Maryland Science Center: Newsroom: Press Releases: Sense of Smell Day Wafts Into Maryland Science Center April 29

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Todd Scott - Himmelrich, Inc.
410-528-5400
todd@himmelrich.com

Sense of Smell Day Wafts Into Maryland Science Center April 29
Rotten Sneaker Contest Highlights Stinky Family Event

The Maryland Science Center will celebrate the thirteenth annual Sense of Smell Day on Saturday, April 29, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with events designed to remind children and adults of the importance of their senses of smell and how to have a good time.

The popular Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest™ will pit the first 20 rotten-sneaker-wearers ages 5-15 against each other in a battle of olfactory offensiveness. A panel of judges, or "odorologists," will select the most fetid footwear. All entrants will receive a cash award, a Maryland Science Center prize, and an all expense paid trip to the Rotten Sneaker Contest finals in Montpelier, Vermont in March, 2007.

Throughout the day, the Maryland Science Center will offer a variety of smell-related activities. In the Candle-Smelling Bee, visitors will try to match the scents of colorless Yankee Candles with their proper names. During the Jelly Bean Taste Test, Maryland Science Center guests will try to differentiate the taste between colored candies without being able to smell them. Painting with Scents will let children create scratch-n'-sniff artwork using paint made from Kool-Aid. The S.Q. Test will ask participants to match bottle scents to photographs.

Other smelly activities include Stop and Smell the Memories, where visitors learn how certain scents evoke memories, and What's That Smell?, which demonstrates how odors share similar qualities based on the structures of their molecules. The Baltimore City Police K9 unit will also be on hand to meet guests and give a demonstration.

Local retailers will provide a wide-range of free scent-oriented giveaways and prizes, such as candles, bath products, and aromatherapy samples.

All activities are on-going throughout the day unless noted and are free with paid admission to the Maryland Science Center. Sense of Smell Day is sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute, Ltd. and Givauden Fragrance Corp.

The Maryland Science Center is located at 601 Light Street at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For information and tickets, visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org or call the 24-Hour Information Line at 410-685-5225, TDD: 410-962-0223.

The Maryland Science Center at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is visited by more than 550,000 people each year. Popular exhibits include: Dinosaur Mysteries which features more than a dozen full-size dinosaurs and interactive paleontology activities, an exploration of the day in the life of the human body in Your Body: The Inside Story, and add... dozens of interactive experiments in Newton’s Alley. Other popular attractions in the museum include the Kids Room, the five-story St. John Properties IMAX Theater, and the world-famous Davis Planetarium.