Starting next week, Buffaloians will have the opportunity to join the 27 million individuals from around the world who have experienced the only exhibition of donor bodies. That's right, human specimens.
The international traveling exhibition, Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart by pioneering scientist Gunter von Hagen, will open for the first time in New York at the Buffalo Museum of Science for a limited engagement. The exhibit features more than 200 specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices that demonstrate an unforgettable anatomy lesson.
Dr. von Hagen discovered that extracting all bodily fluids and soluble fat from anatomical specimens stops decomposition. Then replacing those fluids with silicon rubber and epoxy hardens with gas, light or heat curing, which gives the specimen rigidity and permanence; a process known as Plastination. Now, thanks to this extensive process, scholars and students are able to explore human specimens in a completely new way.
The individuals who have donated their bodies for Plastination allow future generations to see inside the complex interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up the human body. The exhibit also features a special presentation on the heart, revealing how this four-chambered muscle nourishes, regulates and sustains life.
Sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of WNY and M&T Bank, Body Worlds & The Story of the Heart opens on July 9th at the Buffalo Museum of Science, located at 1020 Humboldt Parkway.
Non-member admission price is $22 for adults (ages 19 to 61); $19.50 for seniors (62+); $16 for children (3 to 18 years of age) and military and students with proper ID. Member admission is $17 for adults, $13.50 for seniors and $12 for children, military and students with proper ID. For groups of 15 or more, contact Shea's Performing Arts Center, or call 716.829.1153 for rates, bookings and hours of operation. For ticketing information about individual and member sales, visit The Buffalo Museum of Science website.
Audio guides in English and Spanish are also available for purchase at the exhibit.
I would love to see this! But $44 for two people is just too much for us right now. It's great to see this come to Buffalo though.