Tag: Titanic

Council of PR Firms Features Ackermann PR

Posted by Amelia Daniels – May 31, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – The Council of PR Firms is highlighting some of industry’s best work in the field of public relations, and Ackermann PR’s launch of The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is featured.

The Council of PR Firms is comprised of more than 100 of America’s leading public relations firms.  They represent the premier global, mid-size, regional and specialty agencies across every discipline and practice area.  Ackermann PR has been a member of the council since 2001.

Ackermann PR’s case study, now featured on the Council’s website, profiles the firm’s work on behalf of The Titanic Museum Attraction.  Ackermann PR managed all aspects of public relations for the grand opening and launch.  “We were tasked with creating a message consistent with the museum’s philosophy of honoring and respecting those who were on board the Titanic by keeping their stories alive, while building buzz, excitement and enthusiasm to ultimately drive visitors to the attraction,” says Rick Laney, Ackermann PR Vice-President. 

The grand opening of the Titanic Museum Attraction was attended by 20,000 people. Local print and television coverage stretched from Asheville, NC to Baton Rouge, LA and included all major Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina cities. Nationally, the grand opening was covered in USA Today, ABC News, Live with Regis and Kelly, and the Travel Channel.

In the year since the grand opening, television crews from all over the Southeast have visited the museum, along with national network morning shows, Channel Four (a national television network in the U.K.), Southern Living Magazine, National Geographic Television, Travel + Leisure Magazine, and two additional visits from the
Travel Channel.

For more of Ackermann PR’s case studies, visit the firm’s website, www.ackermannpr.com. 

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

The Eyes of the World Turn to Titanic Museum Attractions As The 100th Year Approaches

Posted by Rick Laney – May 24, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. and BRANSON, Mo. –  In May 1911, the RMS Titanic slid down Slipway No. 3 at the Queen’s Yard of Harland & Wolff and settled on the waters of the Victoria Channel in Belfast, Ireland while more than 100,000 people looked on. At the time, she was the largest movable manmade object on the face of the planet. In the coming months, RMS Titanic would complete numerous successful sea trials with Irish workers and crew members on board.

To commemorate Titanic’s Irish heritage, Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. will give away six 11-day trips for two to Belfast. The 12 winners of the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” will cruise to Belfast where they will visit the birthplace of the world’s best-known, most luxurious ocean liner.  Complete sweepstakes details can be found at www.TitanicAttraction.com.

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. The Titanic Museum Attractions will honor and respect the brave souls of the Titanic with the following events:

• To pay tribute to the birthplace of the RMS Titanic in Ireland, Titanic Museum Attractions will give away a total of six 11-day trips for two to Belfast, Ireland (where Titanic was built) at its Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. locations. The “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” begins June 13, 2011. All details are available online at www.TitanicAttraction.com and contestants can enter daily online. Winners will be announced Feb. 14, 2012.

• Beginning in July, Titanic Museum Attractions will allow every single guest who visits the museum to personally become involved in its special tribute to the passengers and crew by depositing a single rose petal into a container in the Memorial Gallery. On April 15, 2012 – exactly 100 years after the RMS Titanic was lost – each of the rose petals will be carefully laid onto the surface of the Atlantic Ocean directly where the Titanic sank.

• Beginning Aug. 1, 2011, couples will have the opportunity to have their wedding on the spectacular $1 million Grand Staircase of the Titanic. Future brides can enter to win their own “Royal Wedding” in April 2012. Titanic Museum Attractions will pay homage to the 12 honeymooning couples on board the RMS Titanic with its “Royal Wedding” contest. Online voting will select a winning couple to be married on the Grand Staircase.

• Many descendants of Titanic passengers and crew members will travel from all around the world to appear at Titanic Museum Attractions throughout 2011 and 2012, including descendants of Second Officer Charles Lightoller, the most senior crew member to survive the Titanic. Lightoller, whose family now lives in Ireland and Scotland, got away from the sinking ship in a collapsible life raft and was one of only four officers to survive.

• With the re-release of James Cameron’s blockbuster “Titanic” movie in 3D on Friday, April 6, 2012, Titanic Museum Attractions will open a new gallery (at both the Pigeon Forge and Branson locations) featuring props and costumes on loan from collectors around the world in advance of the movie re-release.

