Tag: John Joslyn

Iconic “Titanic violin” to be exclusively on display in America at Titanic Museum Attractions before going up for auction in England

Posted by Ryan Willis – May 20, 2013

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – For the first and only time in the United States, the iconic violin, depicted in Titanic-themed movies and actually used by Wallace Hartley on board Titanic, will be on display at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN, and Branson, MO,  announces Titanic Museum Attractions’ owner, John Joslyn.

According to Joslyn, this storied artifact will be unveiled to the American public on Wednesday, May 22 during a media conference at 10 a.m. at Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge.  It will remain there until Saturday, July 27 before it travels to the Titanic Museum Attraction’s sister-location in Branson.  It will be on display in Branson, Thursday, Aug. 1 through Thursday, Aug. 15 prior to it traveling back to England where it will be auctioned off by Henry Aldridge and Son on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Widely regarded as the world’s leading experts in the sale of RMS Titanic memorabilia, Henry Aldridge and Son have unparalleled experience in auctioning the rarest memorabilia ever to be offered and describe the Hartley Violin as “the Holy Grail.”

“My visit to Pigeon Forge with the Hartley Violin is the culmination of nearly seven years of research,” said Alan Aldridge, Principal of Henry Aldridge and Son.  “I hope my visit to the Titanic Museum Attractions will enable their guests to understand the importance of the Wallace Hartley story.”

Throughout the years, the historic violin has had its share of controversy and some have disputed its authenticity.  However, with the assistance of some leading experts in their respective fields, an extensive provenance package now exists and according to officials with the Titanic Museum Attractions and leading Titanic experts, the violin belonged to Wallace Hartley.

Craig Sopin, leading Titanic expert and owner of the one of the world’s largest private collections of Titanic artifacts, believes in the violin’s authenticity.

“To say I was skeptical at first would be an understatement,” said Sopin.  “But, after I conducted an exhaustively detailed investigation into the history and forensics of the instrument, I became convinced beyond doubt that this violin belonged to Wallace Hartley and that it was with him on RMS Titanic.”

Joslyn explains that in addition to Sopin and Aldridge, other Titanic experts, including a forensic scientist, noted violin-dealer, collectors and historians also believe in the violin’s authenticity and their research is available for discussion.

For example, as per analysis and testing performed by Michael Jones, a 29-year veteran of forensic science and former employee of the United Kingdom’s Home Office Forensic Science Service, the violin is compatible with immersion in seawater.  The FSS was a government-owned company in the U.K. which provided forensic science services to the police forces and government agencies of England and Wales, as well as other countries.

“In my opinion, the findings in relation to the corrosion associated with the metal fixtures of the travel case in which the violin was recovered, and also the silver fish plate attached to the violin would be considered compatible with immersion in seawater,” said Jones.  “The results compared were compatible with material that had been recovered from other Titanic victims including Titanic postal worker, Oscar Woody and third-class passenger, Carl Asplund.”

Another such expert convinced of the violin’s authenticity is Stanley Lehrer, the world’s foremost and largest Titanic collector.  “By analyzing all the facts about the case and the violin, I am convinced that the violin is indeed the one Wallace Hartley played aboard Titanic and valued it enough to safeguard its survival,” explains Lehrer.

Due to this historical exhibit, for the first time the museum will host a special VIP preview at 8:30 a.m. everyday starting Thursday, May 23, limited to 25 people.  Regular admission tickets will begin daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are required for all tickets and may be purchased online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at (800) 381-7670.

Joslyn says the Titanic Museum Attractions plan to donate a portion of all ticket sales to Strings Crossings, an intensive summer camp for violin, viola, cello and bass students in grades eight through 12 conducted at Belmont University’s comprehensive School of Music.

Additional information about the Wallace Hartley Violin exhibit at the Titanic Museum Attractions can be found online at www.titanicattraction.com.

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Titanic Museum Attractions: Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attractions in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its opening in 2006, Titanic Branson has welcomed more than five million “passengers” aboard the museum. Titanic Pigeon Forge opened in 2010 and has already welcomed two million visitors. For additional information about the museums, visit www.titanicattraction.com or call (800) 381-7670.

Media: For high resolution digital images, museum and exhibit tours, interviews and additional information, contact Erin Freeman at (865) 584-0550 or efreeman@ackermannpr.com.

