new center.

"The idea is too extend their stay and keep them here longer," Toll said. "To get them to spend in more places around our community. Maybe go up to Suamico to the Zoo and do other things and then if they are not able to do that, encourage another visit."

Discover Green Bay said that each year visitors to Green Bay spend more than $750 million in the Green Bay region.

The bulk of that being on food and beverage purchases with a total of $184 million and lodging ($159.9 million) and retail ($150.8 million) coming in at second and third.

More than 6 million people visit the area each year accounting for a $1.3 billion in economic impact, according to Discover Green Bay.

"Brown County is the number five county out of 72 for tourism spending, so it's a huge-huge part of our economy," Toll said.

The Center also features history on the Oneida nation. A nation that has called area home for centuries.

Green bay native Darius Watson said he saw the construction process of the center unfold.

"To keep it simple, (Discover Green Bay) loves taking care of the fans, they love giving us stuff to do," Watson said. "That's why I love living in Green Bay."

Toll said bringing the center to life might have been more difficult than bringing the NFL Draft to Green Bay.

The vision of the building first took place in 2016. Now it's a reality.