about those reports of a space ship

The Ode Street Tribune recently sent its crack investigative team to uncover the real story behind persistent reports of a ship, possibly a spaceship, on the ground west of Rosslyn.  Have no fear, we are here to inform you that the ship is a play ship. It's Bonifatius Stirnberg's Spielschiff (Play Ship).  It was installed on the grounds of the Arlington Arts Center in 2007 in conjunction with Planet Arlington.  A plaque at the site explains:

Spielschiff (Play Ship in German) is an interactive play sculpture with parts that can be repositioned, swiveled, peered through, and explored.  Children can imagine they command a magical vessel either from the lower level's revolving hull, or in the crow's nest, equipped with kaleidoscopes and a weathervane.  Stirnberg recast Spielschiff from molds he used in 1979 to create an identical piece for Aachen, Arlington's German sister city.  Here, a medallion on the upper level is cast with the word Arlington on one side, and Oche (Aachen in dialect) on the other, representing the sister-cities relationship.

Like most forms of fun, playing on the Spielschiff involves some danger.  A child who fell from the top level through the ladder hole could be seriously hurt.  If you bring kids to enjoy this great art, take appropriate care for their safety.

Below is full video coverage of our investigation into the ship reports.