Titanic Museum Attraction sponsors production of Tony Award-winning Titanic musical

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 28, 2012

Nashville, Tenn. – One hundred years later, the great ship Titanic still has the ability to deliver a surprise or two. The cast and crew of Nashville’s Circle Players learned this first-hand while preparing for a return engagement of Titanic the Musical, April 5-8, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Polk Theatre. The ship allowed a new surprise to rise to the surface when one of the play’s cast members learned of her own family’s unexpected connection to the shipwreck.

The return of the Tony Award-winning musical to Nashville is made possible through the sponsorship of Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge as part of the museum’s 100th anniversary tribute to passengers and crew aboard RMS Titanic.

Titanic the Musical“It is easy to believe the Titanic is a story about a ship,” says John Joslyn, co-owner of Titanic Museum Attractions and co-leader of the first private expedition to the ship’s final resting place. “In reality, it is the stories of her passengers and crew that captivate us. We use first-person stories and artifacts to tell those stories everyday at the museum. The musical brings those stories to life right before our eyes.”

“On the 100th anniversary of the ship’s maiden voyage, the play is a fitting way to pay tribute to the lives changed forever by Titanic,” said Joslyn.

Circle Player cast member Jennifer Kleine discovered her family was one of those changed forever by the disaster. While researching her role for the musical, Jennifer Kleine learned a distant relative was among the survivors rescued after the ship struck an iceberg in April, 1912. The infant relative, Trevor Allison, was the sole survivor of his family thanks to the efforts of his nanny to get him to a lifeboat. The boy’s parents and sister perished in the disaster and baby Trevor was left in the care of relatives in Canada. These relatives were the great-great aunt and uncle of the actress.

“My father remembers his grandmother telling him stories about the ‘Titanic baby’ raised by the family,” said Kleine. “And now, a century later I have the chance in my own way to tell my family’s story along with the stories of all the families touched by Titanic.”

“The actual events of Titanic may have taken place 100 years ago, but the drama and emotions are just as relevant to our 21st century lives,” said Tim Larson, the play’s director. “In every age, we look to technology to prove our progress as a civilization. When that technology fails, we are left with the question of whether we will allow the failure to define our generation or if we will build anew. Titanic the Musical is a chance to look at the different ways we all react to that dilemma.”

A cast of more than 60 local actors and surprise celebrity walk-ons will take the stage at the James K. Polk Theatre to perform the Tony Award-winning musical. The musical will be performed nightly from April 5-8 with a matinee performance also scheduled for Saturday, April 7. As part of the centennial tribute to Titanic, the Circle Players will also host a gala dinner at the 100-year-old Hermitage Hotel on opening night, April 5. The dinner will include a presentation by John Joslyn about his expedition to Titanic.

Tickets for Titanic the Musical are currently available from the TPAC Box Office in downtown Nashville (505 Deaderick), by phone at 615-782-4040 or online at www.tpac.org. Tickets for the April 5 opening night gala dinner are sold separately on the Circle Players’ venue page at www.ticketsnashville.com.

Additional sponsorship of the 100th anniversary performance of Titanic the Musical is provided by First Tennessee Bank, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Nashville Parent Magazine.

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About Circle Players: Founded in 1949, Circle Players is Nashville’s oldest community theater company and completely staffed and operated by volunteers. The non-profit organization is community-based, and focuses on arts participation and arts access for all. Circle Players was the first theater company in Tennessee to stage Titanic the Musical, one of the most popular productions in the company’s history. For additional information about Circle Players visit www.circleplayers.net or call (615) 332-7529.

About Titanic Museum Attractions: Titanic Museum Attractions operates the world’s largest permanent monuments to the history of the ship, its passengers and crew. With locations in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the museums house the largest permanent collection of Titanic artifacts. The museum is open daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are strongly suggested since many days sell out entirely. Passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at (800) 381-7670.

Media: For interview opportunities or images, please contact Rick Laney at Ackermann PR, (865) 584-0550 or Amanda Saad at the Andrews Agency, (615) 242-4400.

