Sneak Peak: ExplorOcean

Orange County’s newest ocean-themed attraction, ExplorOcean/Newport Harbor Nautical Museum in Newport Beach is offering free preview tours Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can find out about the recently unveiled plans for the Fun Zone, and sample appetizer from the new Peter’s Gourmade Grill celebrating its grand opening.

The Preview Center promises to impress guests with its glimpse of the future of ExplorOcean. Come see a three dimensional model of 34,000 square foot attraction, renderings and “fly-thru” video demonstrating the proposed features and exhibits. Among the exciting plans for the Center include a state-of-the-art immersive “4-D theater” with moving seats that simulates being on the deck of a moving ship with a 360-degree projection screen.

Then there are undersea simulators, inspired by Virgin Oceanic’s winged submarine that gives you a feel for going deep into the deep ocean. Or, find out what its like to scour shipwrecks like the RMS Titanic and discover clues to what happened to these historic vessels.

A Navigation Workshop will allow guests to test out seafaring tools. Other plans include a new Ferris wheel, interactive maze and water play area. A new 150-foot long dock will be available for educational vessels and historical ships, and an exhibit gallery will showcase Newport harbor’s nautical history. To find out more about ExploreOcean, check out this video.

600 East Bay Street in Newport Beach.