Jacqueline Monahanjacqueline-monahan-350

By Jacqueline Monahan
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Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Interactive Exhibit at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino

Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Vision, Ant Man.  You may recognize them as the Avengers, but how much do you really know about their history?  A new exhibit, based within the Strip’s Treasure Island (TI) Hotel & Casino, will test your knowledge as you train to become an Agent yourself…IF you qualify.

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Photo credit: Stephen Thorburn

Intrigued?  Follow me.

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The new interactive exhibit, Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Scientific Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network) located on the second floor of the hotel, is full of high-tech bios, activities, and quizzes.  The location is a well guarded secret, so you may have to ask a cleverly disguised hotel employee where to find it.  Pretend you’re going to the CVS on ground level; then, at the last minute, veer left up the escalator to the deceptively non-descript hallway.

Once there, black-clad operatives wait to assist you with crucial information.  The exhibit is pricey (34.00 adult, 24.00 child ages 4-11, children 3 and under are free; there is a 15% active military discount on the adult price) and comes with an option to rent a self-guided tour S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Mobile Training device (5.00).  Load it with your name, email (optional) and Avenger preference (your humble correspondent chose Iron Man) and proceed to the Top Secret reception area.  Large screens fill with the image of agent Maria Hill; follow her instructions and have your device ready at all times.

This smart-phone-sized iPod is like a mini-tablet of information, featuring narrated histories of each Avenger, along with facts about each of their origins and abilities.  It detects which areas you enter, granting “access” and assorted icons which, when pressed, begin the appropriate narration or start the several multiple choice questions that comprise the quiz and accumulate points toward successful training completion.

What material is Captain America’s shield made from?  In which branch of the military did Falcon serve?  What turned Bruce Banner into The Hulk?  Where is Thor’s birthplace?  If you were paying attention, you’d know.  All information is literally written on the walls, accompanied by graphics and videos; and don’t forget those talking Mobile Training devices – they tell you everything you need to answer correctly and score points.

Those who opt out of renting a device may participate via a special app that can be used with Android and iOS smart phones.

This glimpse into the Marvel Cinematic Universe affords access to an array of intelligence files, classified studies, and experiments.  Touted as “completely immersive and educational experience that brings visitors into the world of The Avengers,” the exhibit can seem intimidating at first.

 The challenge to the visitor/agent trainee is to observe, listen, read, and react. You can scan your fingertips for clearance in one of the various labs, make Hulk punch, squat, or roar, pose with Captain America’s shield, or control Iron Man’s movement in a search-and-destroy game, using only your EYES.  Retinas can be deadly weapons in the hands of a S.T.A.T.I.O.N. agent.

Displays of uniforms and suits stand uninhabited in glass cases; there’s also an entire hall devoted to versions of Iron Man armor, including the gigantic Hulkbuster.  Bruce Banner’s laboratory, Ant Man’s helmet, Nick Fury’s leather duster (you’ll marvel (pun!) at its height) as well as Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow’s uniforms and operational equipment (weapons) fill the various top-secret chambers.

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Visitors/trainees can also map the stars to find Asgard, birth place of Thor, see Vision’s birth cradle and encounter a preserved Chitauri (cybernetic alien governed by a hive mind and led by Loki during the Battle of New York).  If you need no further explanation of this last paragraph you are an ideal candidate for S.T.A.T.I.O.N. training.

 

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The final part of the tour includes a group battle against Ultron, perpetual Avenger foe and rogue A.I. creation of either Hank Pym (comics) or Tony Stark (film).  Either way, he’s an evil robot-being that must be stopped, and visitors team up to use several of the Avengers’ superpowers to defeat him.  Your humble correspondent competed on Team Hulk for this one, using a virtual green fist to knock Ultron down multiple times, garnering a cumulative score of 98/100 and an assignment on Team Iron Man as a probationary agent.

 

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Upon completion of your training (congratulations, new S.T.A.T.I.O.N. agent!) you may purchase a personalized ID badge (or retain a copy within the app).

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Photo credit: Stephen Thorburn

You never know when you might be called upon to save the world.


Additional Information:
Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109
Hours:  10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (last entry is at 9 p.m.), 7 days a week.
http://www.STATIONattraction.com

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