Titanic Museum Attractions hosting U.S. tributes to Titanic crew and passengers

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 15, 2012

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. and BRANSON, Mo. – Titanic Museum Attractions is hosting “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic,” on Saturday, April 14, the 100th anniversary of the night the ship struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Musical performances, historic ceremonies and appearances by actual descendants of Titanic’s passengers and crew will highlight the production honoring the 2,208 people aboard the ship. The musical tribute will begin at noon (Central) on April 14 at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and at 8:30 p.m. (Eastern) the same day at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Tickets for the unique historical tribute are available beginning Monday, February 20, by calling 800-381-7670.

“There will be ceremonies across the globe to commemorate the Titanic centennial on April 14, but the only place in the United States where guests can attend a formal tribute is at one of the Titanic Museum Attractions,” said John Joslyn, co-owner of Titanic Museum Attractions and co-leader of the first private expedition to visit the ship’s final resting place on the ocean floor.

The Titanic Museum Attractions – the home base for the U.S. RMS Titanic 100 Year Anniversary Commemoration

“A Night to Remember” will use choirs, orchestras and musical theater performances to bring the stories and drama of that fateful night to life for those attending the one-time only tribute.

“From folk ballads to modern pop, people have always used music as a way to commemorate historic events,” said Joslyn. “Titanic was memorialized in song before and after her sinking, so a tribute centered on music seemed an appropriate way to pay our respects.”

Adding to the historic occasion, descendants of people aboard the Titanic’s maiden voyage will also be present at the American tributes. The ceremony will conclude with a symbolic reenactment of the launching of Titanic’s distress flares and the lighting of a memorial flame at the bow of the ship to honor the 2,208 people aboard Titanic.

“The anniversary will be commemorated around the world in television, film, and print,” said Josyln. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to be more than passive witnesses to the anniversary. ‘A Night to Remember’ gives the audience a chance to actually be a part of the historic event and part of the community dedicated to preserving Titanic’s legacy.”

Tickets to “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic” are available through the Titanic Museum Attractions in Missouri and Tennessee. Visitors may purchase tickets by phone at (800) 381-7670 beginning February 20, 2012. In addition to museum admission and the musical production, ticket holders will receive limited edition memorials dedicated to the ship’s history, including a DVD containing video tributes of the personal stories of selected passengers and crew.

The Titanic Museum Attractions are located in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Together, the two museums represent the largest permanent monuments in the world dedicated to the memory of Titanic. The museums, immediately recognizable for their ship-shape design, are home to hundreds of artifacts from the ship and its survivors. “Passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of the ship’s history and fate.

Since its opening in 2006, Titanic Branson has welcomed more than 5 million “passengers” aboard the museum. Titanic Pigeon Forge opened in 2010 and has already welcomed 2 million visitors. For additional information about the museums, visit www.titanicattraction.com

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Editors:  For more information, for additional high-res photos, or to schedule interviews or visits to the museums, please contact Rick Laney at (865) 584-0550 or (865) 441-2388.

Web Video Series Shares Human Story of Historic Titanic Voyage

Posted by Ryan Willis – January 12, 2012

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – The crew and passengers of Titanic likely could not have imagined the technology that would one day be used to help people remember their stories a century after the ship’s fateful voyage. Stories that were forged in the day of early wireless radio signal are now being shared online in a series of web videos produced and hosted by Titanic Museum Attractions.

The museum attraction has produced 100 videos spotlighting individual crew members and passengers aboard the ship in April, 1912. The Titanic Museum Attraction is sharing a new video online each day for 100 days. The videos are narrated by the museum’s First Class Maid, Jaynee, and provide background on how the spotlighted person and Titanic became intertwined in history. 

“While the Titanic Museum Attractions are notable for their collection of important artifacts associated with the ship and its passengers, the real treasure of the Titanic is found in the stories of the people associated with the event,” said John Joslyn, owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction and leader of the first private-expedition dive to explore the ship’s resting place. “This video series offers a glimpse of the stories that are told every day in one of our museums.”

Featured videos will include vignettes associated with famous passengers such as John Jacob Astor, as well as lesser known participants such as Annie Caton, a member of the ship’s crew. 

For the first 100 days of 2012, a new video will be featured each day on www.titanicbranson.com and www.titanicpigeonforge.com. All 100 videos will be available as a collection for viewing in April as part of the RMS Titanic 100th anniversary commemoration. 

The Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, open the door to the past in a one-of-a-kind way by allowing “passengers” to experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers. Visitors gain first-hand experience through interactive exhibits and through vivid, dramatic detail shared by “crew members.” Passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at (800) 381-7670. 

Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Titanic Branson has welcomed more than four million guests and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month. 

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Media Contact:
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

 

 

Titanic Museum Attraction hosts President of Titanic Historical Society for memorial rose petal ceremony

Posted by Erin Freeman – September 20, 2011

Jaynee the Titanic First Class Maid (left) and Edward Kamuda, founder and president of the Titanic Historical Society

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Edward Kamuda, founder and president of the Titanic Historical Society, came to the Titanic Museum Attraction today to participate in the museum’s memorial rose petal ceremony, part of the museum’s special way of honoring the passengers aboard the world’s most famous and luxurious ocean liner as the 100 Year Anniversary of RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage approaches.

Noted explorer, adventurer, and co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction, John Joslyn, and Jaynee the Titanic First Class Maid also participated in today’s ceremonies.

It has been 99 years since a lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!”  For the twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the RMS Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum Attractions will pay respect to and honor those 2,208 passengers and crew members with an ongoing series of special events, activities and ceremonies.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, Titanic Museum Attractions will continue to open the door to the past in it’s one-of-a-kind way – letting “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers.  As visitors touch a real iceberg, walk the Grand Staircase and third class hallways, reach their hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks, they learn what it was like on the RMS Titanic by experiencing it first-hand.

Each and every day, Titanic Museum Attractions provides a gateway to 1912, where First Class Maids and a variety of Officers and crew members bring the stories of the fabled ship and its fascinating passengers to life by retelling their stories in vivid, dramatic detail.  The priceless artifacts throughout the museum shed additional light on the lives of those passengers and crew members when guests see the actual belongings of those on board and artifacts that sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage.

With special Titanic events taking place around the world during 2011 and 2012, Titanic Museum Attractions will be the epicenter of remembrance for RMS Titanic’s passengers and crew.  And, as the museum has demonstrated since its opening, the experience for guests will leave them amazed.  Read about all of the ways Titanic Museum Attractions will honor and respect the brave souls of the Titanic here.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum’s John Joslyn will address the Tennessee Hospitality Association Annual Conference

Posted by Erin Freeman – September 6, 2011

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Titanic Museum Attraction co-owner John Joslyn, the man who gave the world its very first look at the RMS Titanic resting on the ocean floor in the late 1980s, will be the keynote speaker at the Tennessee Hospitality Association and Greater Nashville Hospitality Association Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 9 a.m. CT.

John Joslyn

For more than three decades, John Joslyn has been a powerful force behind innovative exhibitions, attractions, television programming and marketing.  Known worldwide as an adventurer, explorer and pioneering producer, his televised exploits have earned him considerable commercial success, as well as universal respect for high-quality, well-researched network and syndicated television specials. He currently co-owns the high-end Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, which he developed and opened in 2006. Joslyn’s second Titanic Museum Attraction opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2010 and is “boarding” approximately 100,000 “passengers” each and every month.   Following is a detailed profile of Joslyn’s career and accomplishments.

Joslyn was a network television executive with NBC and CBS for six years before forming Westgate Entertainment Corporation (Westgate) in 1980. Its first projects included the series, Return of the Lone Ranger, and a program covering entertainment news, a popular forerunner of Entertainment Tonight. Syndicated by News Information Weekly Service (NIWS), it attracted an unprecedented 175 subscriber television stations in its first year.

Westgate’s success prompted Universal Pictures to recruit Joslyn in 1981. When the studio pressed him to develop a new marketing strategy for the industry, he pioneered the electronic press kit or EPK, a groundbreaking tool that continues to create marketing buzz for major studio film releases. In the process, Joslyn worked closely with studio executives, top filmmakers and stars, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Burt Reynolds.

Joslyn then segued into television production in 1986, serving as executive producer for more than a dozen high-profile syndicated and network television specials for NBC, CBS, ABC, the Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. Two such programs hold records as the highest-rated syndicated specials of all-time: “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults” (1986) and “Return to the Titanic…LIVE” (1987), viewed respectively by 28 million and 22 million households in the U.S. alone. The latter film documents the 1987 Titanic Expedition that Joslyn mounted from his position as co-founder and general manager of Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership, the predecessor of RMS Titanic, Inc.

