NYC’s Poster House is the first poster museum in the United States, and it has just opened its doors. While there are specialty museums for just about every niche art and performing art activity—and there are poster museums in other parts of the world, Poster House is a first for the U.S. The 15,000 square-foot museum, located on West 23rd Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, includes three exhibition spaces, interactive displays in its hallways, and a children’s area. The new museum already has a permanent collection of 7,000 historical posters collected from around the world and 1,000 contemporary posters that will be shown in future exhibitions. The first exhibits include a survey of the works of famed Art Nouveau poster designer Alphonse Mucha and a selection of works by the German design collective Cyan. Retail ticket prices are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. Children enjoy free admission. For more information, visit https://posterhouse.org/, or call 917.722.2439.
Pursuit Wins Bid to Expand Flight Ride Experience to Toronto: Part of Viad Corp., Pursuit has announced that it will expand its flight ride concept to Toronto. Modeled after Pursuit’s highly successful FlyOver attraction in Vancouver, the new FlyOver Canada ride will provide guests with a flight ride experience featuring the country’s most famous locations, landscapes and natural wonders. Following a competitive selection process undertaken by Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation (that is, it is a state-owned entity) that specializes in real estate, development and attractions management, Pursuit has entered into a land lease with Canada Lands Company to build the new FlyOver Canada attraction near the base of Canada’s famed CN Tower, the 1,815.3 foot concrete communications and observation tower located in downtown Toronto. Construction on the new building is expected to begin in 2020, with an anticipated opening in early 2022 subject to standard City of Toronto approvals. FlyOver Canada will use state-of-the-art ride and audiovisual technology to reveal some of Canada’s most inspiring sights in a way that guests have never experienced before. Guests will be seated, feet dangling, before a 23-meter x 17.5-meter spherical screen as the film whisks them away on an exhilarating eight-minute journey across Canada. For more information, visit www.flyovercanada.com, or call 855.463.4822.
The Washington Monument Scheduled to Reopen This Month: After spending most of the last 8 years undergoing repairs necessitated by a number of factors, the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.—it is one of the USA’s most famous landmarks—is supposed to reopen sometime this month, giving visitors to the Capital of the U.S. an opportunity to ride an elevator to almost the very top of the 555 feet, 5-1/8 inch structure. The monument’s woes began On August 23, 2011, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake, a rarity for the U.S. East Coast, cracked the monument, displaced bricks and damaged the internal elevator. The shake prompted an almost two-year closure and $15 million in repair work. For much of that time, the monument was surrounded by a chain-link fence and had scaffolding surrounding the spire. The structure reopened in May of 2014. But nearly two years later, the monument was forced to close to tourists again when a cable on its elevator snapped in August of 2016. The whole project was scheduled for completion in the spring of 2019. However, the discovery of contaminated soil in the area of the screening center pushed that timeline to August. For the latest information on the status of the monument, visit https://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm.
Cape Cod® Potato Chips is re-opening its Hyannis Factory Tour in Massachusetts, spotlighting renovations, visitor experiences and behind-the-scenes opportunities for the whole family. The Cape Cod® Potato Chip Factory is one of Cape Cod’s top tourist destinations with more than 250,000 visitors annually. For almost 40 years, Cape Cod® Potato Chips has welcomed loyal fans to tour the Hyannis Factory. Through the years, it has become a must-see destination for locals and visitors from far and wide. The free self-guided tour invites guests to experience firsthand how Cape Cod® Potato Chips are produced one batch at a time in custom kettles. The renovations include an expanded space to accommodate more visitors; an up-close-and-personal view of the quintessential kettles with photo opportunities; and a patio area for guests to sit back and take it all in—and of course enjoy some chips. Fans of Cape Cod Chips will also find new merchandise in the gift shop, which, as always, will feature a complementary sample of potato chips at the end of every tour. The Hyannis factory is open to visitors Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm ET. Before visiting, visitors should be sure to check out its website, www.capecodchips.com, for closings and any updated hours.
