For the fourth summer in a row, the Sea, Sand, & Stars Science and Nature Center will be open to visits from the public.

The opportunity for public visitors is made possible by funding from the Orange Beach City Council.

Orange Beach City administrator Ken Grimes said the facility originated as a parternship between Brett/ Robinson, the City of Orange Beach and the Baldwin County School System.

“Brett Robinson had committed as part of the rezoning of Phoenix West to help with the funding of Sea, Sand, & Stars Science Center,” Grimes said. “At the time, it was open to students with a lot of good field trips and daily science lessons and classes.”

Grimes said it was difficult initially to get the facility available to the public as the school system wasn’t interested in opening it in the summer.

“The city was always trying to get it open to the public, and finally we reached a point with some changes at the school board level to where we were able to get it open for the summer,” Grimes said. “The agreement was that the city would fund the staffing that it takes. That’s where it all evolved from was the city saying, ‘this is a public benefit project, and we want to see the public benefit from it.’”

The center will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 3-27 and July 8-25. Staff members will offer the public a rotating schedule for guided tours, night sky presentations, IMAX type movies in the planetarium and special guests that typically include friends from the Orange Beach Wildlife Center.

The facility features a 6,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, 1,500-gallon marine life touch tank, 800-foot nature boardwalk with a weather station, the planetarium, a microscope lab, a library and a gift shop.

In addition to the aquarium with a large variety of Gulf fish and the touch tank, the center’s 38-seat planetarium has a Digitarium Alpha II Projector, allowing visitors a real-time look through this amazing window into space. The center’s microscope laboratory allows students to get a closer look at marine life. Outside, an 800-foot boardwalk leads to four large outdoor gazebo classrooms where students learn about birds. In partnership with WKRG TV, there is also a weather station complete with measuring and monitoring technology.

The center has been a place for visitors and locals alike to bring their children to in the summer to get hands-on learning about the Gulf as well as providing more opportunities off-beach for family fun. The City of Orange Beach has also contributed a new projector to the planetarium in recent years on top of its summer contributions. In March, the Orange Beach City Council approved funding, totaling $18,144, to cover staffing for the seven weeks the center will be open.

Grimes said the center is a gem on the Gulf coast and unique in its offerings.

“I think for people of all ages, the things within the building and the boardwalk out back- there are a lot of things to give you exposure to the flora and fauna of coast life and wetlands,” Grimes said. “There was a lot of focus early with the touch tanks, and there’s a lab with microscopes and they have all kinds of slides to show you the various plant life and sea life and organisms of the coast.”

For more information, visit www.seasandandstars.com or go to the Sea, Sand and Stars Science and Nature Center's Facebook page.