Concord, NH -- The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, from Friday June 16 to Labor Day. The Discovery Center is all about flying this summer, with Take Flight!, a new interactive exhibition on the science of aviation, and a new planetarium show - also called Take Flight - on the history and future of human flight. Visitors this summer will be able to enjoy permanent exhibits such as the shuttle landing simulator, planetary sciences gallery and vintage 1956 Crusader jet; daily planetarium shows every hour on the hour; summer STEM camps for kids ages 5 - 14; solar viewing in the Center's observatory; breakfast and lunch specials in the Center's Countdown Café; and eclipse-viewing glasses, aviation- and space-related toys, books, games and memorabilia in the Center's Science Store.

In addition, the Discovery Center will be open the first Friday night of each month this summer, featuring classic science fiction movies, and a look at stars, planets and more in the night sky through telescopes courtesy the New Hampshire Astronomical Society.

Later in the summer, the Discovery Center will celebrate the solar eclipse with special activities all day on August 21, which will hopefully include a great view of the solar eclipse. While New Hampshire is not in the path of totality, the partial solar eclipse visible on August 21 will nevertheless be quite dramatic - as long as the skies are clear!

The Discovery Center will be closed on the 4th of July and on Labor Day.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space science, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science, technology, and engineering and mathematics programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups and lifelong learners.

For more information, visit www.starhop.com.


Posted 6/14/17