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• Shedd Aquarium Lets Visitors Pet Penguins
  • 'Penguin Encounters' Area Brings Patrons Up Close And Personal | read more

• Malaysia: SunCity to buy 45pc of Sunway Lagoon
  • Sunway City Bhd (SunCity) has signed share sale and purchase agreements with Datuk Lim Say Chong and Oh Kim Sun respectively for the proposed acquisition of their stakes in Sunway Lagoon SdnBhd. | read more

• Anaheim: Disney announces Tron-themed dance party
  • Disney officials announced that a new after-dark dance party based around the upcoming movie remake of “TRON” will replace Glow Fest next month. | read more

• Tivoli today celebrates the official opening of the Tivoli Hotel
  • Copenhagen’s famous amusement park Tivoli today celebrates the official opening of the Tivoli Hotel, a facility which will put further pressure on the already struggling sector in Copenhagen, writes Jyllands-Posten newspaper. | read more

• UK: Chester Zoo is embarking on a campaign to increase online ticket sales (subs
  • Chester Zoo is embarking on a campaign to increase online ticket sales with a website overhaul by Code Computer Love. The design uses cartoon characters to position the zoo as an alternative to theme parks. | read more

• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas turns 20: Six months after opening, the aquariu
  • "The success of the aquarium has provided an anchor for the growth of leisure travel in New Orleans, " Kearney said, adding that, in its first year of operation, the aquarium provided an estimated $171.7 million in economic impact for the city. Today, it is part of the Audubon Nature Institute's total estimate of $314 million in annual economic impact, said Meghan Calhoun, public relations manager for the Institute. | read more

• Memphis Zoo to open outdoor ice skating rink this winter
  • The Memphis Zoo is bringing ice skating back to the heart of the city. | read more

• Six Flags Over Georgia to add new roller coaster for 2011 season
  • Six Flags Over Georgia is getting its 11th roller coaster for next season, a ride it bills as the park's first "euro fighter" coaster. Dare Devil Dive will feature a 10-story vertical lift and a first drop that dives beyond vertical as it plunges. It will be located in the USA section. No other rides will be eliminated. | read more

• Dr. Jonathan Yorba Named Ceo Of The San Francisco Mexican Museum
  • "The appointment of Dr. Yorba represents a major step towards seeing the museum move to a new home in the Yerba Buena Cultural District," Mayor Newsom said in a statement. This announcement suggests that the long-stalled museum planned for Yerba Buena may soon come back to life. | read more

• Aquarium of the Bay Sets New Record in Free Education Programs
  • Taking its commitment to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards to record-setting levels, Aquarium of the Bay today announced that 16,552 Bay Area students, teachers and chaperones benefited from its free education programs during the 2009/2010 school year. The number marks a 21% increase from the previous year and a 44% increase since 2005. | read more

• National Aquarium in Baltimore to focus more on conservation
  • It’s not enough to just see the dolphins anymore. It’s time to save them. The National Aquarium in Baltimore hopes to deliver this message to patrons of its popular 30-year-old tourist attraction as it embarks on a mission of conservation. The aquarium has created the National Aquarium Conservation Center, an institute that will conduct research and lobby for marine life and the environment. | read more

• Ontario Science Centre summer attendance sets an 11 year high
  • Record number of visitors in August - 23.6 % increase over last year | read more

• Taiwan: Tourism businesses post brilliant H1 numbers
  • Taiwan's three major tourism-related companies have reported stellar first half results, due to an increase in local consumers' spending power and more visitors touring the island. | read more

• Red wolf exhibit opening at Tacoma zoo
  • The animals' new $1.1 million exhibit, called Red Wolf Woods, will open to the public Saturday, and the zoo plans a weekend Wolf Fest through Monday. Festivities will include educational activities for kids, mask-making, enrichment treats for the wolves, and special talks by the people who care for the wolves on a daily basis. | read more

• Calypso Waterpark exceeds attendance expectations by 25%
  • Calypso Waterpark has exceeded its own attendance expectations in its first season by more than 25 per cent, the company said in a release this week. | read more

• Six Flags Fiesta Texas to get new fireworks show and more
  • A new fireworks and laser light show will fill the nighttime sky this spring when Six Flags Fiesta Texas begins its new season March 5. The theme park announced that its fireworks extravaganza was being revamped Tuesday as it unveiled changes planned for the upcoming season. The park's Zaragoza Theatre also will feature a new show, but the details will not be divulged until next year. | read more

