SCI Extends Hours of Operation During Iowa State Fair

For Immediate Release — Monday, August 8, 2011

SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA EXTENDS HOURS OF OPERATION DURING
IOWA STATE FAIR

DES MOINES, IA: The Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater (SCI) is extending hours of operation from August 11-21 during the Iowa State Fair. Extended hours will offer visitors additional opportunities to experience SCI and the world-renowned traveling exhibition BODY WORLDS Vital, presented by Iowa Health System and Kemin Industries, before the summer ends.

“By offering extended hours during the Iowa State Fair, our hope is that people will make a point to visit SCI during their trip to Des Moines and experience BODY WORLDS Vital now before it is gone,” said SCI President & CEO Dr. Paul Jennings.

More than 45,000 visitors will have experienced the world-renowned exhibition BODY WORLDS Vital by the end of this week. The exhibition is the latest from physician and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens and offers penetrating gaze of what lies beneath our skin through anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies. BODY WORLDS Vital will be at SCI for a limited engagement through the summer.

SCI’s extended hours of operation during the Iowa State Fair are as follows:

Thursday, August 11 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, August 12, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 13, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 14, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Monday, August 15, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tuesday, August 16, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, August 17, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday, August 18, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday, August 19, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 20, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 21, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Detailed information is available at http://www.sciowa.org/about/visiting-information/.

Ticket Information
Timed tickets to BODY WORLDS Vital are $19.25 for adults, $13.50 for children ages 2-12 and $17.75 for seniors. Estimated visiting time inside the exhibition is 1-2 hours, and audio tours are available to SCI members for $3 and to non-members for $5. Tickets to BODY WORLDS Vital include all-day admission to the Science Center. To purchase tickets visit www.sciowa.org/bodyworldsvital or call (515) 274-6868.

Modified Hours for SCI’s 13th Annual Fundraising Event & Auction

SCI will also have modified hours of operation on August 25 and closes at 3:00 p.m. on August 26 for SCI’s 13th Annual Fundraising Event & Auction. Traveling exhibition BODY WORLDS Vital, Small Discoveries and the Blank IMAX Dome Theater will be open to the public during these modified hours, but all upper level experience platforms will be closed in preparation for the event. SCI’s modified hours of operation for the Annual Event can be found at http://www.sciowa.org/about/visiting-information/.

About the Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater

The Science Center of Iowa is a 110,000-sq. ft facility devoted to lifelong learning, featuring dynamic experience platforms and daily interactive demonstrations with SCI staff for visitors to explore and experiment.  By placing the power of learning in the hands of the visitor, the programmatic emphasis is not on "what" to learn, but "how" to learn.  SCI also features the 175-seat John Deere Adventure Theater for live performances, the 50-foot domed Star Theater for planetarium shows and the 216-seat Blank IMAX Dome Theater for engaging films.  SCI’s Iowa Learning Center cultivates ties to formal education through educational resources for educators and students, the NAEYC-accredited SCI Preschool, as well as a statewide outreach program.