• A number of television shows and documentaries to air during the coming year are currently in production featuring the RMS Titanic and Titanic Museum Attractions. ABC Television has commissioned a four-part miniseries and John Joslyn, owner of Titanic Museum Attractions, will re-release his Titanic television documentaries.

• On April 14 and 15, 2012, a two-day tribute ceremony will take place at Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge and Branson. The solemn ceremony will culminate with a candlelight service and the lighting of an eternal flame which will burn all year to remind every visitor to the museum of the 2,208 brave souls who were onboard the RMS Titanic.

More details about all of these spectacular commemorative events will be released in coming months.

The Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. open daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, 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 Attractions in Branson, Mo. Titanic Tennessee, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN. Both are privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development companies. Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Mo., the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Titanic Tennessee, LLC is headquartered in Pigeon Forge, TN. Titanic Branson has welcomed more than 3 million guests, and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

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 Rick Laney – 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

Meet Titanic Museum Attraction’s “Rose” in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month

Posted by Rick Laney – February 10, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. –  In James Cameron’s 1997 record-shattering movie “Titanic,” the character “Rose” – played by Kate Winslet – was the primary reason the movie is still regarded today as one of the most romantic films ever produced.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s own “Rose” will be making a special appearance in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month.

Titanic Museum Attraction's Rose

Titanic Museum Attraction’s Rose is actually Randi Shetley of Fowler, Kan., who has a story as amazing as the character from the movie that she plays.  The daughter of a minister and missionary, Shetley moved regularly throughout the Midwest while growing up and at an early age felt she too was meant to do missions work.

“My parents had been involved in international adoptions,” Shetley said.  “My husband and I decided before we were even married that we wanted to adopt children, too.”

With two biological children of their own, Alexis and Zion, Shetley and her husband, Shane, proceeded to adopt 4-year old Tyson and 6-year old Megin in 2003 after traveling to Ethiopia.  About four years later, after discovering that Megin had an older biological brother still in Ethiopia, the Shetley’s traveled back to adopt 11-year old Tem.

Today, Shetley and her husband (who is also a pastor) continue to support Visiting Orphans, a non-profit group based in Nashville, Tenn. and regularly take 10-day to two-week trips to foreign countries to spend time with, help and minister to orphaned children around the world.  For details about the Visiting Orphans program, see www.visitingorphans.org.

If raising five children wasn’t enough, Shetley also serves as a substitute teacher and teaches drama at Barclay College in Kansas.  While in junior high school, Shetley started a lifelong love for the performing arts, and eventually graduated from Friends University in Wichita, Kan. with a degree in theater.

“I simply love my life,” Shetley said.  “I get to go to the wonderful Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge and play dress-up as ‘Rose’ and literally – immediately after I leave Pigeon Forge – catch a flight to Ethiopia where I will spend two weeks ministering to orphans.  Who else gets to do that kind of thing?”

Shetley will appear as “Rose” at the Titanic Museum Attraction Thursday, Feb. 10 through Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

Throughout the entire month of February, Titanic Museum Attraction celebrates and honors the love stories from the Titanic (twelve couples onboard the ship were on their honeymoon!) with special events and a “Retie the Knot” contest.  To enter the contest, which is open now through Feb. 13, 2011, simply tell us your amazing love story and you could win a FREE two-night stay at Wilderness at the Smokies resort and a complete vow renewal ceremony on the Titanic Museum Attraction’s $1 million Grand Staircase.  Find out more about “Retie the Knot” here.

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 100,000 visitors each and every month.  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.

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 Rick Laney – 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

Romance blossoms at Titanic Museum Attraction in February and someone will win a free romantic getaway trip

Posted by Rick Laney – January 31, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Watch the WJHL-TV (CBS) segment below from 11 Connects about Sweetheart Month at the Titanic Museum Attraction.

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form.

Read the complete story of the Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month contest here.

The video in this post is the property of WJHL-TV and is used by permission.

