Renovated in 2000, the Interpretive Building has classrooms, meeting rooms, exhibits, a wildlife observation room and a bookstore/gift shop.

The Wilderness Center offices are located here.

Rooms in the Interpretive Building are available to rent. (See room rentals page).

Click here for room rental information

Astronomy Education Building

This unique building contains The Wilderness Center's observatory and the Fred F. Silk Planetarium. The planetarium projects the night sky into a 5-meter hemispheric dome.

The centerpiece of the observatory is the Dr. Karl W. Keller Telescope and 16-inch professional-quality Cassegrain instrument. Also available there are the Norman Giust 6-inch refractor and the Resetar Telescope 10-inch Meade, and the Pleshinger 10-inch Meade. Click here for information on the telescopes.

The Public is invited the first Friday each month for a planetarium show and (if the skies are clear) a star watch using the big telescopes. Click here for information on Public Viewing Nights.

The Prairie and Lake View Shelters are designed to serve as three-season classrooms as well as shelters. Overhead doors allow users to open or close the building to suit the weather. Both shelter are equipped with picnic tables.

The Rustic Shelter is on the east side of Alabama Avenue. It has a roof but no walls.

Click here for shelter rental information.