FAMILIES EXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF TOMORROW WITH THE “COUNT DOWN TO DISCOVERY” PACKAGE
Wednesday, September 01 at 05:07 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Oct. 11, 2010 - For kids and kids at heart who have ever dreamt of handling live sea urchins and starfish or finally outsmarting Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde to beat iconic 80s video game Pac Man, Visit Tallahassee offers families a spectrum of dreams come true with Countdown to Discovery. Available now though Dec. 31, 2010, and starting at $68 a night, Countdown to Discovery includes accommodations and discounted tickets to explore the Challenger Learning Center’s spectacular IMAX 3D Theater, Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science’s Videotopia exhibit, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab’s squishy critters and the Florida State University’s National High Magnetic Laboratory.*
Countdown to Discovery begins with a trip to the Challenger Learning Center’s brand new IMAX 3D Theater. The ultimate in immersive entertainment, with crystal clear IMAX 3D images five stories high and wrap-around digital surround sound, the Challenger Learning Center’s IMAX 3D Theater brings shark diving, Mars exploration and African safaris to vivid life. The theater’s 3D images leap off the screen so visitors can experience the action, drama and emotion of popular Hollywood movies. Guests perform magic with Harry Potter, soar through the sky with The Dark Night and meet Santa Claus with the Polar Express during the world’s most powerful and immersive movie experience - the IMAX experience.
Nostalgia mixes with modern technology at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science with Videotopia: The Past, Present and Future of Video Game Technology. The exhibit is the only accurate exploration of the art, science and history behind video games and contains more than 40 hands-on authentic arcade games spanning a 30-year time period. In addition to learning about the technological advances and historical perspectives of gaming, enthusiasts test their competitive skills first hand with games such as Pac-Man, Atari PONG, Donkey Kong and even the latest craze, the Nintendo Wii.
At the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, visitors observe tiny green shrimp, scarlet sponges and crystal and glittering comb jellyfish that are unknown to all but a few scientists. Housing between 100 - 200 species, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab urges children and adults alike to plunge their hands into salt-water tanks filled with life forms such as sea anemones, urchins, octopuses, shrimp and estuarine fish. Shallow touch tanks even allow for playing with starfish, sea pansies, sand dollars, whelks and clams. The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab connects the sea to children’s imaginations through educational experiences and hands-on activities with marine life.
For a different kind of lab experience, the National High Magnetic Laboratory**, known as the Mag Lab, is the only facility of its kind in the United States and the largest and highest-powered magnet laboratory in the world. A playground for scientific experiments, the Mag Lab’s high-powered magnet produces a magnetic field 1 million times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, providing insights that lead to breakthroughs in numerous science fields.
After a full day of exciting exhibits, aspiring marine biologists and video game enthusiasts retire to one of twelve local hotels offering discounts for the Count Down to Discovery package ***. A longtime mecca for discovery and exploration, Tallahassee is a hub for the inquisitive mind and scientifically inclined. Whether testing out old arcade games, spotting sea horses as they hide among seaweed or observing the highest-powered magnet in the world, Florida’s Capital City and the surrounding areas feed every level of curiosity.
A fusion of cosmopolitan flair and charming personality defines the spirit of Tallahassee, Florida’s Capital City – where it all comes together for visitors. Situated just off Florida’s northern I-10 corridor, stretching along the state’s Panhandle, Tallahassee is a place where college town meets cultural center, politics meets performing arts and history meets nature – a place where the vibrancy of what to do is matched only by the city’s inviting hospitality.
For more information on the Countdown to Discovery Package, visit www.VisitTallahassee.com/packages/ or call Visit Tallahassee toll free at (800) 628-2866.
*The Florida State University Mag Lab is offering complimentary admission. The Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science, the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and the Challenger Learning Center are offering $1 off per ticket for up to four tickets.
** The National High Magnetic Laboratory is offering complimentary tours Monday – Friday at 3 p.m.
***For a full list of participating hotels and rates, visit www.VisitTallahassee.com/packages/.
