|
Second Saturdays: The Public Program That Opened the Mountain to the Community
When Roper Mountain Science Center opened in 1985, its purpose was clear: to give students hands-on, immersive learning experiences they could not get in the classroom. The Living History Farm, one of the Center’s earliest facilities, was built primarily for field trips, allowing children to step into the mid-19th century South Carolina backcountry. Even so, from the beginning, leaders believed that the Mountain should serve the wider community as well. That vision took shape with the opening of the Farm on the first Saturday of each month, giving families the chance to explore history together.
For the first three years, these First Saturdays became a cherished part of the Center’s identity. Guests visited the Farm, interacted with interpreters, and later explored activities in the Discovery Lab inside the Horticulture building. As word spread, more and more families wanted to participate, and demand grew steadily for additional public opportunities.
During this same period, Roper Mountain was expanding rapidly. The newly renamed Horticulture/Science Education Center added classroom and laboratory space. The Charles E. Daniel Observatory opened, offering public visitors their first close-up look through the historic Alvan Clark refractor. And in the fall of 1988, Symmes Hall of Science opened its doors. With new science labs, exhibits, and instructional spaces, the Mountain finally had the capacity to welcome more families on a regular basis. Out of this growth came a new monthly program: Second Saturday.
Second Saturdays invited the public to explore multiple facilities at once, including the Farm, Discovery Lab, Health Education Center, and, beginning in 1990, the T.C. Hooper Planetarium. What began as a simple open house soon grew into a coordinated, theme-based experience across the entire campus. Events like Insectamania and Giants of the Ice Age connected exhibits and activities across buildings, creating an early version of the immersive learning days Roper Mountain is now known for.
The program reached new heights in 2008 with two landmark Lucasfilm collaborations. “Walking Through Time with Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars: Science, Myth, and Imagination” drew record-breaking crowds and set a new standard for what community events on the Mountain could be. Soon, annual favorites like STEMFest, Space Day, Fall Festival, and the Blueberry Festival became signature traditions for families across the Upstate.
As Roper Mountain continued to grow—especially with the opening of the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building in 2020—the need for expanded access led to new public programs. Second Saturdays came to an end, replaced by Summer Adventure and Afternoon Explorations, which offer more days, more spaces, and more opportunities for families to learn together.
Though Second Saturdays ended, their spirit lives on. Today’s Afternoon Explorations continue the tradition with special themed days like Holly Jolly Science, Fall on the Farm, Spooky Science, and For the Love of STEM, giving families the same opportunity to learn, explore, and make memories together.
For more than thirty years, Second Saturdays helped shape Roper Mountain’s identity as a place where the community could experience wonder. Their legacy endures in every family that walks through our doors eager to learn, discover, and share in the magic of the Mountain.
| 
