Newsroom
Welcome to Ripley Entertainment's official Press Site! Here you will find the latest news from all Ripley attractions as well as the latest corporate happenings.
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Ripley's VP of Communications, Tim O'Brien can be reached at obrien@ripleys.com or in his office at 615-646-7465 or on cell at 615-496-5949.
News Articles
The Red Planet Meets The Deep Blue
Posted by Tim O'Brien on February 5, 2007GATLINBURG, Tenn. (Feb. 5, 2007) -Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, America's most fun aquarium, has announced the opening of its latest interactive exhibit, Mars: The Search for Life. With more than 34 million miles separating Earth from the Red Planet, the $500,000 exhibition hosts numerous interactive stations that bring the Martian experience a little closer to home. While some aquarium visitors may not understand the motivation for the Gatlinburg attraction to host a Mars exhibit, Ripley's Aquarium General Manager Steve File explains why."Outer space and the deep blue sea really represent the last of mankind's unconquered frontiers," said File. "Although the methods by which we reach these uncharted territories vary greatly, the technologies used to explore these regions are similar. For example, both environments utilize robotic technology and NASA has long since used water buoyancy to induce anti-gravity sensations." While entertaining by design, the Mars exhibit is also being billed as an educational experience, featuring a large-scale kinetic relief Mars model and an array of fun facts about the planet.The exhibit encourages visitors to ‘follow the water' as they crawl through a rock tunnel to find underground ice. Inside the tunnel, visitors can touch frozen water mixed in with replicas of the Martian soil.
"So many children are tactile learners and feel the need to touch something in order to better understand the full impact of a situation," said File. "That's what our Martian crawl through does - it allows a person to feel what Martian sediments mixed with frozen water would feel like just below the planet's surface." The Rover Interactive station gives visitors an opportunity to explore the planet using remote-controlled, miniature Mars Rover vehicles. Video cameras and monitors simulate the challenge of "driving" and controlling the Mars Exploration Rover vehicles from Earth."What's interesting to note about this station is that in the real life situation, NASA would have to wait several hours before learning if the commands sent to the Rover stationed on Mars actually worked. Fortunately, our results are instantaneous," said File.Other attractions within the Mars exhibit include a scale that will compare a person's Mars weight with their Earthly weight, a demonstration that illustrates how much stronger one would be on Mars and a time machine that gives visitors a chance to find out their age on Mars."I guess Mars sounds quite appealing at first glance - you weigh 62 percent less, be half your age and even get 39 extra minutes each day," said Joel Young, Ripley's Director of Marketing. "On the other hand, the planet maintains an average temperature of -81 degrees Fahrenheit and has an atmosphere containing over 95 percent carbon dioxide."
About Ripley's Entertainment Ripley Entertainment of Sevier County is home to seven imaginative destinations including the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Moving Theater 4D, Haunted Adventure, Believe It or Not! Museum, Old MacDonald's Farm and Davy Crockett Mini-Golf locations, and the Guinness World Records Museum. For more information on the Ripley's attractions, visit online at http://www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com. Contact: Joel Young, Ripley's Entertainment of Sevier County, 865.430.8808