New Thrilling Rides And Attractions Await At The State Fair

FALCON HEIGHTS (WJON News) -- There is a new exhibit this year at the Minnesota State Fair that is out of this world.

The Journey to Space Exhibit will be available throughout the 12-day run of the fair.

It's fun if you've got someone in your life, kids or adults, who is into learning about space and space travel.  It's produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota, the California Science Center, with support from NASA.

Fair spokeswoman Maria Hayden says for the first four days of the fair, representatives from NASA will also be a part of that exhibit.

They are bringing five full-scale space suits from historical missions, present missions, and future missions.  Some moon rocks, and a NASA deputy chief flight director that you can talk to.

Hayden says they have a number of new attractions to check out this year, including the Thunderbird.

It is North America's largest portable swing.  Think about the swings you see at the kidway or the midway, where you get in a seat and go up in the air and spin around. This is just like that, except it is 180 feet tall.

Two new rides in the Midway this year are Overdrive and The Scorpion. Two new Kidway rides are Jumbo (flying elephant) and Hampton Space Age.

Hayden says you should also look for an expansion of the Creative Activities building.  The Coliseum is also in the middle of a multi-year $22 million renovation project.

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The Minnesota State Fair starts on Thursday and runs through Labor Day.