• Busch Gardens: KaTonga show to close Sept. 6
  • “KaTonga” will be replaced “this winter,” a Busch Gardens news release said, by “Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy,” a Broadway hit created by Neil Goldberg. The release says it features aerialists, contortionists, acrobats and musicians. It was nominted for “best costume design” by the American Theatre Wing. | read more

• Zippin Pippin roller coaster work in Green Bay goes to Miron Construction Co. In
  • GREEN BAY— The contractor that built the Resch Center on Tuesday offered to assemble the Zippin Pippin roller coaster for nearly $250,000 less than officials had estimated. -- The company's proposal was $936,753 — far below the city's estimate of $1,177,000 | read more

• UK: Wallingford Museum's planned extension now unlikely to start until 2012
  • WALLINGFORD Museum’s extension may not be built until 2012, because of problems securing the funding. | read more

• Expansion of Wonderscope seen as boon to economy
  • The folks at Wonderscope Children’s Museum are in a waiting mode. They’re waiting for someone to step forward with the funds and other resources that will enable them to build a new 55,000-square-foot museum. | read more

• Moody's buoys National Aquarium's financial outlook
  • Moody's said the change in outlook came after the aquarium experienced improved performance late last year and instituted better cost controls in the face of declining attendance this year. | read more

• Lompoc Aquatic Center moves toward self-sufficiency
  • The Lompoc Aquatic Center is building a regional reputation, attracting out-of-town visitors and moving toward financial independence, according to an annual report. | read more

• Andreas Andersen from Denmark is the new CEO of Liseberg
  • On Monday afternoon, the amusement park announced that the 38-year-old Dane will take over in February 2011 as current CEO Mats Wedin is set to retire. | read more

• NY Botanical Garden to dole out 'parking memberships' to new 825-spot garage in
  • With its balance sheet suffering, the New York Botanical Garden is branching out, planning to sell "parking memberships" to its new 825-spot garage to rise at Webster Ave. and Bedford Park Blvd. | read more

• Palm Beach County allows 254 homes at Lion Country Safari
  • Lion Country Safari representatives contend they plan to build on the unused portions of the property, not close the tourist attraction. They have pushed for years to expand their development potential as a way to diversify operations and keep the theme park running. | read more

• Candover Investments Selling Portfolio Companies, Winding Itself Up
  • Private equity firm Candover Investments said it will wind itself up, sealing the fate of one of the buyout industry’s highest-profile victims of the credit crunch. -- Candover has been reviewing options for theme park operator Parques Reunidos and has received offers from rival private equity firms, sources have said. | read more

• Bowling Industry Sets New World Record: Also Reports Record Year-Upon-Year Growt
  • Long one of America's most beloved national pastimes, bowling continues to see record levels of participation in what has been a period of tremendous resurgence in popularity for the industry. The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA), the industry's premier trade organization representing 4,000 bowling centers, released new growth statistics that point to the vitality of bowling, which continues to maintain its status as the nation's number one participatory sport. | read more

• Attendance slips at Indy museums: Could canal help serve as lure?
  • The four museums that line the downtown Indianapolis canal are all seeking ways to boost their attendance, with one aiming to attract people from the crowds drawn to the waterway during the warm-weather months. | read more

• Dublin Zoo plans new gorilla attraction
  • Dublin Zoo has announced plans for a €2 million (£1.6 million) project that will see its existing gorilla enclosure replaced with a brand new habitat for the primates. | read more

• Museum designer links Berkeley, Los Angeles
  • Different as they are, Berkeley and Los Angeles now have this in common: The same architecture firm is designing a contemporary arts museum for each city's downtown. | read more

• Hawaii wants Obama library located in islands
  • Efforts are under way to have Barack Obama select his native Hawaii as the home of his presidential library. State lawmakers supported the proposal this past legislative session. | read more

• Five new museums under construction in Saudi
  • Work has started on the construction of five new museums and plans for the renovation of six others is underway throughout Saudi Arabia it was announced yesterday. | read more

• Scotland: Wasteland to be transformed into a £22 million adventure park
  • The eco-friendly facility will include a Trojan Horse slide, wooden forts, a 100ft sailing ship, overhead climbing frames, 500m zip lines, dry toboggan runs and various other activities. | read more

• Disney, Universal report amusement park accidents
  • Two of Orlando's newest roller coasters recorded multiple rider injuries during the second quarter of the year, according to updated filings from Florida's big theme parks. | read more

• After Shanghai Expo, what happens to the pavilions?
  • The UAE’s pavilion, designed by Lord Foster, will be rebuilt as a permanent attraction in the Emirates. -- Similarly, the vast China pavilion will live on, becoming a museum at the riverside expo site, while some other expo buildings and the Expo Boulevard will remain. -- The Taiwan pavilion, one of the most striking at the event with a vast, revolving sphere, is due to be sent to the island, while the Swedish pavilion will be rebuilt in the city of Wuxi near Shanghai. | read more

