Woodstock Visitors Center Draws Over 9,000 in 2012

The Woodstock Visitors Center at Dean's Store had a fairly busy 2012.  

The center last year had 9,633 people come through its doors.

The 2012 figure is "record breaking," and is also an increase from the 8,714 visitors the center had in 2011, said Kyle Bennett, assistant director for tourism and visitor center operations. 

Since the center began tracking attendance in January 2006, a total of 42,651 visitors have stopped by Dean's Store. 

Broken down, those visitors hail from 48 states, the District of Columbia and 41 different countries.

"We were thrilled to set a new attendance record at the Woodstock Visitors Center in 2012," Bennett added. "Over the past few years we have seen more and more people visit Woodstock as the word has spread about our great downtown area."

Bennett noted the visitors center also looks forward to setting a new attendance record in 2013 — and welcoming its 50,000th visitor. 

He also said the city's tourism sector could boom in 2013 as the opening of the Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta, the expansion of the city's Greenprints Trail network and the "exciting" schedules of Elm Street Arts and Dixie Speedway are all set to materialize. 

City Manager Jeff Moon also said he expects the numbers to rise when the outlet mall opens, which is slated for July. 

The center, which received Regional Visitor Information Center designation by the state in 2008, has operated at Dean's Store for the last 11 years and the Downtown Development Authority is mulling the possibility of relocating the center on the Chambers at City Center's campus at 8534 Main Street. 

The Woodstock Visitors Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information about the center, call (770) 924-0406.