To celebrate Charles Darwin’s birthday Sternberg Museum offers free admission all day on Jan. 20.

“We do a lot of fun stuff,” a front desk volunteer said. “We hold fun events at least four times a year.”

The annual event is usually based on the weekend closest to the naturalis’ts birthday, but this year they chose to celebrate early as to also hold the event on Penguin Awareness Day.

Sternberg offers many fun activities year-round but they offer few days of free admission.

“We only have two free days,” a front desk volunteer said. “The Darwin Day is a free day, and National Fossil Day is a free day.”

Darwin Day allows for low cost family fun for everyone. On average 300 plus people participate between both students and families.

Hays High Student Emma Pfannenstiel took part in Darwin Day alongside the other 315 visitors.

When asked to rate her experience between one, being an awful time, and ten, being the best time of her life, Pfannenstiel rated the visit at a 54.

“Definitely the dinosaurs were my favorite part of the visit,” Pfannenstiel said. “I also bought four miniature dinosaurs and a rock.”

ppolifkadenson@usd489.com