Whitaker Center Announces Opening of 'Our Body: The Universe Within' Exhibition

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Beginning Saturday, June 7,
2008, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts presents Our Body: The Universe
Within, the amazing, enlightening and inspiring exhibition exploring the inner
workings of the human body.

Central Pennsylvania residents and visitors will have a rare opportunity to
come face-to-face with 12 polymer-preserved human bodies, and 124 organs and
anatomical display. Our Body: The Universe Within goes "under the skin" to
expose the intricacies of the human body and explore health science, anatomy
and physiology. The full-body specimens are respectfully presented; many are
in vivid athletic and artistic poses, allowing the visitor to relate to
everyday activities and providing the opportunity to view the beauty and
complexity of their own organs and systems. This up-close look inside the
skeletal, muscular, respiratory and circulatory systems clearly shows how
lifestyle choices directly affect our health.

"Our Body: The Universe Within is a wonderful opportunity for residents of
Central Pennsylvania and beyond to see a presentation that has amazed and
inspired people all over the world," said Whitaker Center president and CEO
Dr. Michael Hanes. "We are working with medical professionals, educators and
religious leaders in our area for this presentation, and we know there is
interest in having such an informative and educational experience in our
community."

This 7,000 square-foot educational exhibition casts a new light on the
alluring mystery of the human body through the presentation of these
specimens. By highlighting anatomy studies over the past 1,000 years, visitors
also see how the complexity of these organs and systems has influenced
generations of artists and scientists.

"We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring the exhibition to Whitaker Center
and I am confident the exhibition will provide visitors with a life-changing
educational experience," said Dr. Walter I. Hofman, Medical Advisor for Our
Body: The Universe Within. "By presenting specimens, anatomical displays and
reproduction of historical anatomical art work in an artful, compelling and
dignified environment, patrons have the opportunity to connect with human
artifacts on a personal level that will help them to better understand their
own bodies."

The body specimens in the exhibition are preserved through a revolutionary
technique called polymer preservation. In this process, human tissue is
permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber that is treated and
hardened. The end result is a rubberized specimen, preserved to the cellular
level, showcasing the complexity of the body's many bones, muscles, nerves,
blood vessels and organs. The full-body specimens can take more than a year to
prepare.

The exhibition's cutting-edge MicroWorld gallery features high-magnification
images of healthy and diseased skin, organ and cell samples. These images
under extreme magnification allow visitors to investigate otherwise invisible
cell levels that impact our health. Guests can investigate the forces that
impact our health and discover the surreally artistic effect achieved by
viewing these samples under extreme magnification.

Whitaker Center has partnered with various institutions of higher learning to
provide additional education resources throughout the duration of the
presentation. "Doctors and medical profession students will volunteer at
various times during the Our Body: The Universe Within presentation in order
to answer questions and supplement the educational experience," said Steve
Bishop, vice president of Harsco Science Center.

Our Body: The Universe Within is provided by The Universe Within Touring
Company, LLC.

"In our search for a compelling exhibit on the human body, Whitaker Center was
committed to finding an exhibition that was respectful, could educate the
general public about the complexity and beauty of the human body and used only
bodies that had been donated to accredited medical institutions for medical
research and educational purposes, including preservation and public
education," Hanes added. "Based on the information that has been provided to
Whitaker Center, Our Body: The Universe Within appears to have met those
standards."

Tickets to Our Body: The Universe Within are $22 for adults, $20 for students
(with ID) and seniors (55+), $17 for children (3-12) and $16 for Whitaker
Center members of all ages. Tickets include admission to Harsco Science
Center. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased at THE BOX,
online at whitakercenter.org or by phone at 717-214-ARTS (2787).

About Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, located at 222 Market Street in
downtown Harrisburg, Pa., features three fun-filled floors and traveling
exhibits in Harsco Science Center, breathtaking films and Hollywood
blockbusters in Select Medical IMAX(R) Theater and nationally touring acts and
Resident Companies in Sunoco Performance Theater. Long the dream of
Pennsylvania's community and business leaders, the $52.8 million dollar
facility opened its doors on 9/9/99. Since its opening, Whitaker Center has
received more than 4.5 million visitors.

SOURCE Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts

Aylissa Kiely Tyndale, VP, Communications, Whitaker Center for Science and the
Arts, +1-717-221-8201 x2501, or +1-717-903-0219, adkiely@whitakercenter.org