July 14, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2015
For additional information,
Contact: Amanda Shell Jennings
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 255-0661
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The Knoxville Convention Center once again is inviting families, young people and adults to travel back in time 65 million years at “Discover the Dinosaurs” on Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19.
Now in its fourth year at the Convention Center, the interactive exhibition, “Discover the Dinosaurs,” is an educational family outing featuring 40 museum-quality and animatronic dinosaur replicas. In the exhibit’s first three years, more than 43,000 children and adults have attended the attraction.
” ‘Discover the Dinosaurs’ has become a very popular annual event at the Knoxville Convention Center for all ages in East Tennessee,” General Manager Mary Bogert said. “The exhibition features hands-on attractions and lifelike animatronic replicas that move and roar. Kids feel like they are experiencing living dinosaurs, and parents like that their children are learning about the prehistoric era.”
“Discover the Dinosaurs,” produced by Blue Star Media, is designed to provide children and adults with a unique and educational way to explore prehistoric life. The exhibit allows visitors to get close and even touch the replicas. The backdrops are custom-designed to reflect the landscapes of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Several of the dinosaurs are controlled with interactive animatronic buttons that allow children to control the dinosaur’s movements and sounds. The non-moving dinosaurs are able to be touched. The dinosaur replicas are proportionally sized to scale.
The event also features activities, such as Dino Dig, where children pretend to be archeologists hunting for fossils in sand; Dino Den, where young guests climb and interact with dinosaurs their size; Dino Theater, where educational and entertaining videos are shown; coloring station; and scavenger hunt with clues hidden throughout the exhibit. Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops rides, mini-golf and inflatables are available for an additional charge.
The exhibit is open Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, July 19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Discover the Dinosaurs” offers two pricing options. Exhibit-only admission tickets, available only at the door, are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors and children ages 2-12. Ticket price includes access to the 40 replicas, plus the Dino Dig, Dino Theater, Dino Den, Dino Coloring and scavenger hunt.
The $22 all-inclusive Exhibit Plus ticket includes the above activities and unlimited admission to Triceratops and T-Rex rides, mini-golf and inflatables. All-inclusive tickets are available at http://www.discoverthedinosaurs.com and also will be sold at the door. Gem and fossil mining and face painting require separate tickets.
About the Knoxville Convention Center
The Knoxville Convention Center, managed by SMG, is located in downtown Knoxville adjacent to the Sunsphere. It boasts a 120,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 30,000-square-foot divisible ballroom and 18 meeting rooms. For more information, visit http://www.knoxvilleconventioncenter.com.
About SMG
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to more than 230 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers, and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 15 million square feet of exhibition space and more than 1.5 million sports and entertainment seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services for such landmark facilities as McCormick Place & Soldier Field in Chicago, Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Houston’s NRG Park and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions, catering and special events division, SAVOR, currently servicing 130 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com.
