The Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort has announced the grand opening of a new interactive exhibit. “Get on Board” greets visitors by inviting them to enter the exhibit through the mouth of a huge Kentucky spotted bass and into an operating fish hatchery.
Visitors can enjoy a hands-on learning experience about the efforts of fisheries biologists from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to manage and maintain healthy fish populations.
Families and kids can learn how fish eggs are fertilized, hatched and then the fish raised to stocking sizes for eventual release into lakes and rivers.
Salato Wildlife Education Center worked closely with the department’s fisheries division to design the new exhibit. Funding for the exhibit came from the non-profit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Act.
The Salato Center features a variety of live native animal exhibits, including a black bear, an eagle, bobcats, elk, deer, bison, snakes and fish. The center has numerous indoor exhibits and miles of hiking trails open to the public. Fishing is available at two lakes. While some programs may require a registration fee, general admission to the Salato Center is free.
The Salato Center is operated by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. For more information, call 1-800-858-1549, ext. 4445 or visit fw.ky.gov.