SPY Exhibition Ends New York City Run On April 7th, Leaving Discovery Times Square For Philadelphia, PA

NEW YORK, March 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The ground-breaking Spy: The Secret Worlds of Espionage, the first-ever exhibit showcasing collections of espionage artifacts and gadgets from the extensive vaults of the CIA, FBI and the renowned author and spy historian H. Keith Melton , is leaving New York for its next destination in Philadelphia.  The critically acclaimed exhibit on U.S. clandestine affairs, seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors, will close at Discovery Times Square on April 7, 2013, and move to the renowned Franklin Institute in the City of Brotherly Love, where it will open on May 4 and run through mid-October.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130301/NY69270 )

SPY: The Exhibit's extensive collection of espionage-related artifacts, both historic and contemporary, include such extraordinarily rare items as Charlie the Catfish, one of two CIA Robotic Catfish; Sleeping Beauty, the British WWII Two-Man Submersible; Cockpit of the A-12 Oxcart Spy Plane, one of only nine remaining in world; KGB Pinhole Drill Kit, used to spy on the US Embassy in Russia; and artifacts, video surveillance tapes and other items related to "Ghost Stories," the infamous Anna Chapman Russian spy case that beguiled New Yorkers and the rest of the country three years ago. 

Of particular note, the exhibit also includes artifacts from the real "Argo" CIA operation, including "Studio Six Productions" logo items and other accoutrements; Artist's Concepts for "Argo"; "Argo" producer notes; and "Argo" ads and articles in Variety.

SPY: The Exhibit's closing brings another exciting exhibit to Discovery Times Square this spring, the New York premiere of BODY WORLDS: PULSE.  This revolutionary exhibit is from Dr. Gunther von Hagens , the pioneering anatomist and inventor of Plastination, a process used in anatomy to preserve bodies which has revolutionized the study of humans. BODY WORLDS: PULSE, the original exhibition of real human bodies, has brought more than 36 million people around the world to discover the uniqueness of the interior human body and the latest findings in health and wellness in a visually compelling, highly entertaining, and informative interactive exhibition.

The specimens presented in Gunther von Hagens ' BODY WORLDS exhibitions stem from the Institute for Plastination's body donation program. To date there are more than 13,000 registered body donors to the Institute, more than 1,000 of them Americans. All of the specimens have been preserved through Plastination, a process that replaces the natural fluids in the body with reactive plastics that are initially pliable, and then harden after infusion.  By hardening the plastic in the specimens, they may be permanently preserved in life-like poses, which illustrate how our bodies internally respond to everyday movements.

James Sanna , President of Discovery Times Square said, "From our inception, we have sought to bring trailblazing, entertaining and informative programming to our world-destination space.  We did so with the global premiere of Spy: The Secret World of Espionage, opening the world of espionage to the masses, and we continue to do so with this new exhibition. Gunther von Hagens ' BODY WORLDS: PULSE is the definitive work of its kind. It is a transformative experience that illuminates the miracles of the human body that we take for granted every day. This exhibition literally confronts us with how the body absorbs and reacts to the dizzying range of stimuli humans are exposed to in the 21st century. We are thrilled to host this exciting exhibit and finally bring BODY WORLDS to New York City for the first time."

SPY: The Exhibit at Discovery Times Square is located at 226 West 44th Street. The interactive exhibition is open Sunday – Thursday, from 10am – 8pm, and Friday – Saturday, from 10am – 9pm, with the last allowed entry 45 minutes prior to closing each night.

About Spy: The Exhibit

Forget what you think you know about spies from movies and novels. This interactive family friendly exhibit will take you beyond the Hollywood fiction and put you face to face with the secret truth that goes on behind the scenes. Encounter real declassified gadgets from the vaults of the CIA and FBI, revealed for the first time ever. Experience what it's like to be a spy firsthand - test your spy skills by navigating your way through an actual laser field. Create your own disguise and alter your voice - even your family and friends won't recognize you! Experience the evolution of spy technology with over 200 historical artifacts, including a collapsible motorbike from WW2, a robotic flying dragonfly, a German ENIGMA machine, and the ice axe that killed Trotsky.

About Discovery Times Square (DTS)

New York City's first large-scale exhibition center presenting visitors with limited-run, educational and immersive exhibit experiences while exploring the world's defining cultures, art, history and events. More than a museum, DTS has featured a renowned line-up of exhibitions including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Leonardo Da Vinci 's Workshop, King Tut, Pompeii The Exhibit, Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition and most recently Terracotta Warriors: Defenders of China's First Emperor. DTS is located at 226 West 44th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenues).

SOURCE Spy: The Secret Worlds of Espionage