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

Titanic Museum Attraction sponsors romantic Valentine’s Day vacation giveaway

Posted by Rick Laney – January 18, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Romance is alive and well at Titanic Museum Attraction.

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form. Get your family involved as well. You can have your parents, grandparents, friends, etc. fill out contest entry forms about your wedding. Make sure that each entry includes the same “Bride and Groom” information.

On Valentine’s Day, one of the couples will be selected and awarded with the Vow Renewal package. You must fill out a contest entry form on the website to win. Winners will be notified after Valentine’s Day and the Vow Renewal must be scheduled and executed by Dec. 31, 2011.

It really is that simple!  Entries will only be accepted until Feb. 13, 2011, so hurry and beat the crowd! Contestants must be 18 years of age to enter.  The prize package does not include travel, airfare or other accommodations.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain area’s top attractions, and according to owner John Joslyn, the museum is just getting started.  Valentine’s Day will be celebrated all 28 days of February at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge during the museum’s first annual “Sweetheart Month.”

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.

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 nearly 3 million guests.

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Disclaimer:

The contest will be open only to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. The contest winner will be selected by a panel of Titanic Judges. The most unique wedding story, to be determined by the panel of Titanic Judges, will win. Winner will be notified by telephone and/or email.


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 Rick Laney – 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.

Local child author gets surprise book deal

Posted by Rick Laney – September 16, 2010

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Earlier this summer, 9-year old Luke Copas toured the new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. with his mother and father, Sabrina and Robby Copas.  The fourth grader at Northview Primary School in Kodak, Tenn. was no stranger to the world’s most famous luxury liner; in fact, he had already written a book about it – but his visit to the museum would lead to a huge surprise for the young writer.

Titanic Museum Attraction First Class Maid Jaynee presents Luke Copas with a copy of his newly published book.

Last school year, then 8-year old Luke had been selected to participate in the “Child Authors’ Conference.”  An avid reader who loved learning about the past, Luke wanted his book to create a passion in other children for history.

Sabrina Copas said, “Luke became a walking encyclopedia of all things Titanic.  He was literally consumed by it.  When it came time for him to actually write his book for the Child Authors’ Conference, it took him less than one week to write it because he knew the subject matter so well.”

Luke took his book to the Titanic Museum Attraction and showed it to co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn.  Impressed with the boy’s talent and driven by his enthusiasm, Kellogg-Joslyn secretly made a few phone calls and landed the boy a book deal.

“He has an amazing talent,” Kellogg-Joslyn said.  “The first time I read his book, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  He writes so well and researched this book so deeply that I simply wanted to share it with others.”

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Luke’s entire class at Northview Primary School was summonsed to the school library, where Kellogg-Joslyn and Titanic Museum Attraction First Class Maid Jaynee made a surprise appearance.  At first, Luke didn’t know why they were there – but when he saw the first copy of Facts For Kids About the Titanic his face changed expressions.

“That’s MY book!” Luke proudly proclaimed to his classmates and Cub Scout friends who had joined him for his special surprise.  Luke Copas’ new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic was released this week and is now available at the Titanic Museum Attraction gift shop.

On Saturday, Sept. 18 from noon until 2 p.m. Luke Copas will sign copies of his new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic in the gift shop at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge.  The gift shop is always open to the public.

Since opening last April, nearly 500,000 visitors have been welcomed aboard Titanic Museum Attraction.  The Titanic Museum Attraction – which is conveniently located to all areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville – is now open every day from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET.  Tickets are available online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670.  The museum has something special for each and every member of your family.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, which owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction, is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of Cedar Bay’s first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its April 2006 grand opening, it has welcomed more than 2,700,000 guests.

UPDATE:  Watch a great report about Titanic Museum Attraction and Luke Copas from WBIR’s Beth Haynes at this link.

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

Titanic Museum Attraction prepares for spectacular Christmas Celebration

Posted by Rick Laney – August 11, 2010

Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee –  It will snow this holiday season in Pigeon Forge; Titanic Museum Attraction guarantees it.  Starting Saturday, November 13, it will snow – yes, REAL snow – at the Titanic every Friday and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. through January 1, 2011.  The snow is part of the museum’s “Christmas in a Winter Wonderland,” which is dedicated to honoring and celebrating the lives of the 2,208 passengers and crew of the Titanic.

