Following the $7.5 million expansion that started in 2016, Shaver’s Creek will re-open on Labor Day weekend to showcase its renovation of Penn State’s outdoor education field lab and nature center. The expansion is the largest addition since its opening in 1976.

Other renovations include the visitor’s center, Liztinger Herpetology Center, office spaces, and 3,000 square feet of new classrooms with added technology. More than 1,400 Penn State students will use this space to take courses offered in nine different departments.

Renovations will benefit not only Penn State students, but also community members who attend public festivals and summer camps held at the center. The fall Enchanted Halloween Trail and Festival and spring’s Maple Harvest Festival will return this year.

“Shaver’s Creek will be able to serve as a nationwide model for environmental centers and university field labs, allowing us to enrich the educational experience,” Shaver’s Creek Director Mark McLaughlin said in a press release.

“We’ll now be able to build the future of environmental education and help prepare future generations to make informed decisions and choices that affect the natural world.”

A re-opening celebration will be held Saturday, September 1 at 4 p.m.