Buffalo River Site
The Buffalo River Site is located 16 miles east of Moorhead, off Highway 10. It is adjacent to the Buffalo River State Park and one of Minnesota's largest prairie preserves, The Nature Conservancy's Bluestem Prairie. The Buffalo River Site is open from 6 am to 11 pm daily. Entrance fees for public events, Star Parties, and to the Site and interpretive center is free.
PK-12 Programs Available
The Science Center provides programs for over 9,000 PK-12 students each year. Our program year starts with fall programs that begin early in September and in early November.
During January and February we feature the "Why Not Winter?" program for area 4-6 graders.
The March program "In Celebration of Wildlife" is designed for primary school students and typically runs half days. The focus of "In Celebration of Wildlife" is wildlife needs and habits.
Spring programs run from April 1st to Memorial Day.
All programs are designed to blend the uniqueness of the Buffalo River Site to the curricular needs of the students. This is done by aligning our programs to national standards as well as Minnesota Graduation Standards.
Registration for each school year session starts in May before the school year begins.
Fees
$3.00/student for a full-day RSC staff led program
$1.50/student for a half-day RSC staff led program
There is a $25.00 minimum charge.
To register for programs or to receive more information call 218-477-2904 or Email scicentr@mnstate.edu
History
The Buffalo River Site, located 16 miles east of Moorhead and adjacent to the Buffalo River State Park, is 300 acres of prairie, woods, and river communities, with an interpretive center and an observatory. To spark an interest in science, the Science Center's programs are exciting, hands-on experiences for ages from elementary students through adults. Programs year-round for grade school and junior high students are fun learning opportunities that explore a variety of science topics. High school and college students engage in numerous research-oriented studies. When your students visit the Center as a part of a class field trip, they're sure to walk away with a greater understanding of and enthusiasm for science.
Interpretive Center
The 13,000 square-foot interpretive center houses a multi-purpose classroom, an exhibit area, an auditorium, and a local natural history library. The exhibit area displays permanent collections and traveling exhibits. The Paul P. Feder Observatory houses a 16-inch reflecting telescope projects celestial images to the auditorium via a television camera. The telescope is suitable for public programming, college courses, amateur astronomers, and astronomical research.