Explorit Science Center will open the doors of both its facilities for a free day of activities Saturday as part of the Sacramento Association of Museum’s 10th Annual Museum Day. Extended hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., leaving time to visit one or more of the region’s other 24 participating museums as well.

At Explorit’s main site (2801 Second St.), you can explore two floors of exhibits and and try your hand at some special problem-solving activities. If you haven’t visited lately, you may be surprised to find that both floors are now open for scientific exploration. We have exhibitions both downstairs in the Jonsson Family Gallery (“Field to Fridge to Fork: Following Food”) and upstairs in the new Gumerlock Gallery (“Go with the Flow . . . From Delta to Sea”).

In addition, Explorit’s new Challenge Center is proving to be a big hit after only two weeks. Basically, it’s a former meeting room at our main site that’s filled with bins of recycled and “found objects.” Visitors can use the items to invent a solution to our weekly challenge.

In our first Challenge of the Week, budding engineers tried to build as tall a tower as possible. A number of creations – patched-together designs of paper cups, cardboard tubes and so forth – reached the ceiling. Looking at happy children building towers last Sunday, parent Linda Schmidt said, “Their favorite thing would be to have a room at home like this, filled by recyclables.”

Admission to the Challenge Center is included in museum admission; there is a $1 materials charge for those who want to take their creations home.

Museum Day will also be observed at Explorit’s Mace Park Branch, 3141 Fifth St. Normally used for field trips, Astronomy Club meetings and other special events, it will be open Saturday for the public to enjoy nature-related activities. Self-guided nature walks in the adjoining Mace Park will be available, weather permitting.

Museum Day is organized each year by the Sacramento Association of Museums. For more information, visit www.sacmuseums.org (click on “Museum Day”) or call the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau at (916) 808-7777.

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As a nonprofit organization, Explorit draws income from a variety of sources, including admission, program fees, memberships, government grants and donations from individuals, businesses and foundations. This week, we’d like to thank and recognize corporations and foundations who have given $1,000 or more in the past six months.

• The Morgan Family Foundation, $75,000 to support Explorit’s new building
• The Frank H. & Eva B. Buck Foundation, $75,000 to support the new building
• Kaiser Permanente, $30,000 for general support
• The Kenneth Jonsson Family Foundation, $30,000 to the Suzanne Ullensvang Special Projects Fund
• The Gencorp Foundation, $25,000 to support outreach programs to underserved schools free of charge
• The Monsanto Fund, $16,000 to support the current exhibit “Go with the Flow . . . From Delta to Sea”
• The Dale Family Fund, $15,000 for general support
• The Dean Witter Foundation, $10,000 to offer field-trip scholarships to underserved schools to visit Explorit’s Nature Safaris and Nature Labs
• Siemens, $10,000 to support sponsorship outreach programs to underserved schools
• The Thomas J. Long Foundation, $10,000 to present Explorit’s “Health in Your World” programs free of charge to underserved schools
• Teichert Foundation, $7,500 to support the current exhibit “Go with the Flow From Delta to Sea”
• USE Credit Union, $5,000 for general support
• Davis Waste Removal, $5,000 to support Explorit’s “Summer Science Series” programs in 2008
• Northrop Grumman, $2,250 in support of the upcoming long-term exhibition “Move It! Science in Action”
• The City of Davis - $2,000 to support the current on-site exhibit “Go with the Flow – From Delta to Sea”
• Pfund Family Foundation, $1,000 for general support.

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Explorit Science Center is open from 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission is $4 general, free for teachers and ages 3 and under. Explorit is at 2801 Second Street, Davis. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or www.explorit.org.