Renaissance Center field trip fun doesn’t stop for summer

Release Date: 6/3/2005. Expired: 7/14/2005

Just because school is out for the summer doesn’t mean the fun takes a break at The Renaissance Center.

The world-class educational and performing arts center in Dickson will offer a full selection of activities for kids throughout the summer. Art and music activities, live theatre productions, planetarium and laser music shows, science shows and much more are available for field trips from other summer programs, camps, homeschool groups, day cares and schools on year-round schedules.

“With the number of schools on modified or year-round schedules continuing to grow and a wide variety of summer programs available for students out of school, there is a great demand for fun and educational activities,” said Laura Jackson, field trip coordinator at The Renaissance Center. “In addition to our own summer camps, The Renaissance Center still offers a wide variety of programs for groups through the summer.”

Some activities will be offered at specific times and days with groups allowed to join in as long as there is room. Other activities will be scheduled when they are reserved by a group of 25 or more students, with public tickets made available once they are booked.

“The schedule of activities for each day can grow whenever an activity is booked by a group, so it is advisable to check frequently to see what is available,” Jackson said.

The Renaissance Center’s Theatre Arts Department will present Schoolhouse Rock LIVE in the Performance Hall. The musical is based on the popular educational vignettes seen on Saturday morning television in the 1970s and early ‘80s.

The play centers around Tom, a young schoolteacher nervous about his upcoming first day in the classroom. As he watches television, the characters from Schoolhouse Rock come to life and build up his confidence to teach young minds.

The play is packed with memorable Schoolhouse Rock tunes like Conjunction Junction, Interjections, I’m Just a Bill, Interplanet Janet, Three Is a Magic Number and many more.

Schoolhouse Rock LIVE will be presented at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays, June 15, 22, 29 and July 13, for campers attending Camp Renaissance. Public tickets are available for these shows for $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 13.

Schoolhouse Rock LIVE is available for booking by groups of 25 or more on those Wednesdays and on Thursdays, June 16, 23, 30 and July 14. Once a show is scheduled, public tickets are made available as space permits.

The Faraday Science Theatre and CyberSphere Digital Theatre will present age-appropriate shows at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. the same Wednesdays for Camp Renaissance. Public tickets are available for these shows at $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 13 as space permits.

A variety of Faraday Science Theatre and CyberSphere planetarium and laser music shows are available for booking on other weekdays for groups of 25 or more. Once a show is scheduled public tickets will be made available as space permits.

The Renaissance Center’s Art and Music departments also offer a selection of workshops for groups of 25 or more throughout the summer.

For more information on field trip activities for the summer, call (615) 740-5533. The offerings also will be available in The Renaissance Center’s Summer Program Guide and on its Web site on the Field Trips pages.

The Renaissance Center is an arts and technology education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.