May 17, 2005

Contact:

Amy Vineyard
Adventure Science Center
avineyard@adventuresci.com
615-401-5059

Christi Williams
Seigenthaler Public Relations
christi@seig-pr.com
615-327-7999

Nashville, TN - Get ready to visit "inner space" when the newest additions to BodyQuest open May 30 at Adventure Science Center, offering visitors the opportunity to step inside a giant brain, slide through an outsized intestinal tract, operate on a patient with leg and abdominal injuries, and explore myriad additional activities.

BodyQuest, an interactive exhibit comprising 9,000 square feet, invites Science Center visitors to experience the complexities of the body's systems, make healthy choices and consider careers in healthcare. Part of the extensive, hands-on exhibit opened last summer; the remaining 5,000 square feet to open May 30 are devoted to the circulatory, digestive, nervous, muscular and skeletal systems, and also provide a simulated hospital area and ambulance to allow visitors to experience careers in medicine.

"We are excited to introduce our guests to the larger-than-life realistic body components and the engaging, enriching activities within BodyQuest," said Jeri Hasselbring, director of education at the Science Center. "In the completed exhibit, families will be able to learn about their bodies and how to take better care of them. The Science Center and the many partners who brought BodyQuest to fruition are proud to make a significant contribution toward educating children and families about health."

The grand opening event begins with a BodyQuest Fun Run Challenge, a .5K children's run beginning at 9:30 a.m. from Fort Negley to Adventure Science Center. All children participating will receive free admission to the Science Center for the day. To participate, children should arrive at Fort Negley Park around the corner from the Science Center before 9:30 a.m. No registration is required and the Fun Run is free. Parking for the run is available in the lower lot of the Science Center.

Throughout the day, the following health-related activities will get hearts pumping and tantalize taste buds:

• The basketball Dunk Contest tests participants' jumping skills.
• The Hula Hoop Contest will encourage visitors to swivel their hips and get their blood flowing.
• The Baby Crawl Contest will determine the fastest of the junior set.
• Pete Prosser of Chefs Inc. and Bola Tienka of the Matthew Walker Health Center will be making smoothies and wrap sandwiches to show how eating healthfully can be fun and delicious.

At performances throughout the day, guests will also be able to enjoy the 50's-style sounds of Scott Hammock and his band, "The Heart Throbs," and the fancy footwork of Jumpkins, a Gallatin jump rope group from Vena Stewart Elementary School. Visitors may also register to win door prizes such as hula hoops, basketballs, gym bags, jump ropes, water bottles and cookbooks.

BodyQuest is presented by HCA/TriStar and The Memorial Foundation. Other sponsors include Saint Thomas Health Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Nashville Academy of Medicine Alliance (NAMA), Dr. and Mrs. William B. Wadlington and The Martin Foundation.

For 60 years, Adventure Science Center has brought science to life for children in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northern Alabama and beyond. The center offers hands-on, interactive exhibits and engaging programs that encourage children of all ages to explore how science, invention and innovation affect their lives. Adventure Science Center encourages imagination and curiosity, and engages the senses in the fascinating world of science.

Adventure Science Center's regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. For the summer, the Science Center is open late on Friday and Saturday. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $8.75 for adults; and $6.75 for children ages 3 to 12, and seniors age 65 and older. The Science Center is located at 800 Fort Negley Blvd. For more information, call (615) 862-5160 or visit our web site at www.adventuresci.com.