Dinosaurs are Roaring at The Children's Museum of Memphis

MarketWatch: Dinosaurs are Roaring at The Children's Museum of Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb 13, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Long before the Mid-South was populated by cows and cotton fields, dinosaurs roamed the land. A new traveling exhibit at The Children's Museum of Memphis allows children and adults to explore dinosaur habitats to better understand how these mysterious animals lived and use inquiry skills to examine what they left behind. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice(TM), opening, February 11, transports families back to the Cretaceous Period (145 -- 65 million years ago), the time when dinosaurs last lived on earth.

Children go face-to-face with the prehistoric world and meet dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. The exhibit, created for children ages 3 -- 10, features two distinct environments and a variety of activities. A Field Research Station allows children to step into the role of paleontologist by uncovering fossils with brushes and creating drawings of the dinosaur environment using fossil rubbings and tracings.

The steamy "Land of Fire" connects visitors with prehistoric home of the Triceratops and T-Rex. No coats are needed for a trip across the "Land of Ice" where visitors meet two dinosaurs, a Troodon and Edmontosaurus, who made their homes in the cold climate of Alaska. Activities include: climbing rocky steps, breezing down an icy slide, and hoping across stepping stones in an icy river.

Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice utilizes new research about climates in which dinosaurs were able to survive and thrive. The discovery of numerous species of dinosaurs in the arctic is causing scientists to reconsider old theories about dinosaurs only living in tropical climates. This exhibit is the first child-centered exhibit in the country dedicated to expanding the understanding on dinosaur habitat and range. It runs through May 13, 2012.

Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice was created by Minnesota Children's Museum and is sponsored locally by Kronos Energy Solutions.

The Children's Museum of Memphis creates memorable learning experiences through the joy of play in hands-on exhibits and programs. Location: The John and Katherine Dobbs Family Center, 2525 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Hours: open 7 days a week 9am-5pm. Admission: $12 ages 1-100. Information: 901-458-2678. Website: CMOM.COM.

SOURCE: The Children's Museum of Memphis