Titanic Museum Attraction co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn is pulling out all the stops this Christmas and has invested $150,000 in snow equipment (the same equipment used to make it snow at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom every Christmas) that will produce real, falling snow every weekend at the museum.  An additional $100,000 will be spent on Christmas trees, carolers and musical events, holiday lights, and ornamentation that will decorate the interior and exterior of the Titanic Museum Attraction.

Since opening in April, the Titanic Museum Attraction has quickly become one of the region’s premier destinations and was voted one of East Tennessee’s “Top Five Attractions” after being open less than three months.  Once visitors see the ship adorned bow-to-stern in Edwardian period holiday decorations, they will understand why approximately 100,000 people per month are flocking from all parts of the country to experience this one-of-a-kind attraction.

Everything at Titanic Museum Attraction is done on a large scale – from the amazing fireworks display and free concerts that kicked off the museum’s April Grand Opening (hosted by Regis Philbin) to the perfect re-creation of the Titanic’s Grand Staircase and the collection of more than 400 authentic Titanic artifacts on display in the museum’s 20 galleries.  The Titanic Museum Attraction gives its guests – young and old – an experience they will never forget, and its Christmas in a Winter Wonderland Celebration will be no exception.

“What is the Titanic Museum Attraction? It is a celebration of the ship and her passengers and crew” said John Joslyn, co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.  “Every day the Titanic honors each and every one of them by telling their stories and bringing them to life for our guests.  Our visitors truly experience what it was like onboard the Titanic and, during the holidays, they will truly experience what Christmas would have been like on the world’s most luxurious ocean liner.”

“Everything about our Christmas in a Winter Wonderland Celebration is aimed at giving our visitors and their families a unique and memorable holiday experience.  A memory that will last forever – and isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”

Titanic Museum Attraction is a half-scale, permanent, three-deck re-creation of the Titanic.  All of the priceless Titanic artifacts displayed in the museum were either carried from the ship and into lifeboats by passengers and crew, or were found afloat soon after the sinking and quickly salvaged by rescue boats.

Inside the Titanic Museum Attraction, visitors find full-size re-creations (built from actual Titanic blueprints) of Third-Class quarters, a First-Class suite, dining rooms and – the museum’s centerpiece – a $1 million exact reproduction of the Titanic’s Grand Staircase.  The First-Class suite in the Titanic Museum Attraction, which is dedicated to Isidor and Ida Straus who co-owned Macy’s Department Stores, was also the cabin used in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Titanic as Rose’s suite.

In addition to being a world class museum in the truest sense of the word, Titanic Museum Attraction is also highly interactive and offers a hands-on experience for children, teenagers and adults.  The ship is anchored in water to create the illusion of Titanic at sea, and a two-hour self-guided tour gives guests the sensation of sailing on the original ship’s 1912 maiden voyage. Upon entry, each guest receives a boarding pass bearing the name of an actual Titanic passenger or crew member whose fate is revealed on the Memorial Wall at tour end. Along the way, powerful emotions surface as guests:

  • Walk Titanic’s Grand Staircase
  • Touch the frozen surface of an “iceberg”
  • Feel the chill of that fateful “Starry Night”
  • Study some of the largest, most detailed Titanic models ever built
  • Grip the ship’s wheel and follow the Captain’s commands
  • Tour world-class galleries and the rare historical artifacts they hold
  • Sit in a Titanic lifeboat and listen to actual survivors tell their stories
  • Send an SOS from the Marconi Wireless Room
  • Test their balance while standing on mini-decks built to show the ever-steeper slope of Titanic as she sank
  • Watch children eight years and younger explore the special interactive Tot-Titanic Play-and-Learn Room
  • Dive to Titanic’s wreck site via spectacular underwater camera footage

The Titanic Museum Attraction – which is conveniently located to all areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville – is now open every day from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET.  Tickets are available online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670.  The museum has something special for each and every member of your family.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, which owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction, is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of Cedar Bay’s first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its April 2006 grand opening, it has welcomed more than 2,700,000 guests.

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