The 1987 Titanic Expedition was the first to recover and restore artifacts from the ship’s wreck site. As co-expedition leader, Joslyn assembled the best scientists and salvage experts available. The team collaborated with the distinguished French Institute for Research and Exploration of the Sea (Ifremer) to reach Titanic’s final resting place in the North Atlantic. Nautile, Ifremer’s deep-diving submersible, plunged to depths up to 12,500 feet and completed 32 deep-sea dives—the highest number of dives for any televised project.

For more information about the Tennessee Hospitality Association Annual Conference, visit www.tnhospitality.net.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Remembering the RMS Titanic 99 years later

Posted by Erin Freeman – April 15, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. — John Joslyn, co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge,  has been to the RMS Titanic on the ocean floor and organized the $6 million expedition to the ship that brought the world its first televised video of the famous luxury liner in her final resting place two and a half miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Today marks a significant milestone for the RMS Titanic and the Titanic Museum Attraction.  It has been exactly 99 years since the lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!”  For the next twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum will have many special events and ways to honor, respect and pay homage to those 2,208 passengers and crew members onboard RMS Titanic.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, we will continue to open the door to the past and let our “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic – surrounded by more than 400 artifacts from the ship and its passengers.

Below is an amazing photo from one of John Joslyn’s dives to the bottom of the Atlantic where the world’s most famous luxury liner still rests today.

The RMS Titanic as seen by Titanic Museum Attraction co-owner John Joslyn.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attraction celebrates one year of operation in Pigeon Forge and launches new audio tours

Posted by Erin Freeman – April 7, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – This month marks the one-year anniversary of Titanic Museum Attraction’s Grand Opening in Pigeon Forge.  The museum, which has already been named one of the Smoky Mountain Region’s top “must-see” attractions, has hosted over 800,000 visitors in its first year of operation.

The Memorial Gallery at Titanic Museum Attraction

The excitement about Titanic Museum Attraction that started when popular television host Regis Philbin emceed the Grand Opening Celebration in 2010 – calling it “simply the best museum I’ve ever seen” – has continued to grow with each new special event and the constantly-changing elements within the museum.

John Joslyn, co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction, said, “As we enter our second year of operation, we wanted to give our visitors something special.  If I had the ability to let you walk through the Titanic Museum Attraction with one of the survivors, would that interest you?  Of course it would – and I can do that right now with the brand new audio tour we just introduced at Titanic Museum Attraction.”

The headset for Titanic Museum Attraction's new audio tours.

As part of a television documentary Joslyn produced, he traveled the world interviewing survivors of the Titanic, and those dramatic first-hand accounts of what happened are now being revealed for the first time ever at the Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge.  Guests will be able to hear amazingly detailed stories about what took place on the ship that fateful night and learn the stories behind the museum’s most fascinating artifacts.Titanic

Titanic Museum Attraction invested well over $1 million in the new audio tour, which is available as an “adult tour” version and a “young person tour” version.  Narrated by Jaynee, the Titanic Museum’s First Class maid, the audio tour includes music and special effects that sound amazing on the $600 audio players from France which are used in some of the world’s premier museums.

Joslyn has been to the RMS Titanic on the ocean floor and organized the $6 million expedition to the ship that brought the world its first televised video of the famous luxury liner in her final resting place two and a half miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

This month also marks another significant milestone for the RMS Titanic and the Titanic Museum Attraction.  On April 15, 2011 it will have been exactly 99 years since the lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!”  For the twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum will have many special events and ways to honor, respect and pay homage to those 2,208 passengers and crew members onboard RMS Titanic.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, we will continue to open the door to the past and let our “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic – surrounded by more than 400 artifacts from the ship and its passengers.

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.  Two (2) audio players can be rented for $10 at the museum.

Cedar Bay Entertainment owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo. and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.  A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Mo., the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction.  Since it’s April 2006 grand opening, Titanic Branson has welcomed more than 3 million guests.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

IAAPA Funworld Magazine says ‘Pigeon Forge getting a water-powered funhouse on steroids’

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 2, 2011

From the February 2011 issue of IAAPA Funworld Magazine — As everyone knows, bad things happened to the Titanic when it ventured out onto the water. The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, however, is hoping very good things will happen to its guests in 2013 when they visit the museum’s newest offering, Water Magic.

