Museums & Attractions
Kudos
- Manhattan’s newest event venue, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, debuted in September. Hundreds of weird and unusual artifacts are displayed in more than 20 themed galleries spanning two floors. Groups can host catered events at Ripley’s Odditorium, showcasing the world’s tallest man, hissing cockroaches and the largest display of real shrunken heads in existence. Ripley’s Odditorium can host parties ranging from 50-1,300 people. For more information, call 212.398.3133 or visit www.ripleysnewyork.com.
- Baltimore is celebrating the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe with a yearlong citywide festival: Nevermore 2009. The festival will officially kick off in January with a variety of events to celebrate Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, followed by a year of lectures, wine tastings, art exhibitions, special tours and more, all in honor of Edgar Allan Poe. As part of the celebration, from October through December, The Baltimore Museum of Art will present Art of Darkness: Inspired by Poe. The exhibition includes works by some of the greatest artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tales. Poe lived and worked in Baltimore for a good part of his life. In addition to his home and his gravesite at Westminster Hall, traces of Poe’s life, and his death, can be found throughout the city. For more information, call 410.659.7300 or visit www.nevermore2009.com.
Kudos
- The first section of PV solar panels were recently installed at the Atlantic City Convention Center, making it the largest single-roof solar power array installation in the U.S. The rooftop solar power system is part of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Pepco Energy Services of Arlington, Va. This 2.36 megawatt rooftop solar power system will cover two-thirds of the main roof of the convention center, or about 290,000 square feet. The generation of renewable energy from the Atlantic City Convention Center Solar Project will avoid release of 2,349 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, per year. The project is expected to be completed in early 2009. The solar panel project is one of a series of green initiatives at the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). The ACCVA is a founding member of the Convene Green Alliance, a grass-roots, industry initiative spearheaded by several associations that seeks to affect positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education. The ACCVA is also planning a wind turbine at the convention center as part of its ongoing green initiatives. For more information, call 609.449.2000 or visit www.accenter.com.