Science Center Hours
Dear Editor: Beginning Monday, June 26, the Sitka Sound Science Center has modified its schedule. We will remain open seven days per week. The new hours for visitors are 9:30-3 p.m. Our business, education and research office hours will still be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. We wanted to let the community – residents and our primary supporters – know what has gone into this decision.
SSSC is dedicated to increasing understanding and awareness of the marine, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of coastal Alaska through science research and education. For our organization, tourism is a wonderful opportunity to educate more people about the importance of science and its role in our community.
Tourism is a way for our nonprofit to earn income (admissions and retail) rather than just subsisting only on “soft” money like grants. We have a staff of 24 full-time year-round employees, and we hire another 18 in the summer to provide tours, conduct seasonal research and paid internships with us.
SSSC is a field station, a place at the nexus between research and education. We conduct research important to the community and we put on over 30 educational programs all year long. The visitor industry is just one part of what we do. And because we are science oriented, we are experimenting with what makes sense for our organization and what makes sense for visitors.
The influx of seasonal visitors means that we can engage a bigger audience in scientific thinking.
However, the unprecedented number of cruise ship passengers has challenged us to maintain a quality visitor experience. Shifting our hours allows time to upkeep our facility and work on projects that serve Sitka beyond the tourism season. While this is an imperfect solution, we hope this change allows us to sustain high quality experiences for those who visit our facility and assure our field station serves the region.
We still want Sitka residents to feel welcome at our facility. We invite locals to come to visit the aquarium for half price from now until September 1 (or become a member and enjoy free admission all year long). We hope you come down and visit (just before 3 p.m. for now). All the best,
Sitka Sound Science Center Staff
