Museum of Science, Boston

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August 17, 2009

—Salem Residents to Receive Free Exhibit Halls and Omni Theater Passes

Thanks to the Read Family Charitable Trust—

BOSTON—This September, Salem residents will have the opportunity to feel the rush of skydiving, submerge thousands of feet below the ocean's surface, come face-to-face with a 65 million-year-old triceratops named Cliff, see brilliant flashes of indoor lightning, and much more free of charge when the Museum of Science hosts September Salem Days. This program, generously funded by the Read Family Charitable Trust, will allow Salem residents to explore more than 700 exhibits and five giant-screen films in the Mugar Omni Theater.

"September Salem Days offers the city's residents a wonderful opportunity to embark on an exciting science adventure. Through our interactive exhibits, live presentations, and Omni films, the Museum hopes to spark imagination, curiosity, and the spirit of discovery in all our visitors," said Joan Hadly, the Museum's senior vice president of advancement. "Thanks to the generosity of the Read Family Charitable Trust, we are thrilled to welcome Salem visitors free of charge this September, especially in these challenging economic times," she added.

"The Read Family Charitable Trust, under the direction of Dr. Nile Albright, has a long history of generously fostering science education in the City of Salem," said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. "By sponsoring September Salem Days, the trust has continued that tradition and we are happy to partner with its trustees to ensure every Salem resident has the opportunity to take advantage of this exciting program," she added.

"With this innovative science education venture, the trustees decided to honor the benefactor Norman H. Read who past away in his 102nd year in 1992," said Trustee Dr. Albright. "We felt the Museum of Science a very appropriate resource to help us carry out our mission to promote exciting science education," he added.

Read was a close friend and colleague of Museum founder Bradford Washburn. It was Dr. Albright who joined Read and Washburn for an expedition to the summit of Mount McKinley in 1955 to research who made the first successful assent of the 20,300-foot mountain in 1907.

September Salem Days Program Information

The program includes free Exhibit Halls and Omni Theater passes for all Salem families, individuals, and children. Passes will be mailed to each Salem household in late August. To obtain additional passes, residents can visit one of three distribution centers, which include Salem City Hall, Salem Public Library, and the Salem Parks and Recreation Department. Exhibit Hall passes can be presented at the Museum entrance with a valid Massachusetts driver's license or identification card indicating Salem residence. Mugar Omni Theater passes must be exchanged for a timed ticket with valid identification. Salem residents must obtain passes in the mail or from a distribution center prior to arriving at the Museum.

Throughout the month of September, the Mugar Omni Theater will show Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk, Amazon, Deep Sea, Antarctica (opening September 4), and Mystic India. Exhibit Halls highlights include Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff, Thompson Theater of Electricity, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center presentations, design challenges, and much more. For more information please call 617/723-2500 or visit mos.org.

About the Museum of Science:

The Museum takes a hands-on approach to science, engineering and technology, attracting about 1.5 million visitors a year via its programs and 700 interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 3-D Digital Cinema and Butterfly Garden. The Museum is the first science and technology center to be approved as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Reaching 25,000 teens a year worldwide via the Intel Computer Clubhouse®, the Museum also leads a multi-museum, $20 million National Science Foundation-funded nanotechnology education initiative. The Museum's "Science Is an Activity" exhibit plan has been awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. Its National Center for Technological Literacy® aims to enhance knowledge of engineering and technology for people of all ages and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and scientists. The Museum is ranked #3 by Parents Magazine in its list of the country's "Ten Best Science Centers." For more information visit mos.org.