THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9503010493
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
This year's Nauticus will be a few bucks cheaper with a few more fish.
These were two of the changes to the theme park/museum on the Elizabeth River that its directors unveiled to the City Council Tuesday. The idea is to boost the project's attendance and income so as to put the project in the black.
One major change is price. The new admission price for adults will be $7.50 instead of $10. Senior citizens will be charged $6.50 instead of $8. Children six years to 12 will be charged $5, instead of $7.50 for children four to 12.
In addition to lower prices, one or perhaps two more aquariums would be added for an expanded exhibit on marine life. The exact size of the aquariums and their content is still being determined.
Visitors will continue to pay $2.50 separate admission for the Aegis Theater and Virtual Adventures. In addition, the viewing of the film, The Living Sea, will now be a $2.50 charge as well.
The changes amount to a fine-tuning, not a major overhaul, said Samuel B. Rogers, interim executive director, and William H. Luther, interim operating manager. Most customers have been satisfied, they said. The trick is to get more locals and adjust some features that may have been keeping attendance down, they said.
Another change is that the project will be open year-round and more days a week. From May 1 through September, Nauticus will be open seven days a week from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. The rest of the year it will be open six days a week, closed Monday, from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Rogers projected attendance this year as 500,000 to 600,000 people. The aim, said Rogers, was to pay Nauticus's debt service and operating expenses without needing another loan from the council. by CNB