STEM Discovery and Learning Center
FSU STEM Discovery and Learning Center
About the Center
The Center brings together the Planetarium, Research Education and Environmental Facility (REEF), and Arthropod and Toxicological Studies (ANTS) to support education, outreach, student engagement, and community connection. Experience STEM in an approachable setting that showcases Fayetteville State University.
Who the Center serves
Undergraduate and Graduate students
Connect coursework with hands-on experiences. FSU undergraduate and graduate students can engage in research, science activities, student organizations, and campus programs that extend learning beyond the classroom.
Faculty and staff
Enrich instruction, connect disciplines, support outreach, and introduce visiting groups to university expertise.
Community Partners
Schools, youth groups, and community partners can engage with FSU through STEM experiences, educational programs, and opportunities that strengthen college and career pathways.
Explore the spaces
Visit a single space or combine them for a broader STEM Discovery experience.
Planetarium
Explore the universe at the Fayetteville State University Planetarium, where ten 4K projectors illuminate a 30-foot dome with an exceptionally crisp and immersive view of the night sky. Live, astronomer-led programs take visitors on interactive journeys through the Solar System, across the Milky Way, and beyond, with experiences tailored for different ages and audiences.
School and group visits may also include hands-on STEM activities such as rocket launches, astronomy demonstrations, robotics, coding, aeronautics, and other Exploratorium experiences. Whether you are a student, educator, family, or community visitor, the FSU Planetarium offers an engaging way to discover space, science, and exploration.
Research Education and Environmental Facility (REEF)
Explore aquatic life and living ecosystems through the FSU REEF. The space features several freshwater tanks with a variety of aquatic species, an interactive touch tank, and an aquaponic system that demonstrates how aquatic organisms and plants can work together in a sustainable growing environment. Through guided, hands-on experiences, visitors observe biodiversity and learn about ecological relationships, water quality, nutrient cycling, conservation, and environmental stewardship. The FSU REEF connects scientific concepts with real-world applications, supporting student learning, research, and community engagement.
Arthropod Network and Toxicological Studies (ANTS)
Step inside Fayetteville State University's new arthropod lab and meet the small animals that do some of the biggest jobs on Earth. In this guided program, visitors get up close with live insects, a tarantula, and the "cleanup crew" that keeps our soil healthy. You'll see a praying mantis ambush its prey and hear a Madagascar hissing cockroach hiss. You'll also meet beetles that play dead and bess beetles that squeak to each other while raising their young in rotting logs. Along the way you'll learn how an ant colony works together, why some darkling beetle larvae can eat plastic foam, and how tiny flour beetles help scientists study genetics. The program also shows how FSU researchers are developing a natural, plant-based way to control the litter beetles that trouble North Carolina poultry farms. Millipedes, springtails, and isopods (roly-polies) round out the tour by showing how decomposers turn dead leaves and wood back into rich soil. The program is suitable for all ages and shows how arthropods, about 80 percent of all known animal species, pollinate our food, recycle our waste, and hold our world together.
Plan a group experience
Visit information at a glance
Visit days: Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday
Minimum group size: 20 participants
Maximum group size: 65 participants per experience
Groups larger than 65 may be accommodated through double shows or rotating experiences, based on availability.
- Planetarium: $150
- REEF: $75
- ANTS: $75
- All three spaces: $300
Group visit request
Ready to plan a visit
Share your preferred date, anticipated group size, and selected experience. Final scheduling depends on space, staffing, and program availability.