Water Magic will make a big splash in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Set on a 12-acre site directly across the street from the museum, the $40 million attraction will be designed to allow guests to discover new and creative ways to have fun with water without really getting soaked. Water Magic is not a waterpark—in fact, most guests will probably wear their street clothes into the venue.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of water frolicking going on. In fact, Water Magic’s creators describe it as a “water-powered funhouse on steroids” and say its motto will be, “Get me wet.”

According to John Joslyn, who coowns the Titanic Museum with his wife, Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, he and his creative team—including Bob Fleming, president of Idletime, which designed Titanic Museums in both Pigeon Forge and Branson, Missouri— were meeting back in 2009 and looking at what they could possibly do to creatively expand the museum.

“Finally I asked, ‘What captivates children and adults more than anything else?’ and Bob replied, ‘It’s water,’ and I said, ‘Yes!’ So we thought, ‘Could we have a room where people could walk on water, or could we have a bubble room, or do a water theater?’ It’s just one of those simplistic things in life that hits you like a lightning bolt, and it just sort of took us all aback in the room.”

Water Magic will be a year-round attraction set in a 40,000-square-foot building. One of the first sites visitors will see is a 100-foot kinetic energy sculpture topped by a 1,000-gallon bucket that will spill water down onto Water Magic’s grand entry plaza. Guests will then proceed to Emporium Square, a two-story atrium filled with water-driven gadgets, like water fountains of all shapes and sizes synchronized to music.

Emporium Square will lead to several gateways, and visitors can choose which one will start their adventure. Each leads to a different gallery; some that will allow guests to feel as if they’re walking on water, while others, like the “Mirror Maze,” will present a puzzle that carries with it the chance of getting wet; still others, like “The Water Tunnel,” will wrap visitors in a cocoon of water.

The Water Theater will present “Imagination Rhapsody,” a musical melee of water jets and water spouts where guests can create their own water symphonies, with the possibility of a missed note sending a wave of water their way. In the “Deep-Sea Expedition” venue, guests will experience an exploratory dive to the ocean floor.

The owners say Water Magic will also be “wrapped in green,” a reference to its environmental stewardship. “We do have a responsibility to the environment,” says Joslyn, “and if we’re moving that much water, we should be able to figure out how to recycle it, how to use it for heating and cooling, and for power generation, which we will do. Plus, the people in the fountain business have really explored ways to recycle water, and if we have rainwater coming down in a deluge in the parking lot, we should be able to capture it and use it. We’re going to use water in smart ways.”
www.titanicpigeonforge.com

This story is property of IAAPA Funworld Magazine.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attraction prepares for world-class ice carving competition on Saturday, January 22

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 4, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – World-class professional ice sculptors from around the globe will compete at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge this month as part of the museum’s amazing kick-off to 2011.  This unique, family-oriented special event at the World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction is entirely FREE of charge.

Titanic's First Class Maid Jaynee shows off an amazing ice scuplture

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge will host the outdoor event with a major ice carving competition on Saturday, Jan. 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Due to anticipated interest, visitors are advised to arrive early for the best views to watch all the ice carving action.

“This exciting one-day event will be produced by Titanic Pigeon Forge under the auspices of the National Ice Carving Association,” said John Joslyn, owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.

“Visitors will be invited to come to Titanic’s outdoor staging center and watch professional and amateur sculptors turn 250-pound blocks of ice into frozen works of art. Kids and parents can view sculptures in progress, talk to the artists and learn the secrets of championship ice carving from the most accomplished ice artists in the entire world.”

Professionals and amateurs will compete for prize monies ranging from $500 to $2,000. The official NICA Judging Panel will announce the competition winners and award prizes at 3 p.m.

“After watching these artists at work, people will want to stick around to see if their favorite sculptor is the big-prize winner,” Joslyn said.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain Region’s top attractions, and draws approximately 100,000 visitors each and every month.

“As we begin 2011, Titanic Pigeon Forge is locking-in exciting, seasonal events to add fresh, new excitement to the already super-charged museum attraction,” Joslyn said. “Each of our special events is carefully selected for their entertainment and educational values as well as their ability to tie into and enhance Titanic’s rich legacy.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.