• Futuroscope in Poitiers makes its best season in 10 years
  • Translated abstract: The Futuroscope theme park near Poitiers, announced Friday it had completed its best season in ten years with 1.4 million tickets since the beginning of the year, up 10% compared to 2009. -- This "highly attractive" is "fueled by the success of the new attraction designed by (director) Luc Besson, Arthur +, 4D + adventure, inspired by the film" Arthur and the Minimoys, "said Park. | read more

• Tokyo's Sunshine Aquarium to be closed for renovation
  • The International Sunshine Aquarium, opened in 1978 for the first time on top floors of a high-rise in Japan, will be closed for renovation work for about a year from Wednesday amid a declining number of visitors since its competitors' appearance. | read more

• Legoland Florida traffic a topic of discussion
  • Polk County officials are already engaged in talks and studies to ensure that they can maintain the level of service on these roads, no matter how many visitors the park brings. | read more

• Harkness Screens Lift Off at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center
  • NASA's latest attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, "Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted," incorporates live theatre, interactive experiences and large-scale multimedia presentations to display what the future of space travel may look like. | read more

• Japan competes for Chinese tourists as relaxed visa conditions spur travel
  • One group in Japan formed to research the demand for Chinese visits to Japan calculates that the economic contribution of Chinese visitors would rise from 120 billion yen in 2008 to 430 billion yen in 2012. | read more

• Food prices are marginally higher at Hong Kong Disneyland
  • Its restaurants, cafes and outdoor food and beverage carts have hiked prices by an average of 2 percent since April, just before the summer peak season. It marks the fourth time menu prices have been increased since the theme park opened on September 12, 2005. | read more

• Disney's Expedition Everest resumes operation after shutdow
  • Disney's Expedition Everest rollercoaster returned to operation after a short shutdown this afternoon at the Animal Kingdom theme park. | read more

• V&A goes underground for new exhibition space
  • Design competition looks to keep costs down, with option for future expansion | read more

• New York's Coney Island Aquarium takes part in project to keep eye on tiger shar
  • New York's Coney Island Aquarium is sinking its teeth into a major wildlife restoration project that aims to have city waterways overflowing with sharks. -- The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the aquarium and four city zoos, has ocean conservation projects in 20 countries around the globe. Until Seascape, which will be officially announced Sunday, none was in New York. | read more

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is going strong, 15 years after opening
  • "We've managed to do incredibly well over the past few years," said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock Hall. "The museum is in better shape financially now than it has been in over a decade. We're very proud of that, and it allows us to take advantage of a lot of opportunities and understand where the museum can go in the future." | read more

• Legoland Malaysia taking shape, brick by brick
  • Legoland Malaysia announced recently that it was hiring 22 local Lego model builders, more than 1,000 candidates turned up to apply for the job. -- The six successful candidates from the first hiring competition attended a 10-week overseas training programme at Legoland California and Legoland Billlund. | read more

• Silvia Raker has been named director of business development for the Exploratori
  • Silva Raker named Director of Business Development for the Exploratorium Effective August 16, 2010. For the announcement see, http://bit.ly/cx9u21 | read more

• Rye Playland: Beloved Tradition May Be Nearing End
  • There’s trouble in Rye Playand, as the popular county-run amusement park in Rye continues to experience declining admissions and rising deficits. | read more

• Vista: Attendance down at The Wave this season
  • Vista officials are blaming cooler temperatures for a steep decline in attendance this summer at The Wave Waterpark, a drop that could prompt the city to boost its subsidy of the park in next year's budget. | read more

• Ferrari World theme park gets into gear for October start
  • With two months to go until the October 28 grand opening on Yas Island, the atmosphere inside the 20,000-square metre grounds, still under wraps from the public, is beginning to resemble the designers’ vision. | read more

• Carowinds plans new night attraction, extended hours
  • The skyline of Carowinds will light up next summer as the amusement park announces plans to debut Snoopy’s Starlight Spectacular, a million dollar nighttime walk-through light and sound experience featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, in the Summer of 2011. | read more

• Montgomery Zoo to offer visitors chair-lift ride with a view
  • By late December, visitors will be able to get a bird's-eye view of the Montgomery Zoo as a new chair-lift system will allow them to see the zoo exhibits from the air. Skyfarai will run from south east to southwest, transporting people throughout the entire zoo. The system will have 52 chairs, with each chair able to carry two people. | read more