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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Explore 'Dinoshore': Showboat exhibit features dinosaur bones

Press of Atlantic City: Explore 'Dinoshore': Showboat exhibit features dinosaur bones

http://www.showboatac.com/casinos/showboat-atlantic-city/hotel-casino/property-home.shtml
By VERONICA DUDO, For At The Shore pressofAtlanticCity.com | 0 comments

Dinosaurs have hit the shore and are taking guests on a wild ride through history. Debuting Sunday, July 17, at the Showboat Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, Dinoshore will take patrons back in time for an ancient adventure featuring full-size robotic dinosaurs, molds of prehistoric skeletons and 250-million-year-old dinosaur bones.

"It's fascinating to think that they haven't been here in 65 million years and some of these bones are as old as 250 million years," says Lou Scheinfeld, president of Science & Entertainment Strategies, the company producing the show.

This summer, guests will have the opportunity to check out dozens of Earth's earliest inhabitants, such as the Triceratops, Megalodon and Nanotyrannus. Scheinfeld says the massive creatures from the ancient world will captivate and delight visitors.

"I think people will be amazed because not only is it fun, but it's educational, it's something the whole family can go to. When we put it on in other cities, we found it doesn't matter who you were, what color you were, how old you were, what your educational background was - everybody was fascinated by dinosaurs because these things lived and some of these things you can actually touch."

Joe Domenico, senior vice president and general manager of Showboat and Bally's Atlantic City, says his property was interested in bringing Dinoshore to the casino because it appeals to a variety of customers.

"It's going to be pretty neat for families and everyone of all ages that garner an appreciation of history," he says.

The event will run daily through Labor Day. Other attractions on display include prehistoric eggs and babies, flying reptiles, a Tyrannosaurus Rex attack scene and a special sea exhibit.

"We also have something called Savages of the Seas. These are dinosaurs that swam," Scheinfeld says. "We don't have the full-size ones but some of them were 10 times the size of a Great White Shark, just huge, huge dinosaurs that were predators that swam. We have some smaller ones, we have a huge prehistoric sea turtle that right now we're planning to hang from the ceiling and it's just as big as a Volkswagen."

The highlight of the exhibit is the display revealing the "feathered" dinosaurs, known as the Deinonychus and Pterorhynchus. Scheinfeld says the winged creatures continue to spark theories that modern-day birds evolving from these feathered dinosaurs.

"No one really knows what happened to them," Scheinfeld says of the winged dinosaurs. "There's a lot of theories. ... We have an amazing display of these feathered dinosaurs. One of them is 14 feet high (and) quite menacing looking."

As guests explore the paleontology fine arts, children can participate in the Fossil Dig, which has fossils hidden at the bottom of the sand for kids to discover. Scheinfeld says the interactive exhibit also features special robotic dinosaurs, which create a unique atmosphere at the show.

"We have some animatronics that growl and move," he says. "Some are huge, some are little."

Although gaming is the major focus of the resort, Atlantic City is making efforts to become a true destination. Domenico says events like Dinoshore are ways to introduce new customers to the city.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, Sunday, July 17, through Labor Day.

WHERE: Showboat Casino-Hotel, 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: $15.50 adults, $10.50 seniors and kids younger than 12; $7.50 for groups of 10 or more. Family packs $42.

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