LOS
ANGELES—BODY WORLDS: The Anatomical
Exhibition of Real Human Bodies and the
California Science Center have extended opening
hours to accommodate crowds of thousands, some
waiting up to five hours. BODY WORLDS will
now be open until midnight with last admission
at 10:30 p.m., Friday-Sunday, during its last
two weeks until January 23. Late IMAX screenings
of The Human Body have also been added.
Real,
preserved human bodies called plastinates are
the exclusive attraction. The exhibit on display
for the first time ever in the U.S. has drawn
over half a million visitors and nearly 16
million worldwide. Despite rainstorms last
week, over 50,000 people came to experience
the exhibit firsthand. One visitor, Kenneth
Lukaszewski who has been involved with dissections
for over 25 years noted, “I feel that
this is an important exhibition. It is not
morbid or sensational. This presents an opportunity
for the general public to experience what only
a few in the medical world have; that is to
see the power and majesty of the human body
and to see the hand of the creator in each
one of us.”
Guests
showing up to see the plastinates are taken
by surprise when they encounter a multitude
of real human bodies too, all lining up for BODY
WORLDS. California Science Center President
and CEO, Jeffrey Rudolph comments about the
expanded hours, “We are thrilled to offer
our guests an extended opportunity to learn
about the human body and marvel at its elegance
and complexity during the closing weeks of
this exhibit.”
Organizers
recommend that guests purchase Internet tickets,
available at www.californiasciencecenter.org
and suggest visiting during the evening hours
for a more undisturbed and pleasurable viewing
experience. Visitor surveys reveal that numerous
guests are visiting the exhibit three and four
times. To accommodate the crowds, the Science
Center opened on Christmas and New Year's Day. BODY
WORLDS closes on January 23 and travels
to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago
where it will open in February.
The
close of this exhibit welcomes BODY WORLDS
2, brought for the first time ever to
the U.S. by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, creator
of the BODY WORLDS exhibits and inventor
of plastination. This is a brand new exhibit
featuring all new specimens. Highlights of
the second exhibit include, the “Suicide
by Fat--Obesity Revealed” specimen which
shows fat tissue and how it damages vital organs;
a “Cube Head” plastinate, which
acts as a 3D puzzle showing us the density
of the human head; and “Orthopedic Man,” demonstrating
a variety of surgically implanted orthopedic
devices. BODY WORLDS 2 opens at the
Science Center on January 29 and will run through
March 27, 2005.
NOTE
REGARDING IMAX SCREENING OF THE HUMAN BODY:
In order to accommodate extended hours and augment
guest experience the IMAX theatre at the Science
Center has added more show times of the accompanying
film, The Human Body. New show times
are 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. (Friday, Saturday, Sunday
only) and 9:30 p.m. (Saturday only).
The
California Science Center is open Monday-Thursday
from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the last admission
at 8 p.m. and Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to
12 midnight with the last admission at 10:30
p.m. Guests are encouraged to check www.californiasciencecenter.org
for special extended hours for BODY WORLDS.
The exhibit’s special group information
number is (213) 744-7540.
BODY
WORLDS admission prices are: $12 for
adults; $9.50 for seniors 60+; $9.50 for
students age 13+ with I.D.; and $5.75 for
children 4 - 12. Member rates are $9.50 for
adults and $5.50 for children. Special rates
for schools and other groups of 15 and over
apply. Combination ticket prices for BODY
WORLDS and the IMAX film Human Body are:
$17.50 for adults; $13.00 for Seniors and
students; and $8.25 for children. Audio guides
in English and Spanish are also available
at $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children.
Admission to all other Science Center exhibits
is free. Children under the age of 13 must
be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The
California Science Center is located at 700
State Drive – Exposition Park, Los Angeles.
Enter visitor parking at 39th & Figueroa
Street. Parking is $6 per car. Due to the possibility
of lines, please arrive early. For general
information, call 323.SCIENCE (323.724-3623)
or visit our website at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
Both the Science Center and IMAX Theater are
wheelchair accessible.
The Institute for Plastination, which developed
this exhibit, requires members of the print and
broadcast media to fill out special permission
agreements before on-site coverage of BODY
WORLDS 2 is allowed. For your convenience,
these forms may be found on the Science
Center BODY WORLDS media page.
Please fill out the form and fax it to (213)
744-2026 in advance of your visit. Thank you.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON BODY WORLDS 2
The BODY WORLDS 2 exhibition will be
open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(last admission at 8 p.m.) On February 12, hours
will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at
3:00pm) Guests are encouraged to check the web
site at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
BODY
WORLDS 2 admission prices are: $12 for
adults; $9.50 for seniors 60+ and students
age 13+ with I.D; and $5.75 for children
4 - 12. Member rates are $9.50 for adults
and $5.50 for children. Special rates for
schools and other groups of 15 and over apply.
Combination ticket prices for BODY WORLDS
2 and the IMAX film The Human Body are:
$17.50 for adults; $13.00 for seniors and
students; and $8.25 for children. Audio guides
in English are also available at $4.00 for
adults, and $2.00 for students and seniors.
Admission to all other Science Center exhibits
is free. Children under the age of 13 must
be accompanied by a responsible adult. Tickets
are available for purchase at the Science
Center box office or online via our website.
A
Note to Editors and Reporters: BODY
WORLDS 2 News Conference
All members of the media are invited
to attend a BODY WORLDS 2 news conference
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on January 28. The
Science Center will open at 7 a.m. on the 28th
to allow time for previewing BODY WORLDS
2. If you have covered the first exhibit,
the requirement for filling out exhibit access
forms will be waived. Simply RSVP to this email
and we will have your name at the door. This
second BODY WORLDS exhibit has toured
Asia, but has never been seen in Europe or America
before now. BODY WORLDS 2 equals its
predecessor in size with more than 20 new whole
body plastinates, and reveals new insights not
available in the previous exhibit. Hope to see
you there.
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