Winter Wonders now on display
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Now in its fifth holiday season, Winter Wonders offers families from across the region the opportunity to learn all about winter weather conditions by participating in a number of hands-on activities. The Winter Wonders exhibit lasts until Jan. 7.
This year, families can work together to build a life-sized igloo using special ?ice? blocks. Once the structure is complete, kids, as well as those parents feeling particularly daring, can crawl inside their cozy home.
Guests also can catch a session of Ice Lab, a special series of live demonstrations on the peculiar properties of all things frozen. Sessions will explore everything from how polar bears can swim in arctic waters to why we slip and slide on icy surfaces.
?Kids are generally fascinated by ice and how it can transform an environment,? said Sharon Mendonsa, Adventure Science Center education team leader. ?Each day we?ll perform a variety of experiments to better understand winter?s mysteries, such as how animals adapt to freezing environments, why ice skaters can spin so fast or why some substances shatter when they are frozen.?
Winter Wonders includes other holiday activities, such as:
? PlayMotion, a virtual playground, manipulates participants? shadows so they interact with a variety of winter weather scenarios. In one scene, visitors can launch snowballs at their friends to start a virtual snowball fight.
? Laser Holidays in Sudekum Planetarium brings the magic of the season to light with brilliantly colored laser beams dancing on the starry dome to lively holiday music. Laser shows are presented daily in addition to regular planetarium shows. Cost is $2 for members and $3.50 for non-members.
? KOLD-TV, the weather casting exhibit, uses the same chroma-key technology that television stations employ to report the news. KOLD-TV is made possible by NewsChannel 5 Network.
? The ever-popular Winter Village features a snow machine that visitors can manipulate to emit a flurry of powdery ?snow? that simulates blizzards.
? The BlueMax bobsled simulator allows visitors to experience full 360-degree loops, banks, spirals and plunges on an icy course. BlueMax tickets are $5 or $4 for members.
The Adventure Science Center is located at 800 Fort Negley Boulevard. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $9 for adults and $7 for children ages 3 to 12, and seniors 65 and older.
For more information, call (615) 862-5160 or visit our Web site at www.adventuresci.com.