Open House at Hudson-Meng (September 2-3)

Hudson-Meng Education & Research Center Open House

CRAWFORD, NE. – Aug. 25, 2017 – The Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (HMERC) will be celebrating its 18th Anniversary this Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-3, with an Open House and special events.  During this celebration the regular admission fee will be waived, so bring the family and celebrate with us.

Saturday Sept. 2 events include:

• Bison Trail Hike led by Eric Alt and Emma Pickering, Hudson-Meng   Park Rangers.  This hike will start 10 a.m. at Toadstool Geologic Park and meander 3 miles to the HMERC.  Along the way park rangers will talk about the geology of area and take you to perfect areas for photos. Make sure to bring water, sunscreen, wear proper shoe, and camera for hike. Call Hudson-Meng Front Desk by Friday, September 1 to RSVP.
• A flint-knapping demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., by Crawford native Dave Nixon, where spear points and knives will be made from of stone.  
• An interpretive talk starting at 7 p.m. at Chadron State Park’s Trading Post featuring Faith Duncan, archaeologist and Passport in Time volunteer with the USDA Forest Service. Ms. Duncan’s topic of discussion is a mystery, much like the Hudson-Meng bone bed was before its discovery.  

Sunday Sept. 3 events include:

• A second flint-knapping demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• A free lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. provided by the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association and catered by the High Plains Homestead Cook Shack.
• An atlatl competition at 3 p.m., which is open to everyone and the top three placings will receive prizes.  

Other weekend events include a “make your own atlatl” craft activity for kids aged 3 to 8, a photo slideshow showcasing the excavation and construction of the visitor center from 1990-1999, and the unveiling of the new Junior Archaeology booklet for children to complete and receive their archaeologist certificate. There will be a station where park rangers will be helping with rock or bone identification, so bring those rocks and bones you have laying around with you.

Also, children will have the ability to experience the free Agents of Discovery mobile gaming app based on the HMERC during this weekend. This app is an augmented reality game to encourage play and discovery of the world around you by unlocking hidden geo-located challenges. Children playing will receive prizes for completing the game, so download Agents of Discovery app before you arrive. Note, cell phone service is not necessary for the game to function once it has been downloaded.

After Labor Day weekend the HMERC will be closing for the season on September 4 but will reopen in May of 2018.  If you have any questions regarding the visitor center or the scheduled events please contact the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center front desk at (308) 665-3900 or Ryan Means at (308) 221-4162.