On Saturday, August 12, the exhibit will be opened to the public, with all-day space-related activities (crafts, games, scavenger hunt, information table with SW Florida Astronomical Society, etc.) for all ages from 10am to 4pm, with the CNCP ‘special event’ entrance fees of $15/adults and $10/children (3-12 years). Mr. Heitz is an adventurous soul who has been all over the world in search of these rare pieces of outer space — or in this case, a piece of an alien world. Heitz, owner of Midwest Meteorites (www.meteorman.org), has gifted only one other institution, the Saint Louis Science Center, with a piece of Mars that can be touched. The other two touchable exhibits are located at NASA Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, TX, and at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Now, Southwest Florida’s Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium is a permanent home to a touchable piece of Mars with the opening of the Heitz Mars Meteorite Exhibit. You may purchase tickets to the Friday, August 11th Evening Preview Reception at the discounted “advance price” here, until Wednesday, August 9th. After that, the at-the-door price will be in effect.