PELHAM, Ala. – The Oak Mountain Interpretive Center (OMIC) at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama, will celebrate its reopening Saturday, May 22, with a daylong schedule of events for families and children of all ages. The event will feature guided tours of the renovated exhibit hall, nature crafts and live animal encounters, including the debut of “Teacher Creature” Acer, the Eastern screech owl. OMIC is located just off Terrace Drive near the Park’s main office.
“We are excited to welcome park visitors back to the Interpretive Center,” said Lauren Muncher, park naturalist at Oak Mountain State Park. “Our staff will soon be expanding Interpretive Center offerings to provide accessible, informative and entertaining programming for groups of all ages. Examples include Mammal Monday, Turtle Tuesday and Water Wednesday. We will also be available for school field trips.”
Schedule of Events for May 22, 2021
- 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – Guided tour, featuring animal encounters
- 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – Guided tour, featuring animal encounters
- 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Guided tour, featuring animal encounters
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Self-guided tours
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Presentation on Oak Mountain State Park
- 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Reading with a Ranger
- 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Animal Encounters, featuring “Acer” the Eastern screech owl
- 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Nature Art in the OMIC classroom
OMIC closed for renovations in January 2021. During the renovations, several of the center’s exhibits were updated and improved. Some of the new additions to OMIC include a Cahaba River exhibit, black kingsnake and gray rat snake exhibits, a Civilian Conservation Corps exhibit, a reading nook for children and much more.
OMIC is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to visit the Interpretive Center; however, park entry fees apply. For more information about OMIC, call the park’s main office at 205–620-2520. For more information about Oak Mountain State Park, visit https://www.alapark.com/.
