Lake Afton Public Observatory

The Lake Afton Public Observatory was created in 1979 through the cooperation of four local units of government. Construction and equipment costs were equally divided between Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. Through 1994, the majority of the operating funds of the Observatory were shared equally by the Wichita Board of Education and Wichita State University. Since then the Observatory has been operated by Wichita State University's Fairmount Center for Science and Mathematics Education with additional funds from Sedgwick County for facilities. All programs, exhibits, and school out-reach materials are designed, prepared, and presented by Observatory staff and volunteers.

The programs of the Observatory also extend beyond its walls through classroom presentations, portable editions of exhibits, instructional astronomy games, video tapes, and astronomy activities for use in the classroom.