LeisureGroupTravel.com December 2010 19

NEW YORK CITY Student groups can fly over the

Statue of Liberty, ride the Cyclone rollercoaster and experience other New YorkCity landmarks at NY SKYRIDE, thevirtual tour simulator attraction on thesecond floor of the Empire State Build-ing. Its latest add-on package, for groupsof up to 80, is a meal plan ($6 a person)at Rosa’s Pizza, inside the city’s tallestskyscraper.

NY SKYRIDE, an entertaining intro-duction to America’s largest city, offersfree, downloadable school curriculums(certified by the State of New York forgrades 6-12) and walking tours. In thevirtual tour, the city comes to life viaspecially designed seats and a platformthat move in sync to a two-story-tallHD screen. The narrator is actor KevinBacon. Groups can combine SKYRIDEwith Fast Track admission to the EmpireState Building Observatory, reducingwait time by 75 percent. The comboplan for student groups is $26 a person.Many groups, though, just do theSKYRIDE ($12), according to ReneeWilson, assistant director of business development. (212-299-4904,skyride.com)

CAST IN WAXStudent groups at Madame Tussauds

Washington D.C. can add an educa-tional seminar or scavenger hunt to theirvisit. Current seminars are available intwo subjects: art history and marketingand public relations pertaining to thetourism industry. Scavenger hunts areoffered in short (20-25 questions) andlong (40-50 questions) formats.

Madame Tussauds has a mini-educa-tional curriculum guide and poster fea-turing the 44 U.S. Presidents. The guide,developed in accordance with the U.S.Department of National Social StudiesStandards and National Council for theSocial Civil Rights Movement Studies

Standards, is designed to empower edu-cators with the tools they need to deliverlessons in areas such as history, politicalscience, social studies and media beforeand after visiting the wax museum. ThePresidents Gallery, one of the museum’sspecial features, will have life-sized waxfigures of all 44 U.S. presidents fromGeorge Washington to Barack Obama.

The gallery is expected to be completeby February.

Madame Tussauds offers an array ofbuffet dinner options in conjunctionwith an evening group visit. Popularchoices include pasta bars, pizza partiesand hot sub sandwich bars. Catering isprovided by La Prima Catering. (888-923-0334, madametussauds.com)

Attractions across America offer student groups educational components as well as fun Newsstudent travel

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Call 866 868-7774 (866 Tours SI)TTY: 202 633-8850

or visit www.si.edu/group_tours

on Demand!

UNDER THE SEAThe National Aquarium, a student

travel hotspot in Baltimore, offersschool groups a variety of tours andprograms, including scientific investiga-tions and animal presentations. Topicsrange from sharks and Australian ani-mals to coral reef ecosystems. There’seven a squid dissection lab. The Chesa-peake Bay Explorations program letsstudents test water samples and measureoysters to draw conclusions about thehealth of the bay. For advanced highschool biology students, a behind-the-scenes tour emphasizes water chemistry,animal care, exhibit maintenance andaquarium careers. All programs support the Maryland

Volunteer State Curriculum in Science.Teacher booklets are available to provideclassroom activities that prepare studentsfor the program and discussion after thevisit. Groups may pre-order box lunches,dine in one of the Aquarium’s cafes oreat in the waterfront park. Besides exhibits, Aquarium highlights

include a dolphin show and the 4-DImmersion Theater, which combines 3-D film with sensory effects such asmist, wind, snow, bubbles, steam, legticklers and seat vibrations. (410-576-3833, aqua.org/teachers)

TOP OF CHICAGOSkydeck Chicago, the 103rd-floor

observation deck atop the 110-storyWillis Tower, offers new educationaltools for student groups, including a 37-page guide, The Hows, Whats and Wows of Willis Tower—A Guide forTeachers. On a clear day, four states—Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin andMichigan—are visible from the nation’stallest building (formerly Sears Tower).A scavenger hunt encourages students tocheck off sights like the Lincoln ParkZoo, Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pierand O’Hare Airport. Students especially

like The Ledge, a glass balcony experi-ence that extends 4.3 feet from outsidethe building, giving them a clear view1,353 feet straight down. Free bus park-ing is available for groups with reserva-tions. (312-875-9447, theskydeck.com)

TROPICAL FUNWhite Water, the water fun park in

Branson, Mo., unveils Aloha River atHula Hula Bay in May 2011. The park’snewest area will provide a setting of lushPolynesian jungles reminiscent of theSouth Pacific. Floating riders maneuver-ing through the calm waters will meetwith unexpected twists and turns, waterfeatures, fountains, misters and geysers.The 800-plus-foot river will be thepark’s longest ride. New seating areas

Daring students brave The Ledge

at Willis Tower's Skydeck Chicago.

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and cabanas are being added. Favorite rides at White Waterinclude the seven-story Kalani Towers for speed racing,Tropical Twister and Bermuda Triangle. (800-417-7770, silverdollarcity.com)

PARK AFTER DARKStudents can wake up to giraffes, zebras and hippos on

sleepover programs offered by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.Included are special animal encounters, hands-on educationalactivities, a pizza dinner, continental breakfast and overnightaccommodations. Also available are two- or three-night campadventures with behind-the-scenes encounters. There’s alsotime to enjoy the theme park’s rides, shows and attractions.Busch Gardens Camps support the National Science Edu-cation Standards and Florida Sunshine State Standards. (877-248-2267, buschgardens.org)

NEW IN MYRTLE BEACHA WonderWorks attraction will open in March 2011

at Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex in MyrtleBeach, S.C. The first attraction of its kind in the Carolinas,it will feature more than 100 interactive exhibits. Wonder-Works will be located adjacent to Soar & Explore’s zip lineand ropes course, an attraction openedby WonderWorks management earlierthis year. It will appear as a four-story,classically-designed building that appearsto have landed upside down. Exhibits include the hurricane shack,

where guests will feel the effects ofwinds reaching 74 miles per hour; a bedof nails, where visitors will feel the sen-sation of 3,500 sharp nails; the Wonder-Wall, where people can create a 3-Dimpression of their bodies by pressingonto a wall made of 40,000 plastic pins;the XD Theater 4-D Extreme MotionRide, which uses special effects and full-motion seats to take guests along anamazing adventure that transcends time,space and imagination; and Shuttle Landers, where visitors can experiencethe challenge of landing the DiscoverySpace Shuttle.Other WonderWorks attractions are

in Orlando and Panama City Beach,Fla. and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (wonder-worksonline.com) LGT

BE TAKEN.

501 East Pratt Street • Baltimore, MD 21202aqua.org

GROUPS

CALL 410-576-3833

TO MAKE YOUR

RESERVATION