| The Whitaker Center Guided Tour: (One-Page Condensed Version) Science. Arts. Adventure. In downtown’s newest addition,
it’s possible to travel miles and worlds away without ever having to leave the City
… to witness world-renowned performances in your own backyard … and, finally, to
examine the movements of your muscles without ever visiting a doctor. It’s the
Whitaker Center For Science and the Arts — and, by all accounts, the Center has
dedicated itself to entertaining and informing Harrisburg well into the new Millenium.
But what exactly is the Whitaker Center? Still a little
confused? Want to know more? Here’s an in-depth, nitty-gritty profile of the
Harrisburg’s newest “crown jewel”.
Science and Art?
The Whitaker Center For Science and the Arts
is comprised of two obvious, yet related, components — science and art. To accomplish
both tasks, The Whitaker Center is home to The Science Center, The Sunoco Performance
Theater, and The Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater.
The Science Center will include over 200
interactive exhibits over an area of 20,000 square feet — including a walk-through
kaleidoscope, a Kids Hall, two operating classrooms, and live demonstrations in Big
Science Theater, the Science Center’s live performance studio.
The Sunoco Performance Theater is a 664-seat complex that
is designed so there is never more than 65-feet between the stage and any given
ticket-holder in The Theater. The Theater, which is currently home to 10 resident
performance companies, will host events ranging from local to national in scope. Designed
with the traditional English Court Theater style in mind, The Theater features a stage
comparable to the size of most on Broadway.
The Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater includes 200 seats that
promise unobstructed views of The Theater’s giant six-story production screen. The
Theater also boasts a six-channel sound system and can show both 2D and 3D films.
What Does It Cost?
One-visit admission to the Science Center
Exhibits and The Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater:
Adults: $9.75, Seniors (55+): $9.00,
Student (with student ID): $9.00, Children (3-12): $7.50, Children (under 3): Free.
Grass/Rite Aid Theater Only (all shows
after 5pm):
Adults: $7.00, Seniors (55+): $6.25,
Student (with student ID): $6.25, Children (3-12): $5.00, Children (under 3): Free.
Sunoco Performance Theater: prices vary,
call THE BOX at 717-214-ARTS for specific information.
Who Do I Call?
The general phone number for the Whitaker Center is
717-221-8201.
THE BOX office phone number for tickets,
showtimes, and information concerning the Sunoco Theater is 717-
214-ARTS.
The phone number for showtimes and information concerning
The Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater is 717-214-IMAX.
Open For Business
When do the events take place at the Whitaker
Center? Well, to be safe, you should always double check and call ahead to confirm …
but here’s the scoop on the dates and times.
• Open seven days a week, all year
except Thanksgiving day and Christmas day.
• Science Center and Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater
— Monday – Saturday, 9:30am – 5pm. Sunday, 11:30am – 5pm.
Viewings of the IMAX shows run once an hour from10am
– 2pm during the week, once every hour-and-a-half beginning at ten o’clock on
Saturday and noon on Sunday.
• Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater at Night — evening
shows starting at 5:30pm.
Viewings of the evening IMAX shows are every
hour-and-a-half beginning at 5:30pm running Monday through Saturday, and at six
o’clock and
seven-thirty on Sunday.
• Big Science Theater (in the Science Center): open
during regular hours of operation, with daily performances between 9:30am – 2:30pm.
• Sunoco Performance Theater: as with any theater,
times vary per production. Here is a tentative list of performances for the month of
September:
9/9 - The Amazing Kreskin (magician)
9/10 - Cry, Cry, Cry (folk music)
9/11 - Ngozi African Arts, “A Taste of Culture Showcase” (dance)
9/12 - The Wednesday Club (jazz pianists)
9/18, 9/19, 9/23-9/26, “The Mystery of Irma Vep” (Theatre Harrisburg)
9/22 – “Strangers”
Where It’s At
The Whitaker Center is located on the corner of
Third and Market streets, at 222 Market Street, in downtown Harrisburg.
Getting There
From York, Baltimore, and Washington,
D.C.
Take I-83 North to Harrisburg. Take the 2nd
Street exit and follow 2nd Street to Market Street (4th stoplight). Turn right onto Market
Street.
From Lancaster
Take PA 283 West to I-283 North to I-83 South. Take the
2nd Street exit and follow 2nd Street to Market (4th stoplight). Turn right onto Market
Street.
From Eastern or Western Pennsylvania
Take PA Turnpike to Harrisburg Exit 19. Take I-283 North
to I-83 South. Take the 2nd Street exit and follow 2nd Street to Market (4th stoplight).
Turn right onto Market Street.
Cool Factoids
Supporting Science and the Arts helps us grow! Now
you’re almost ready to welcome The Whitaker Center For Science and the Arts.
Here’s a few little-known facts you can dazzle your friends with as you walk in the
grand front entrance:
• There are over 350 places within the Sunoco Theater
to plug in a stage light
• The gently raked seating area of The Sunoco Theater
ensures that every patron has a clear view of the stage
• The exhibits of The Science Center are housed over
three levels — the Lower Level, the Street Level, and the Arcade Level
• The IMAX screen is six stories high and 80-feet
wide!
• “Bodies in Motion”, The Science
Center’s permanent exhibit, will explore the physics of human movement, especially
dance, gymnastics, and ice-skating and was funded, in part, by a major grant from the The
Natural Science Foundation — a prestigious acknowledgment that is rarely done prior
to an institution’s opening
• The Whitaker Center is 88 feet high at its tallest
point
• The entire Whitaker Center complex encompasses a
total of 130,000 square feet
• The Grass/Rite Aid IMAX Theater boasts 16,000 watts
of sound
• The Whitaker Center For Science and the Arts is
constructed with 1405 tons of steel
• IMAX productions feature the largest film frames in
motion picture history — 10 times larger than in conventional 35 mm cinema
• Groundbreaking for The Whitaker Center took place
in September, 1997
• When available, The Whitaker Center is capable of
hosting such events as meetings, banquets, weddings, bar mitzvahs, award ceremonies, and
recitals
• The Science Center is the third major science
museum in the state, the others being the Carnegie Science Museum in Pittsburgh, and the
Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
[files/NavBar/DefaultNavBar.htm]
|
