GREENSBORO — The “Bodies Revealed” exhibit at the Natural Science Center is coming down Sunday, but staffers expect to see continued record-breaking attendance with three upcoming attractions.
Maned wolf pups, a comprehensive health exhibit and a display of artifacts from the Titanic are expected to draw visitors statewide.
The maned wolf pups — two females and a male — were born on Super Bowl Sunday. Maned wolves, an endangered species, are rare. Just nine pups were born and survived in 2010, and there are only 86 total in captivity in the U.S.
“We’re finally excited to be a leader in the maned wolf conservation process,” said the center’s executive director, Glenn Dobrogosz.
Small groups of science center members will be able to view the pups from the boardwalk at select times next week. The exhibit will be open to the public March 12.
Dobrogosz said there is a caveat: “They are still little puppies. People may or may not see them (awake).”
They are expected to be more active by April.
The male was named Packer; a staffer will name one of the females. And there will be a public contest to name the other female.
HealthQuest, expected to open in early June, gets up close and personal with body issues.
Imagine sticking your arm through an intestine.
Or stepping up to a microphone that amplifies the sounds in your belly.
Or learning about flatulence through a machine that emits gas when a button is pushed.
Vomit is expelled through a tube, then emptied onto a containment bladder on a table.
Dobrogosz expects adults to enjoy the center’s newest permanent exhibit as much as the kids.
“It’s science and the gross-out factor combined,” he said.
HealthQuest also includes two fully plastinated, or preserved, bodies, as well as digestive, spinal and respiratory systems.
“Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” opening July 30, will include objects recovered from the shipwreck. Visitors will receive a replica of a boarding pass from the ship. Other features include room recreations of first- and third-class cabins. Visitors can also press their palms against an iceberg while hearing stories of heroism and humanity.
An added bonus is the chance to enter a drawing for a free, seven-day Western Caribbean cruise valued at $1,300.
Dobrogosz reported annual record-breaking attendance already this year. In just two months, the center has drawn one-third of last year’s total number of visitors. Dobrogosz said it turned away about 1,000 visitors every weekend in February during the run of “Bodies Revealed.”
There wasn’t enough space for everyone to park. This prompted science center leaders to speed up plans for parking expansions. Work begins soon on an extra 130 spaces in the parking lot near Country Park. He hopes this will be completed by the time the Titanic exhibit opens. Tram service also is available through the summer from Country and Military parks to the science center.
Dobrogosz said the science center has proved it can increase tourism in Guilford County, and he expects the trend to continue with the upcoming permanent and traveling exhibits there.
“We put our time, effort and money where our mouth was. Everything is really coming to a head now, full fruition,” he said.
Contact Tina Firesheets at 373-3498 or tina.firesheets@news-record.com
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