Rosman, NC – The Learning Center at PARI is hosting its annual Space Day open house Saturday, May 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The 200-acre campus will be open to the public for activities and events that are suitable for all ages. Campus admission is free with a registration fee for certain campus activities.
Visitors are free to roam the entire PARI campus, a 200-acre former NASA site, and experience hands-on activities related to PARI’s mission of science education for all ages. The network of hiking trails has been expanded and the Parks Observation Deck atop PARI’s optical ridge offers scenic mountain views in every direction. The AdventureDome planetarium will be in operation during most of the day, featuring presentations* from PARI’s science education staff. This year visitors will be able participate in several new activities, including a Robot Workshop* (where guests can build and enter their own robot into a competition), the Space Junk Scavenger Hunt*, and a Costume Contest.
While on campus, visitors can also stroll the Galaxy Walk, a scale model view of the solar system. PARI’s expanded Exhibit Gallery, features space artifacts, meteorites and fluorescent minerals. In addition to Space Shuttle artifacts contributed by NASA, the displays now include several satellites and models donated to PARI or on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution.
Research and education programs will be highlighted at locations across the campus. PARI staff and volunteers will be available to demonstrate and explain Earth and space science remote instrumentation and observations.
Throughout the day, snacks will be available for purchase at the Learning Center’s restaurant, Smiley’s. All proceeds from Space Day will benefit the nonprofit’s science and astronomy outreach programs. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu or call 828-862-5554.
(*Registration fee for activity)
About PARI
The Learning Center at PARI is a public not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah National Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the 200-acre campus is the former site of an historic NASA satellite tracking station. Today, The Learning Center at PARI is a premiere science camp destination for all ages to visit and become immersed in the world of science and technology. The campus houses radio and optical telescopes, earth science instruments, the Astronomical Photographic Data Archive, onsite lodging and restaurant. Exhibit galleries display NASA Space Shuttle artifacts and collections of rare meteorites and minerals. The Learning Center at PARI provides STEM educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.
Photo credit: PARI. Photo caption: The Learning Center at PARI’s 200-acre campus is located in the Pisgah National Forest at a former historic NASA tracking station.
