IT’S SUPER OCTOBER … WITH SUPERMAN ON IMAX® AND LIVE APPEARANCES BY MARVEL SUPERHEROES AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

It’s a Super October at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, which is presenting some of the world’s greatest superheroes … both on the giant IMAX^® movie screen and also live and in person.

Superman is defending truth, justice and the American way on weekends in The Maritime Aquarium via the Hollywood blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has been digitally remastered into the unsurpassed IMAX format.

And Marvel Comics is sending three of its superheroes to Norwalk on consecutive Saturdays to meet Aquarium visitors and pose for photos:  Thor on Oct. 12; Captain America on Oct. 19; and Spider-Man on Oct. 26.  Times for each are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Who hasn’t dreamed of being a superhero; of having super powers to battle bad guys and alien creeps to save the day?” asked Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Whether you’re young or old, you’ve cheered on Superman, Thor, Captain American and Spider-Man and followed their exploits. They’re truly legends of our culture, and we’re excited to be hosting them here at the Aquarium.”

During the Marvel superheroes’ visits, youngsters can pose for photos and get autographs too.

Each appearance is free with Aquarium admission: $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for youths (13-17) & seniors (65+), and $12.95 for children 3-12. Kids 2 & under are admitted free.

Meanwhile, over in the IMAX Theater, the Superman story is playing out in the Hollywood film “Man of Steel” at 4 & 7:30 p.m. on Fridays & Saturdays and at 4 p.m. on Sundays. Henry Cavill dons the red “S” this time, as a young man who journeys to discover where he came from and what heroic tasks he was sent to Earth to perform. The film’s A-list supporting cast includes Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Dianne Lane and Kevin Costner.

“Man of Steel” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and also for some language.

Tickets for “Man of Steel” are $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for youths (13-17) & seniors (65+), and $9.50 for ages 12 & under. 

To combine an Aquarium visit with a 4 p.m. screening of “Man of Steel,” tickets are $31.45 for adults, $28.45 for youths & seniors, and $22.45 for children.

For more information about Maritime Aquarium events, exhibits and IMAX movies, go online to www.maritimeaquarium.orgwww.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700.

For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

ALL ABOARD FOR “THE POLAR EXPRESS AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK Nov. 25-Dec. 31

Renew (or begin) a family tradition by securing your tickets for a magical ride to the North Pole as “The Polar Express” steams back onto the giant IMAX screen for a limited engagement at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Based on the 1986 Caldecott Award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, “The Polar Express” follows a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, a locomotive arrives to take him and other doubtful children to Santa’s North Pole headquarters. Their shared experiences ­– onboard with a mysterious conductor, at the North Pole and then on the return leg – make a compelling adventure.

The star of this adventure is Tom Hanks who cleverly plays five roles, including the train’s officious conductor, a ghostly hobo and Santa Claus. Hailed by critics nationwide, this film, shot entirely in Performance Capture, a process by which an actor’s live performance is digitally recorded by computerized cameras and becomes a human blueprint for creating virtual characters has been tapped to become a perennial classic that will be shared by the generations. Polar Express manages to sidestep all the tiresome Christmas cliches that children have inflicted on them this time of year and presents a fresh look at this magical time of year.

Tickets for “The Polar Express” are specially priced at $11.50 for adults, $10.50 seniors 65 and older, and $9.50 for children ages 2-12. Maritime Aquarium members save $1 and can be reserved in advance online at www.maritimeaquarium.org or by calling (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

The show runs from November 25 – December 31st. Show times through Dec. 24 are 4 & 7:30 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. After Christmas, “The Polar Express” will play at 4 & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26-30 and at 4 p.m. Dec. 31.

T-Rex Extinctions Imminent Again With “Dinosaur Summer” Ending Sept. 5 At The Maritime Aquarium At Norwalk

Dinosaurs are about to go extinct again, with only a few days left to enjoy the “Dinosaur Summer” exhibit at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

It may have been a comet that did in the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, but it’s the looming end of a contractual lease that will doom the Aquarium’s life-sized moving roaring robotic beasts, which include a young and adult Tyrannosaurus rex.

