Atari Coin Connection

lunar lander® Descends
Upon New York Museum
The Discovery Center of Science & Tech-
nology is a new breed of museum. At the
Center in Syracuse, the house rule is
strongly encouraged: "Please Do Touch!"
Visitors are invited to turn cranks, push but-
tons, mix chemicals, fool their senses, lis-
ten to their heart, generate electricity, test
their lung capacity and- now- play a
game or two of Lunar Lander!
The Discovery Center, Upstate New
York's first "hands-on" participatqry science
museum, opened to the public on Novem-
ber 15, 1981, and has since experienced a
steadily increasing attendance. Originally
conceived by a coalition of three local
community groups- the Junior League of
Syracuse, the National Council of Jewish
Women, and the Technology Club of
Syracuse- it is a private not-for-profit
organization which depends heavily on
corporate and individual contributions for
support.
In addition to over 40 permanent partici-
patory units, visiting exhibits from science
centers around the country are frequently
incorporated into the attractions. Other ac-
tivities conducted by the Center include
two major lecture series, a variety of field
trips and excursions, classes for children,
and an internship program. In June of
1982, it opened Central New York's first
public planetarium.
Atari, Inc.
1265 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086
To be used as part of its exhibit program,
the Center became interested in obtaining
a Lunar Lander coin video game. In April
of this year, Atari donated the piece, which
was delivered through the courtesy of
Amusement.Enterprises, Inc., operating
out of North Syracuse, New York.
Stephen A. Karon, Executive Director for
the Center, explains the appeal: "It is the
most appropriate of all arcade-type games
for a science museum. We are particularly
interested in having such a unit on display
for its value as an example of computer
simulations of the physical world. Lunar
Lander is a close approximation of many of
the physical parameters which astronauts
actually encountered during the Apollo
moon missions and is a perfect tie-in with
our existing exhibits on space travel." Fu r-
thermore, he hopes to help promote a pos-
itive image of video games: 'With the in-
creasing number of communities around
the country regulating and restricting ac-
cess to video games, such a unit here at
Discovery Center will also demonstrate that
a video game can be used in a purely
educational manner."
The existing facility is just the beginning,
an interim site to expose the community to
what they can expect in a major science
center. A long-range planning committee
projects a move within the next six years to
an upscaled new facility as the Discovery
Center outgrows its present quarters.
Hopefully, our coin video technologies will
continue to fulfill some of its "hands-on"
participatory needs. With all of the renew-
ed interest in space flight today, ATARI
STAR WARS may eventually hit the
museum trail.
Coin Connection Staff
Editor: Laura Burgess
Writer: Debby Note
Art Director: Brian Balistreri
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© 1983 Atari, Inc. All rights reserved .