Terry Evanswood Finds Permanent Home At WonderWorks in East Tennessee

The movies have the "Oscar" and magic has the "Merlin." Both are highly sought-after awards given only to the most outstanding performers and artists. WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is now the permanent home to Terry Evanswood, one of a very select group of magicians to ever earn a Merlin. Harry Blackstone, Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy, and David Copperfield are a few of the past Merlin winners.

In addition to Evanswood's daily performances of "Wonders of Magic" at WonderWorks, a new museum called the "Hall of Magic" just opened inside WonderWorks showcasing some of magic's most treasured artifacts from legendary magicians like Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston and Harry Blackstone. A huge collection of priceless props, costumes, autographs, mechanical toys, memorabilia and antique magic sets are now on display in the free Hall of Magic museum.

Over the years, Evanswood has thrilled audiences with his performances throughout the world, with some of his biggest fans being other famous magicians. Now that Evanswood has found a home at the popular WonderWorks attraction in Pigeon Forge, he is within a one-day drive of most major cities in the Eastern U.S. and a must-see for visitors to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"When I begin my show," Evanswood said, "I look out and see an audience full of children, parents and grandparents. By the time I am half-way through my performance, I look out on each and every face and I see an entire audience of kids. The look of complete awe and wonderment

on their faces turns every single person in the room into a child. That's the most impressive magic trick I can ever hope to perform."

Evanswood, who knew he wanted to be a magician since he was 9 years old, has performed in front of well over a million people (including being invited twice to perform at the White House in Washington, D.C.). Along with his cast - Brittany McElroy. Natasha Volvacheva, Linda Black and Mike Phillips - Evanswood continues to thrill huge crowds daily at WonderWorks with magic, illusions, sleight-of-hand, Houdini-style escapes and a dose of comedy.

WonderWorks, is an indoor theme park that opened in 2006 and has nearly 60,000 square feet of fun for all ages. WonderWorks is housed in an upside down building (you have to see it to be believe it). The building appears to have been ripped from its foundation and set back down on its roof.

Inside WonderWorks, guests will find 120 interactive adventures that include the "Challenge Zone" with a rock wall climbing, physical and psychological endurance competitions and even a "bed of nails" to lie on. In the "Space Zone," visitors are entertained with interactive, 3-D films about outer space plus life-size recreations of space suits they can try on for size, a Mercury Space Capsule, and simulators that allow guests to land the Discovery Space Shuttle as it glides in from outer space.

WonderWorks also houses a "Sound and Light Zone," a "Natural Disaster Zone" (where guests can experience a 5.3 earthquake), and the "Control Center" where visitors create roller coasters on computers and then get to ride the roller coaster they created in a coaster simulator. WonderWorks also features the WonderDog Café where guests can enjoy the world-famous WonderDog with its secret recipe chili sauce without ever leaving the attraction.

Every evening, WonderWorks comes to life with the "Hoot N'Holler" dinner show - one of the most popular shows in the Great Smoky Mountains. For years, visitors have enjoyed a fantastic

three-course dinner with their family while experiencing the 90-minute performance featuring "Scraps," whose antics leave guests rolling in the aisles with laughter. Kids are always FREE at the Hoot N' Holler diner show with a paying adult.

ValueVacation tickets to WonderWorks are available in a variety of packages that meet the needs of any size family. To learn more about WonderWorks, the Hoot N'Holler dinner show and the new Wonders of Magic show featuring Terry Evanswood, visit www.WonderWorksTN.com or call 865-868-1800.

WonderWorks operates from 9 a.m. to midnight every day. We also operate in Orlando, Fla. and will open soon in Panama City, Fla. and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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