Body Worlds 4 welcomes 100,000th visitor

BODY WORLDS 4 and the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) this week welcomed the 100,000th visitor to the exhibition. This achievement, less than eight weeks into the exhibition’s run, coincides with MOSI’s announcement that it has doubled its visitor numbers compared to the previous year.

The 100,000th visitor was David Holt of Blackburn, Lancashire, who was enjoying the half-term holidays with his son Rhys, age 12. David was presented with a bottle of champagne, free admission on the day, complimentary passes for future visits with the rest of his family, books, DVD’s and a complimentary lunch at the museum restaurant.

BODY WORLDS 4 is forecasted to be the most popular visiting exhibition in MOSI’s history.

“It is terrific news that we've hit the 100,000th visitor in such a short time”, said Tony Hill, Acting Director at MOSI. “A lot of BODY WORLDS 4's popularity is down to word of mouth, as the exhibition has really got people talking and thinking about how their own bodies function. By holding this exhibition at MOSI, we have helped to stimulate debate and discussion about the human body, which is all part of our goal to make science and industry inspirational.”

Since BODY WORLDS 4 opened on the 22nd February 2008, visitors of all ages and backgrounds from across the country have joined the nearly 25 million people worldwide who have experienced the BODY WORLDS exhibitions which offer an unparalleled opportunity to view the complexity and beauty of the human body.

Tony Hill added: “The human body is relevant to every one of us, and BODY WORLDS has helped to make human biology and health accessible for people who may not have been particularly interested before. Special exhibitions like BODY WORLDS 4 draw visitors who may never have come to the Museum before, and encourage them to look around the rest of the museum, which is free.”

BODY WORLDS teaches visitors about anatomy, physiology and health with real human bodies, preserved through the remarkable process of Plastination. Invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens in 1977, the plastination process replaces the natural fluids in each specimen with liquid reactive plastics that are hardened and cured with gas, light or heat depending on the polymer used.

Before hardening the plastic in the specimens, the plastinates are fixed into lifelike poses, illustrating how our bodies internally respond to everyday movements and activities. This unique process also provides the flexibility and strength needed to display and preserve the plastinates in their true-to-life form.

There is still time to visit the exhibition. BODY WORLDS 4 continues until the 29th June 2008.

For more information, visit Bodyworlds.com.