Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2004
2004 Press Kit
PACK YOUR BAGS! RALEIGH OFFERS PLENTY OF EXCITEMENT & FUN EXPERIENCES FOR
FAMILIES IN 2004
Contact: Martin Armes, 919-645-2654
RALEIGH, N.C. (January 2004) – Set amidst parks and lakes, interactive museums and restaurants dishing up nouvelle Southern cuisine, a weekend in Greater Raleigh is the ultimate family experience. And with 20 FREE attractions, it's an affordable escape for parents and children alike!
Exploris, the multi-million state-of-the-art interactive museum about the world, has a unique mission: to encourage young people to make connections with the people of all cultures. Through hands-on exhibits and thought provoking, engaging programs, visitors see how the world works, and the part everyone can play in it. Major 2004 exhibit: China on Tour, includes artifacts from 7,000 years of artistic Chinese innovations. The IMAX Theatre at Exploris provides yet another innovative and exciting medium to introduce new places, new people and new ideas to visitors of all ages. 2004 IMAX film: China: The Panda Adventure opens April 2004. Admission charged. www.exploris.org.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences includes 70,000 square feet of walk-through environments. Four floors of exhibits feature four great whales, the world's only Acrocanthosaurus, better known as the "Terror of the South," and Willo, the dinosaur with a heart. Using cutting-edge techniques, focusing more on habitats (dioramas) than specimens, live animals are included in exhibits throughout the museum. Exhibits throughout the year look at the natural world through the distinct lens of North Carolina's diverse geography, geology, plants and animals. During BuGFest, a popular summer event, everyone is invited to cheer for their favorite candidate during the roach races and see insects from around the world. Admission is free. www.naturalsciences.org
The North Carolina Museum of History's collection contains more than 250,000 artifacts representing the state's rich heritage, with exhibits on agriculture, politics, folklife and more. 2004 signature exhibit includes: North Carolina Aviation Pioneers, current - May 29, 2005. Admission is free. www.ncmuseumofhistory.org
Playspace offers activities to stimulate the senses of children (6 months-7 years.) There is a "pretend" grocery store, hospital, café, puppet theatre, water area, costumes/stage, computers, and infant area. Admission charged. www.playspace.org
Visit the North Carolina Railroad Museum and ride the railroad! In October, catch the spooky "Halloween Express," or ride with Santa on the December "Christmas Train." Admission charged for train rides only. www.nhvry.org
Adventure Landing's super fast go-kart track, and many themed activities – including three mini-golf courses, laser tag, batting cages, and arcades – amuse families for hours. Admission charged. www.adventurelanding.com
Come meet some unfamiliar faces at Triangle Metro Zoo. The petting barn and 30-acre zoo feature exotic animals including pygmy goats, exotic waterfowl and Dromedary camels! Admission charged. www.raleighmetrozoo.com
Guests of Hill Ridge Farms can ride into the woods on a covered wagon hayride, any time between March through November. Everyone is encouraged to complete the experience with a picnic, a whirl on the swings and a walk through the petting barn. For a bedazzling site, families can mine gem stones, including rubies, sapphires, tourmaline, emeralds, topaz and amethyst! Don't miss the Hill Ridge Farms express train ride. Admission charged. www.hillridgefarms.com
Horseback riding for the entire family is available at J & H Stables thanks to pony leads that can accommodate children under age 5. One or two-hour guided trail rides and lessons are also offered to those who call at least a day ahead. Admission charged. www.jhstables.citysearch.com
Silver Lake Waterpark offers swimming, diving and an assortment of waterslides, along with other exciting attractions in their spring-fed lake. For more fun, ride around in a bumper or pedal boat. Heat up on their sand beach, or relax in the shade and be entertained by talking costumed critters. Admission charged.
Family Adventures in the Great Outdoors
Travelers are sure to enjoy the area's 4,300 acres of award-winning parkland and 1,400 acres of water flowing throughout Greater Raleigh. Choose to wander around one of the 150 interconnected parks, varying from light trails to advanced hikes that venture deep into the heart of the woods. Pullen Park features a carousel, kiddie-boat ride and pedal boats through a duck-filled lake and TV Land's "Andy & Opie" statue. Laurel Hills Park offers an "all children's playground," designed for the use and enjoyment of children of all physical capabilities, with a wooden play structure of tunnels, bridges, towers, swings and rings built over soft sand.
Get your feet wet in Shelley Lake, a 50-acre lake surrounded by miles of greenway trails. Fishing, canoeing, sailing, rowing, pedal boating, biking, hiking and picnicking are available. Raleigh's other great lakes – Lake Wheeler (635 acres), Jordan Lake (13,900-acre reservoir) or Lake Johnson (accompanied by a 301-acre park) – offer similar activities. Raise the excitement level a notch with a canoe launch year-round at Neuse River Canoe Launches. In Raleigh, whatever outdoor activity you choose is sure to please! Admission is free to all parks with the exception of Jordan Lake; fee for renting boats. www.raleighcvb.org/visit/thingstodo/parks.html
Specific rates and dates of activities can be found by visiting the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.visitraleigh.com. The Greater Raleigh CVB is a non-profit agency that promotes Raleigh and Wake County for convention and visitor business to enhance the economic growth and development of the area. For a free visitors guide or more promotional information, please call (800) 849-8499, visit our website or e-mail visit@visitraleigh.com.
City Life, Carolina Style.
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National Media Contact:
Jim Lee, DCI
Phone: (212) 725-0707
Email: jlee@dc-intl.com
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