THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606160010
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 99 lines
As such events go, the grand opening of the expanded Virginia Marine Science Museum on Saturday was close to perfect.
The weather cooperated, the new Family Channel IMAX 3-D Theater was filled to capacity and the visitors seemed enthusiastic.
If anyone was bothered by the lack of fish in the 300,000-gallon Norfolk Canyon aquarium or the absence of harbor seals, which are waiting in Mystic, Conn., for their habitat here to be completed, they weren't saying.
``We're open on time and within budget,'' museum Director C. Mac Rawls told about 300 invited guests who had assembled for the brief opening ceremonies. ``And as other museum people can tell you, that is something very rare in this business.''
The two-year, $36.7 million expansion tripled the size of the popular attraction on General Booth Boulevard to 120,000 square feet; the site grew to 45 acres from 9. Despite the few unfinished exhibits, there was enough activity to keep all of the day's visitors occupied.
It is expected that the Norfolk Canyon aquarium will be stocked with native sea life, including sharks, later this month. In the meantime, it is populated by divers preparing the tank for occupancy.
That was a little perplexing for 4-year-old Kyle Manor of Norfolk. When one of the wet-suited and goggled creatures waved at him from behind the glass, the tow-headed youngster took off in the opposite direction.
With a little coaxing from his mother, Lisa, and his father, Mike, Kyle returned to exchange high fives with the strange being on the other side of the glass. Satisfied that he was safe, he hung around to watch as his new friend continued with her work.
Going one-on-one with whatever lives behind the glass walls seemed to be the favorite activity of most of the young children in the opening-day crowd.
For 18-month-old Zachary Zapatero, sea turtles were the wildlife of choice.
``The changes here are just incredible,'' said his father, Dag, a Virginia Beach dentist, as he hoisted Zachary far above his head for a closer look at a giant reptile performing an intricate water ballet.
Like many in Saturday's crowd, the Zapateros have a family membership in the museum.
The event drew its share of out-of-towners as well.
Loretta Bayne, with grandchildren Flory and Emily Overfelt in tow, was here from Lynchburg for a convention when she decided to take advantage of the museum's opening.
While Bayne was well aware of the facility's mission, 3-year-old Emily was a bit confused.
``She thinks this is the inside of a dinosaur,'' Bayne said as she emerged from one of the dark, narrow passageways near the sea turtle hall with the youngster in her arms.
``And she loves dinosaurs.''
A third of a mile south, in the Owls Creek Marsh Pavilion, it was the river otters who stole the show. The quintet of sleek, web-footed, bubble-blowing mammals slipped and slid from shore to pool, executed a series of underwater barrel rolls, lolled on the surface, then climbed back out for a breather before repeating the act.
When one of the otters approached the glass for a closer look at his audience, 10-month-old Taylor Lyon of Virginia Beach pressed her nose to the tank and made gentle patting motions.
``I think she's found someone of like mind and spirit,'' Taylor's mother, Brenda, said.
``This is the greatest thing, she's just been mesmerized.''
Most of Saturday's visitors were also mesmerized by the IMAX 3-D movie ``Into the Deep,'' which was filmed off the California coast.
Among those who caught the first showing was 10-year-old Ryan Conrad of Waynesboro, Pa., nephew of museum board member and 1996 King Neptune, Thomas Frantz.
``That was really neat,'' Ryan said. In typical fifth-grader fashion, he got quickly to the guts and gore of the matter. ``It was like the sharks were going right through your stomach,'' he said with a big grin.
His grandmother, Jenny Frantz, was more delicate in her assessment.
``It felt like the fish are swimming right over my head,'' she said.
By noon, two hours after the doors of the expanded museum officially opened to the public, director Rawls was a happy man.
``I'm very ecstatic,'' he said. ``We've probably had at least 2,000 visitors through here already, and all of them seem to be happy.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
With help from his father, Dag, 18-month-old Zachary Zapatero waves
to a resident of the new sea turtle aquarium Saturday. After two
years of work, the Virginia Beach museum showed off the results of
its $36.7 million expansion project.
Photo
The 300,000-gallon Norfolk Canyon aquarium may have been devoid of
sea creatures Saturday, but it wasn't lifeless. Above, Kyle Manor of
Norfolk waves to museum worker Beth Firchau as she works on the
tank.
The museum's two-year, $36.7 million expansion tripled the size of
the popular attraction on General Booth Boulevard to 120,000 square
feet; the site grew to 45 acres from 9.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA MARINE SCIENCE MUSEUM EXPANSION GRAND
OPENING by CNB