“The exhibit will definitely become extinct at the end of the day Sept. 5 – Labor Day,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “We’ll miss them. They’ve been very popular with our visitors, especially with kids, who have been able to compare their world with what it was like to be a young dinosaur growing up.”

The robotic exhibit delves into how quickly young dinosaurs grew, how big they got, what they ate and how they were protected from danger. It explores these concepts by pairing young and adult dinosaurs of four species: Stegosaurus, with the line of bony plates across their backs; the long-necked Apatosaurus; the crested Parasaurolophus; and Tyrannosaurus rex (no introduction needed).

The dinosaurs move, roar – even blink their eyes – in realistic fashion. But they’re fully lighted – not dark and scary – in an educational dinosaur exhibit fit for even the youngest visitor. An extra “cut-away” T-rex offers a peek inside a robotic dinosaur, so kids can see how it works and even control it. And an outdoor “fossil dig” has been entertaining budding paleontologists.

The exhibit is presented by Purdue Pharma L.P.
“Dinosaur Summer” is free with paid Aquarium admission, which is $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors 65+, and $9.95 for children 2-12.

“Dinosaur Summer” opened June 18 as part of a summer-long dinosaur triple play that also includes the IMAX movie “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous” (showing at noon & 4 p.m. daily through Aug. 31, then at noon daily from Sept. 1-5) and the simulator ride-film “Dino Island II: Escape from Dinosaur Island” (running every 10 minutes daily). The IMAX movie and the ride-film both also close on Labor Day.

“T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous” is a fictional tale of a teen-ager magically transported back through time, where she meets famous dinosaur experts doing field research and eventually ends up 65 million years in the past. She – and audiences – encounter Pteranodons with 20-foot wingspans, duck-billed Hadrosaurs and and one miffed T-rex momma, rendered in incredible detail on the giant IMAX® screen.

Tickets for the Aquarium (including the dinosaur exhibit) and an IMAX movie are $19.45 for adults, $17.95 for seniors 65+ and $14.45 children for 2-12.
And in the rollicking simulator ride-film, “Dino Island II: Escape from Dinosaur Island,” riders join an international team of scientists trying to save prehistoric animals from an island about to be destroyed by a volcano. From within an all-terrain/submersible vehicle, the team must deal with flowing lava, an angry Stegosaurus, a primordial swamp and Tony the T-rex.

The ride-film runs every 10 minutes. Riders must be 36 inches tall to board.
Tickets for the Aquarium (including the dinosaur exhibit) and ride-film are $19.20 adults, $18.20 for seniors 65+ and $16.20 children 2-12. Maritime Aquarium members pay $4.50.

For the full “Dinosaur Summer” triple play (Aquarium with dinosaur exhibit, IMAX and ride-film), tickets are $24.45 for adults, $22.95 for seniors 65+ and $19.45 for children 2-12.
For more information about The Maritime Aquarium’s exhibits, IMAX movies and programs this summer, go online to www.MaritimeAquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700.

Touch A Shark April 16-24 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk - Fairfield County CT

Visitor response was so positive to "Touch A Shark" in February that the special exhibit will return for an encore April 16-24 to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

As similarly offered in February, "Touch A Shark" will feature live nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a comparatively docile species that tolerates having their backs gently touched by human fingers.

"We had a great response to 'Touch A Shark' during the winter school break," said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium's marketing director. "Visitors were surprised at the feel of the sharks' tough skin. And, importantly to us, they also learned that sharks aren't the violent bloodthirsty beasts that they're portrayed as in the media."
Aquarium volunteers will be on-hand to make sure the shark-human interactions are safe for both parties.
Interpretative graphics will provide details about nurse sharks and how they hunt and eat their prey, and also about how sharks sense their world.

Plus, be sure to bring your camera to "Touch A Shark" for a shark dive-cage photo opportunity! A real diving cage, used for safe approaches to large sharks, will be positioned next to the Aquarium's cast model of a 16-foot great white shark caught in the eastern end of Long Island Sound in the 1970s.   Step inside the cage and pose to look like you're having a real underwater encounter with the largest species of predatory shark – a species you don't want to touch.

"Touch A Shark" will be free with Maritime Aquarium general admission: $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children 2-12.

For more details, go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700 or visit www.MaritimeAquarium.org.