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Summer Ends with a Bang at MNS Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 3-5, Final Chances for Traveling

Exhibits and Summer Hours, Plus Free Stage Shows

DALLAS (August 30, 2011) – Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, and

the Museum of Nature & Science is ending it with a bang! And a few zaps! And a

couple of bittersweet farewells. During the Labor Day holiday weekend, on Sept. 3-5,

the Museum is offering last chances to see two summer exhibits, free performances of its

popular stage shows, and the final days for extended summer hours.

Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 5 – will see the extinction of the remarkable Chinasaurs

exhibit. Chinasaurs visitors are greeted by twenty life-sized dinosaur skeletons and five

life-like, moving animatronics – all representing rare, lesser-known animals discovered in

China. Chinasaurs creatures range in size from 42 feet long, to the mini-dinos who are

the size of a small dog. Fossils, egg casts, touchable skin impression kiosks and an eye-

popping video from Asia enhance the exotic Chinasaurs experience.

Another traveling exhibit, Charlie and Kiwi’s Evolutionary Adventure, also closes

on Labor Day. “Charlie and Kiwi” centers on a young boy, Charlie, his bird friend, Kiwi

and his great-great grandfather Charlie as they travel through time to investigate the

disappearance of the dinosaurs. Charlie and Kiwi is geared towards children ages three

cont.

Labor Day Weekend at MNS, page 2

years and up, and caters to both English and Spanish speakers. Visitors get hands-on

lessons on animals’ abilities to adapt and survive over time.

After viewing a charming, animated story, children can mill through the colorful

kiosks and play games and engage in activities relating to Charlie’s discoveries. Live

budgie birds are part of the exciting display. “Charlie and Kiwi” is free for members and

included with regular admission for non-members.

Labor Day weekend will also see several performances of MNS’ incredibly popular

stage shows, Fire & Ice and Electric Theater. These shows will be performed at various

times during all three days of the holiday weekend, are free for members and included

with regular admission for non-members.

Electric Theater is a light show like no other – the interactive performance

demonstrates how batteries work, the power of electro-magnetism, the static electricity

that exists all around us and ends with a spectacular light show! Audiences will

experience such mechanical marvels as the Tesla coil, plasma ball and Van de Graaf

generator. Electric Theater shows are at 1 p.m. Sept. 3-5.

Fire & Ice exemplifies the power of temperature. Liquid Nitrogen, heating elements

(including the human body) and mysterious gases are the focus of several interactive

experiments. Audience volunteers will help freeze, burn and even (safely) blow up

various items to demonstrate how states of matter are affected by temperature. Fire &

Ice shows are at 3 p.m. Sept. 3-5.

Labor Day weekend also marks the final days of extended summer hours. Weekend

hours are Saturday and Monday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday noon – 6 p.m. Beginning

Tuesday, Sept. 6 hours return to the “regular” Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and

Sunday noon – 5 p.m. schedule.

MNS general exhibit admission is $10 for adults 18-61; $9 for seniors 62+ and

students 12-17; $7 for children 2-11; children under 2 are free; MNS members of all ages

are admitted for free. Chinasaurs admission requires a surcharge in addition to the

cont.

Labor Day Weekend at MNS, page 3

purchase of MNS general exhibit admission; Non-members are $5, MNS members are

$3. Children under 2 are free.

Museum visitors can get more bang for their buck with the purchase of the Double

Dino Deal which pairs Chinasaurs with the IMAX® film, Sea Rex: Journey to a

Prehistoric World.

Sea Rex takes place during a tour of a modern-day aquatic center. Soon the movie

whisks audiences back through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to discover

creatures like the powerful Liopleurodon, the long-necked Elasmosaurus, the “eye-

lizard” Ophthalmosaurus, the ferocious Prognathodon and the massive Shonisaurus.

Sea Rex and all other IMAX® films require separate ticket purchases. Tickets for the

TI Founders’ IMAX® Theater are $7 for adults and $6 for students, seniors, and children

ages 2-11; children under 2 are free; Museum members receive a $1 discount on all

IMAX® tickets.

By pairing both the exhibit and film together, Museum-goers can save money as they

experience the full reach of MNS’ prehistoric adventures. The non-member cost for the

Double Dino Deal is $21 for adults 18-61, $17 for children 2-11 and $19 for both

students (12-17) and seniors (62+). Members have access to even greater savings on the

Double Dino Deal, paying only $9 for adults and $8 for children, students and seniors.

While it lasts, MNS is also offering a Chinasaurs membership special. Join, upgrade

or renew a Family or Family Plus membership during Chinasaurs, and receive free

dinosaur visors (while supplies last), free passes to Chinasaurs, and exclusive offers for

dinosaur-themed birthday parties. Offers vary based on level of membership. But, like

all members, those who join during Chinasaurs will enjoy free admission to the museum

general exhibits, guest passes to the IMAX®

and Planetarium shows, access to special

member-only events and discounts on traveling exhibits.

Museum-goers can save time and avoid lines by buying advance tickets online at

cont.

Labor Day Weekend at MNS, page 4

natureandscience.org. Further information is available by calling 214-428-5555 or

visiting the Museum online at www.natureandscience.org.

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About the Museum of Nature & Science

The Museum of Nature & Science – the result of a unique merger in 2006 between the

Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place and the Dallas Children's Museum

– is an AAM- accredited non-profit educational organization located in Dallas's Fair

Park. In support of its mission to inspire minds through nature and science, the museum

delivers exciting, engaging and innovative visitor experiences through its education,

exhibition, and research and collections programming for children, students, teachers,

families and life-long learners. The facility also includes the TI Founders IMAX®

Theater and a cutting-edge digital planetarium. The Museum of Nature & Science is

supported in part by funds from the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, the Texas

Commission on the Arts and HP. The Museum of Nature & Science also is building a

new $185-million museum on a 4.7-acre site in Victory Park to complement the Fair Park

facilities. To learn more about the Museum of Nature & Science, please visit

natureandscience.org.