MOSI THROUGH LARGEST SCIENCE CENTER IN SOUTHEASTERN U.S.

Tampa, Fla. (March 21, 2003) - MOSI (Tampa's Museum of Science & Industry) is the largest science center in the southeastern United States and home of the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. Guests are encouraged to "learn by doing" in this scientific playground of special exhibitions and more than 450 hands-on activities.

The facility sits on 74 acres and encompasses 265,000 square feet. The original building (now known as the "East Wing") opened in 1982. A five-year-plan is underway to enclose and reinvent this space as a Center for Learning and add a children's science center to the west of the IMAX Dome Theatre. The new building, or "West Wing," opened in 1995 and includes the first IMAX Dome Theatre in the State of Florida.

Upon entering the Grand Lobby, guests are greeted by two diplodocus dinosaur skeletons. This latest addition to MOSI's exhibit puts MOSI on the map as one of a handful of museums in the world to display the largest articulated dinosaurs ever discovered.

Turn right at the dinosaurs and kids of all ages will encounter Kids in Charge. This specially designed hands-on gallery space is a place for young children and participating adults to uncover and learn science and math concepts in a thematic play environment. "'O' is for Oranges" is an experiential immersion exhibit sponsored by Publix Super Markets Charities.

The exhibit includes 6 interactive areas in the Kids in Charge gallery. The Publix Super Markets area allows kids to stock shelves, sort, count and weigh fruit, identify which items are made with citrus products, test math skills and use the check-out scanner and cash register. Other areas include an atrium, tree house, delivery truck, juice factory, Florida grove house, and toddler play garden. "'O' is for Oranges" is open to the general public during regular museum operating hours.

Ascending the stairs to the second floor, guests have a choice of visiting the IMAX Dome Theatre or entering the exhibit areas.

The IMAX Dome Theatre features 353 seats and an 82-foot hemispherical movie screen, housed within a distinctive 85-foot blue stainless dome. The IMAX Dome motion picture system projects images of unsurpassed size, clarity, and impact onto a 10,500 square foot dome-shaped screen. The film is enhanced by a superb specially-designed, six-channel, multispeaker sound system. Completely immersing the viewer, this experience combines the latest technology in cinematography with powerful visual imagery, creating an experience so strong, so compelling, that there is no equal in the film industry today. Currently showing are Disney's "The Lion King", "Coral Reef Adventure" and "Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees."

If guests opt not to partake of the IMAX Experience, they can veer right into"Our Florida." Look for the 3-D walk-through postcard and explore the environmental facts that make Florida unique. An ordinary backyard serves as the backdrop for the science that takes place daily in "backyards" of the world. After surviving the lightning strike and resulting "forest fire" in the "Zap!" exhibit, guests will notice a large hand beckoning them up the stairs into "The Amazing You."

Metropolitan Life Foundation's "The Amazing You" tours the human body in all its complexity-from DNA to cells to organs to individuals. Follow three themes in this 5,500 square foot presentation: "How We Work," "Wellness -- How We Keep Ourselves Going," and "Taking Care of Ourselves When Things Go Wrong." The motion of the Tannenbaum room segues into the motion of flight in "Our Place in the Universe: An Exhibition on Space, Flight, and Beyond."

Flight, space exploration, and astronomy are the main focus of this 5,000-square-foot exhibit. Meet planet Earth and learn about its place in the solar system. See technological advances in aviation. Encounter this holistic view of the universe and the knowledge that science had provided thus far. The Flight Avionics flight simulator is the newest addition to MOSI's "Our Place in the Universe" exhibition on flight, space, and beyond. The motion simulator can hold up to 15 people at a time and each "flight" lasts five minutes. Graphics and exhibits accompany the ride and, like all MOSI exhibits and films, the scenario will change periodically. The current scenario is Virtual Adventure. An extra fee is charged.

For anyone who prefers a real adventure rather than a virtual one, there is a high wire bicycle -- the longest one in a US museum. MOSI's high wire bicycle offers an opportunity for anyone who wants to test physics to pedal a bicycle across a 1-inch cable suspended 30 feet in the air. The 98-foot long wire will take the cyclist on a plane that's eye-level with the diplodocus dinosaurs! After such a knee-weakening experience, visitors may take a seat in the Coleman Science Works Theater, a high-tech, multipurpose theater that takes science and makes an interactive audience experience. The current show is "The People Puzzle."

After the show, those interested in space exploration can take the elevator back down to the lobby and get tickets for the space adventures in the Verizon Challenger Learning Center and The Saunders Planetarium.

