The iconic dinosaurs of the world's largest children's museum are celebrating the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials – Swimming coming to Indianapolis in June. The giant creatures are decked out with swim goggles and giant medals—sure to make a splash with fans.
INDIANAPOLIS, June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Get ready to dive into the excitement as Indianapolis gears up for the US Olympic Swim Trials! From giant dinosaurs decked out with swim goggles and medals to competition pools that are actually built above the ground inside Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts) to a re-creation of the Eiffel Tower—representing the Olympic games that will take place in Paris, France later this summer, the entire city is turning up the heat with unique experiences that are sure to make waves.
Indianapolis will serve as host city for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly. Celebrate world-class athleticism and community pride as the Circle City prepares to host this premier event. More than just a swim meet, the Trials bring nine days of exciting racing and entertainment to Indianapolis June 15-23, 2024.
Come early or stay late to see three life-sized Alamosaurs (dinosaurs) sculptures breaking out of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis on the southwest corner of the museum. They are wearing swim goggles and sporting championship medals around their long necks. The adult dino (named Yvonne) is 54-foot-long. The two youth dinosaurs (named Greg and Diana) are 34-foot-long. In real life, similar sauropods were some of the largest animals ever to roam the Earth. Now these enormous creatures are literally some of the biggest fans cheering for Team USA. These types of dinosaurs are from the late Cretaceous Period; so, they are the same age as several of the real fossils currently on display in Dinosphere at The Children's Museum. Families are always surprised to learn that museum paleontologists dug up most of the fossils from the Jurassic Period that are now on display as they led an international dig in Wyoming over the last few years. Visitors can learn more at the R.B. Annis Mission Jurassic Paleo Lab and the Polly H. Hix Paleo Prep Lab within the museum and touch real fossils.
The dinosaurs are clearly ready for the Olympic Team Trials. Watch the installation here https://youtu.be/7EE_l0vj_3g. "Creating objects and decor to highlight the Olympic Swimming Trials happening in Indianapolis this summer is a significant source of pride in my work," said Jason Gray, manager of implementation & maintenance facilities, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. "Our talented team is in a position to use artistry and fabrication in ways we never would have dreamed possible! We have great capabilities to show our pride, and showcasing these moments for our city is a great way to highlight our content and our passion for community. Being part of a team leading the cheers for this year's Olympic squad is such an honor and privilege. Seeing the finished results of all of our teams hard work is such a proud moment." For those who wonder how it was done, our talented team explains, "The medals were produced from urethane foam sheets on our cnc in house. They were carved to look like the medals that will be awarded at the trials, and coated with a urethane spray. They were painted in house and assembled by our team with giant nylon webbing. The goggles we re produced from cardboard templates from the dinosaurs heads to create the best fit. We wrapped the edge with a rubber channel and used heavy monofilament for the installation," said Gray. In addition to Gray, the team consisted of: Jay Ganz (digital design), Brent Fugate, Justin Denny and Nicholas Pinkert (medal production) and Jessy Garcia and Sophia Finklea (paint).
Learn more about the swim competition by checking out Indiana Sports Corp and USA Swimming. Get tickets to check out the trials going on June 15-23 by clicking on https://www.usaswimming.org/.../olympic-trials-tickets.
While in town, check out the world's largest children's museum with five floors of fun, science, art, culture and humanities in addition to a 7.5-acre outdoor sports utopia called, Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience. One ticket gets you into The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and the sports park. There is also free parking.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is proud to partner with Riley Children's Health, Old National Bank, Ice Miller LLP and The Heritage Group.
About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
We ignite joy, wonder and curiosity by creating powerful learning experiences for children and adults. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit http://www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Instagram@childrensmuseum, YouTube.com/IndyTCM and Facebook.
Media Contact
Kimberly Harms, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 317-334-4003, [email protected], www.childrensmuseum.org
SOURCE The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
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