Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium

08/28/2026

There's still space in our Mushroom Ecology presentation with Annabelle Langlois, M.Sc this evening at 5:30-8 PM at the museum! If you're interested, register at the link below in the comments! 🍄

08/27/2026

Are you looking for a fun and educational way to interact with your child? Interested in developing new friendships with local families in a warm and friendly environment? Our weekly Nature Buddies Playgroup might be right for you! This playgroup will focus on autumn forests, plants, creatures and the many ways animals prepare for the changing seasons. Parents or guardians attend with their children for story time, crafts, movement activities and outdoor play.

We still have space left in our Tuesday group that starts on 9/22. Link for registration in the comments below!

08/18/2026

Interested in learning more about butterflies found in New England? Then join us at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium with Kate Taylor as they discuss the lifecycles of butterflies and how we can find and identify certain species!
On Saturday, August 29th from 10:30am to 12pm.
For more info, please visit https://fairbanksmuseum.org/butterflies-kate-taylor/

08/13/2026

Please stop by our gift store when visiting to purchase this wonderful book telling the story of us and what makes the Museum special!

ST. JOHNSBURY — The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is celebrating the release of “Many Wonders: Stories of the Fairbanks Museum.”

08/12/2026

Tonight: Mark Breen and Jane Lindholm will be broadcasting LIVE on Vermont Public - guiding you through the cosmos on a stargazing journey. Join us at Billings Farm & Museum for food and activities starting at 6:30, or tune in to Vermont Public radio at 9:00 to enjoy the show from your own back yard.

08/07/2026

See what's new at the Museum this month: stargazing party, butterflies, naturalist workshops, and learning with us this school year.
https://conta.cc/45eYMrK

Email from Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium Adventures never end at the Fairbanks Museum...     Observer August 2026: Upcoming programs, exhibits, and events   Many Wonders Hot off the press! Join us

08/05/2026

Check out Erin Narey's piece in the The North Star Monthly on patience, the magic of an evening primrose, and the natural wonders of late summer. There's even a shout-out a familiar museum exhibit:

"Despite its humble appearance, the Wildflower Table is an almost scandalous indulgence. I can admire, examine, and compare seasonal local wildflower specimens inside a well-lit, temperature-controlled environment, close up, without crawling in dirt, hiking, or battling brambles. No sunscreen, bug spray, or rain gear. No need for a field guide or online plant app; they're all labeled. The Wildflower Table is such a valuable resource, data from 100 years of specimen collection is being compared with the museum's temperature records to examine the effects of warming temperatures on plant life."
https://www.northstarmonthly.com/columns/wildflowers-bloom-bright-in-august-s-late-evening-light/article_5abe649a-e1b8-415b-8aa7-81344e6a1d0c.html

Don't forget to check out Erin's upcoming herbalism classes at the Fairbanks Museum: https://fairbanksmuseum.org/lifelong-learning/

08/04/2026

The Shippee Family Eye Care Butterfly House is OPEN for its final full month of the season. Step inside and you'll be surrounded by hundreds of butterflies, free-flying and maybe land on your shoulder. Summer is winding down, so don't wait. Open daily, 10 to 5.

07/31/2026

In late July and August, these yellow beauties come into full bloom. Though many of them look similar, there are many different species of goldenrods. To tell them apart, you can look at the shape of the flower cluster (or "inflorescence"), shape of the leaves and direction of the leaf veins, and the downiness (or hairiness) of the stem. Once you start taking a closer look, you'll start seeing the differences in your daily travels.