Star gazing planned at Ft. Griffin
The next star gazing party at Fort Griffin State Historic Site will give participants a great opportunity to view the Perseids meteor shower, which will peak the very next night.
The staff will host the August Stars & Skies of Texas event this Saturday night, Aug. 11, starting at 8:30 p.m.
There are also several other events offering this weekend during the daytime hours.
Stars & Skies
“Fort Griffin State Historic Site has gained quite the reputation for having some of the darkest night skies in all of Texas,” said program specialist Eric Abercrombie. “Join us Saturday as local astronomers share their knowledge of the night skies, telescopes, and other astronomy equipment.”
Visitors will have the opportunity to see planets, nebulas, distant galaxies, and stars and planets closer to home, along with viewing the Perseids meteor shower.
The program will be held in the baseball field of the campground. Site staff will collect regular admission near the entrance to the campground, for those arriving after hours.
Guests may want to bring a flashlight that has the lens covered with red cellophane, so they can use it to watch out for rattlesnakes when they are walking, without interfering with everyone’s night vision.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered to be one of the most popular showers among stargazers because it is usually one of the brightest and most active of the entire year.
Guided Fort Tour
Once a month throughout the summer the staff at Fort Griffin offers a guided fort tour, and this month’s tour will be offered on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Horns and Tales
An informative cattle program is offered every Saturday from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the cattle pens.
“All ages are welcome to come and see part of the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd up close and hear history and tales from the cattle drives and early ranching,” said herd manager Will Cradduck. “Learn about Texas Longhorn cattle and experience a living part of Texas history.”
Fort Griffin is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission fees are $4 for adults, free for those five and under, and $3 for college students, those between six and 18 years of age, and anyone over 65. Special rates are available for families and adult tour groups.
For additional information, or to reserve camping sites, call store manager Jane Lenoir at 325-762-3592.