Born out of tragedy, the Challenger Learning Center is a living memorial to the crew of the shuttle orbiter Challenger. It is part of an international network of centers established by the families of the Challenger crew. The 21st century classroom features a space vehicle and a mission control in which guests assume roles of astronauts and engineers at 12 interactive work stations. Each mission is based upon a scenario. It is a unique opportunity for all ages to explore the universe through the use of space simulators. Experience what it is like to be part of a space exploration crew by experimenting with new technology, robotics, stellar navigation, and more. The center offers birthday parties, day camps, and corporate teambuilding workshops.

Upon exiting the Challenger airlock, "astronauts" find themselves in the Explorations Gallery and lobby for The Saunders Planetarium. Since opening in 1992, The Saunders Planetarium has shown the starry nighttime sky to more than 200,000 guests. Family shows and adult programs are scheduled throughout the day and on weekends. The planetarium staff, with the assistance of the Museum Astronomical Resource Society (M.A.R.S.), sets up telescopes and holds "star parties" Saturday evenings. The Saunders Planetarium at MOSI is the only planetarium in Tampa.

Upon taking the ramp back down to the first floor, star gazers will gaze out upon the Head Start Center and Recyclosaurus, an orange mesh dinosaur. The first Head Start Center is the first to be located permanently within a science center complex, exposing science and technology to young children. Recyclosaurus is filled with recyclable cans and plastic milk cartons and stands as an icon for recycling.

Time to head out the door back into the arms of Mother Nature. A gigantic Zebra Long Wing Butterfly flaps its wings atop the BioWorks Butterfly Garden. The Southwest Florida Water Management District/Bank of America BioWorks Butterfly Garden is an engineered eco-system that emulates natural wetlands and demonstrates how the natural wetlands cleans water. BioWorks contains five hands-on components: microbiology station with microscope viewing; biology station and nutrient puzzle; botany station with magnifying glasses; engineering station with sediment settling jars; and chemistry station for pH measuring. BioWorks also houses a free flying butterfly garden sponsored by the Jacarlene Foundation.

More wildlife awaits in The Back Woods. Originally opened in 1992, The Back Woods at MOSI contain an unusually large variety of plant and animal communities for its limited acreage in its urban setting. Forty-seven acres of special water conservation elements and various outdoor interactive environmental exhibits include compass trails, a boardwalk, a sink hole and populations of protected gopher tortoises among communities of pine flat woods, turkey oak sandhills, oak hammocks, and wetlands. In conjunction with its $35 million expansion in 1995, The Back Woods were renovated with $150,000 funded using a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the "Save the Manatee" and Florida panther license plates to enhance the existing nature trails. Highlights include: An access trail for multi-able accessibility, an authentic Seminole Indian Chickee shelter/nature classroom that acts as a window to the wetlands, brochures available in English, Spanish, and German, cassette players and an audio tour, "Ecology to Go" tool boxes containing head sets, binoculars, microscopic viewers, field guides, and identification cards.

Adjacent to the main entrance, experience the impact of 74 mph hurricane force winds in the Gulf Coast Hurricane and learn how to "Get Smart, Get Ready" for a tropical storm.

One last trip back inside MOSI's Grand Lobby, provides all of the amenities to round out the visit.

Check out a book from the Hillsborough County Science Library at MOSI to learn more about various scientific topics. The first public library to open in a science center, the largest public access collection of printed and electronic science material is available for all ages. A children's library containing specially designed materials gives parents and children access to science and natural history in the framework of their lives. A primary research center offers scholars access to materials associated with Bay area industries and MOSI's growing collection of industrial and technical prototypes.

Unwind in The Galaxy Café and Shop with a snack or a soft drink. The Café provides quality food in a unique setting and also provides on- and off-site catering services.

A final stop in The Science Store provides the opportunity to purchase a souvenir of the visit. Shoppers can expect to find more than microscopes and gyroscopes. High-quality telescopes come with free set-up and star gazing instructions. Proceeds from The Science Store benefit MOSI's education programs.

General admission ticket prices are $14.95 for adults (ages 13 - 59); $12.95 for seniors (60+), and $10.95 for children (ages 2-13). MOSI opens daily at 9 a.m. Closing hours are seasonal. MOSI is located at 4801 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa just one mile northeast of Busch Gardens. The science center is wheelchair accessible and offers free parking. For more information, call (813) 987-6100 or log onto the MOSI Web site at www.mosi.org. To make a reservation for the IMAX Dome Theatre or a group program, call (813) 987-6000.