May 8, 2006

Contact:

Virginia Crowe
(615) 401-5059
vcrowe@adventuresci.com

Shana Witherow
Seigenthaler Public Relations
615-327-7999
shana@seig-pr.com

Nashville, TN - Bugged!!, a traveling exhibit of common insects sculpturally rendered at 40- to 120 times their actual size, will allow summer guests of Adventure Science Center a magnified view of these creatures from Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, Oct. 1.

Bugged!! features five three-dimensional mechanical insects - a 22-foot praying mantis, 16-foot caterpillar, 16-foot locust, 20-foot fighting beetle and 21-foot stick insect. Visitors also will be able to view 6-foot-large versions of the heads of a mosquito, honeybee, and dragonfly, which are normally indiscernible. Additionally, Bugged!! will feature live insects, such as Madagascar hissing cockroaches, rose-haired tarantulas and millipedes, scurrying around insect zoos made available by Nashville’s Aquatic Critter.

“Bugged!! is more than just an opportunity for kids and adults to gain a gargantuan perspective on some of nature’s tiniest critters,” said Virginia Crowe, marketing director at Adventure Science Center. “It also will encourage them to learn the anatomy, habits and crucial roles of the bugs they come across every day in their own back yards.”

For hands-on fun with bugs, the Science Center has planned the following programs and exhibits to accompany Bugged!!. They will be offered throughout the summer on the following days:

NEW PERMANENT EXHIBIT

Observation Bee Hive Visitors can get up close and personal with honeybees at an exhibit that demonstrates the workings of a live bee colony. The hive’s queen will be easily identified for patrons. This exhibit is sponsored by the Tennessee Beekeepers Association.

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES

• Play a fun game of catch that demonstrates how insects pollinate
• Put bug sections together to form an insect
• Design a butterfly
• Make an insect rubbing to take home

Stations will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Saturday; 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

SCI-BITES: SCHEDULED DAILY ACTIVITIES

The Good, the Bad and the Bugly
More than 10 million bug species live on planet earth. Some can survive without food for months, or live without a head for a week. Discover the remarkable features and adaptations of bugs with bad reputations at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday - Saturday; 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Alien Empire
Imagine being eaten alive from the inside out or tasting things with your feet. Science Center visitors will learn that they need only search the cracks and crevices of their homes and backyards to find alien creatures behaving bizarrely. This session will take place at 1 p.m. seven days a week.

CALENDAR OF SUMMER BUG EVENTS

(All held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday)

June 10, July 10, Aug. 12 - Pharaoh Forensics
Visitors will search for a missing golden scarab during this full day of activities at Adventure Science Center that includes deciphering hieroglyphics, taking measurements in cubits, exploring levers, and examining ancient broken pottery on their quest for the missing beetle.

June 24 - Bug Fest 2006
Spiders, beetles, and flies, oh my! Visitors will go buggy during this interactive carnival featuring insect-infested games and activities. Guests are asked to bring their curiosity and a willingness to have some fun with winged and crawly things, both live and representational.

July 29 - What’s Your Fear Factor: Bugs
Participants will have an opportunity to conquer their fears of certain insects by spending the day becoming an Adventure Science Center Fear Factor Bug-Off Champion. Events will include physical challenges, eating challenges and a bug quiz, all designed to overcome the bug fear factor.

August 26 - Bugs: What’s in your Backyard?
Visitors will discover how to encourage good bugs to stay in their back yards and bad bugs to vamoose during a day of interactive learning activities that illuminate the lives and purposes of their tiniest neighbors.

About Adventure Science Center

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 is located at 800 Fort Negley Boulevard. Its regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Extended Summer Hours (from Memorial Day to Labor Day) are 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday & Saturday. Admission is $9.00 for adults; and $7.00 for children ages 3 to 12, and seniors 65 and older. For more information, call (615) 862-5160 or visit our web site at www.adventuresci.com.