Horizons Unlimited

Mission
Empowering our communities to explore science and the natural world.

Vision
To mobilize our communities by bridging the gap between the opportunities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.

50 Years of #HU4YOU

Horizons Unlimited has served the citizens of Salisbury and Rowan County for over 50 years with educational programing for all ages. Our family friendly public events provide a space where exploration, creativity and innovation are fostered.

During the year, services include K-12 academic school programming, support to community groups seeking educational entertainment and summer camps focused on our mission of exploring science and the natural world.

The staff of Horizons Unlimited looks forward to serving your education and entertainment needs in the upcoming year. For more information or to join our Friends of Horizons email listing, call 704-639-3004.

Nature, Hiking, and a Story

By Diane Folk

Mother and son enjoy the Horizons Unlimited StoryWalk on the nature trail.

Get more exercise. Take a walk. Read a book. All advice that we are given all the time. How about if you could take a walk, read a book and spend time with your family all at once? That is exactly what the StoryWalk at Horizons Unlimited aims to accomplish! Every month a different children’s book with beautiful illustrations will be on display along the upper portion of the trail within the Tom E. Smith Exploratorium and Nature Trail. Get outside, enjoy the fresh air, see the beautiful fall leaves, and read with your family. Please come and visit every month. We would love to see you on the trail!

Horizons Unlimited is located at 1636 Parkview Circle (behind Knox Middle School). The trail is open to the public daily from daylight to dusk. The trail entrance is located in the corner of the parking lot.

The StoryWalk Project was developed by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and is a register trademark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Facilities

Margaret C. Woodson Planetarium

Our 30-foot dome ceiling, theater seating for 72, and original star projector continue to amaze audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We have recently added a homemade mirror-dome like system that allows us to present multiple formats and amaze audiences in a whole new immersive environment!

Native American Artifact Collection

The exhibit showcases a wide variety of North Carolina Indian tools, baskets and weaponry. Also included is part of the Peter Cooper collection of arrowheads, spear points and other remnants of area tribes.

Rainforest/Aquaria

Experience a two-story, moist, tropical environment with colorful vegetation such as banana trees, palms, ferns and orchids. Discover a wide variety of aquatic life forms, such as zooplankton, aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans and freshwater fish species

Setzer School

This is a 19th century one-room log schoolhouse originally used in southern Rowan County. It is furnished to show a typical school of that time period. Visitors recreate a school day by studying reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Smith Exploratorium-Nature Trail

Hike along nature trails and boardwalks to see a wetland forest rarely found in the inner Piedmont of North Carolina. This 34-acre study area is recognized in the NC Registry of Natural Heritage areas for outstanding natural value.