ORANGE BEACH, AL – The Stephen W. Baker Sea, Sand and Stars Science and Nature Center will open for seven weeks to the public this summer beginning June 6.

The nature center will be open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Thursday on during the following weeks: 

June 6-9

June 13-16

June 20-23

June 27-30

July 11-14

July 18-21

July 25-28

Reservations for visits or tours can be made by calling 251-981-5690. Online registration will available soon. You must check in 15 minutes prior to the tour or your spot will be forfeited to allow room for guests already in the facility.  

For more information and a complete schedule please visit our web site at: www.seasandandstars.com

The center, which first opened in 2007, has been used as a field-trip destination but was always intended to be open to the public, Mayor Tony Kennon said. It is located behind Orange Beach Elementary.

“We are very pleased with how this worked out with the new Superintendent Eddie Tyler and are pleased to have a good working relationship with Baldwin County Schools,” Kennon said.

Kennon had praise for current principal, Ryan Moss, as well.

“We’ve been trying to get this done for a long time and you deserve a lot of credit for making it happen,” Kennon said. “Once they know that it’s here and available they will come.”

Brett-Robertson came up with an initial $1.5 million after asking for a pass on some zoning regulations for Phoenix West — and later had to kick in a little more — and the city came up with about $300,000, according to Kennon.

City Administrator Ken Grimes said visitors will enjoy much the same experience visiting school kids have. Other than serving as a classroom for the school, about 4,000 students a year from Baldwin, Mobile and Escambia counties, as well as schools in Escambia County, Fla.

“It’s more of a field-trip oriented thing, kind of what classes do,” Grimes said. “But with whoever shows up on a first-come, first-reserved basis.

“This is basically an investment of $12,600. It provides the staffing needs to finally open it for the first time. The only time it’s been open to the public in the past has been has been with BP grants.”

The council voted to fund staffing for the center during the seven weeks it will be open. Now Moss is charged with hiring that staff.

“He can now go out and find people for these positions and find us three people who know how to operate the facility,” Grimes said. “Secondly, we can communicate out and make sure that everybody in town knows the new amenity that’s open for their guests to enjoy. Especially Brett-Robinson. We hope they spread the word.

“It should fill up.”

This summer’s operations, Grimes said, will give city leaders a guideline on how to operate it in future years.

“We’re going to use this first year as kind of a gauge and set some benchmarks so we can figure out what the costs and expenses are,” he said. “And what revenue potential may be there. It may open doors in future years but this is a starting point we’ve been waiting for for many years.”

Admission will be a recommended donation.

“That way it has value and it gives us an additional funds to cover the general cost of operating,” Grimes said.

For the elementary school, the Sea, Sand and Stars center is integrated into each grade’s curriculum all year long. Students learn and apply the scientific method through hands-on study of subjects like astronomy, botany and native plants, conservation and preservation, marine biology, geology and meteorology.

Lessons are all cross-referenced with national and state mathematics, science and technology standards.