The National Park Service and Schoodic Institute will dedicate the newly renovated Rockefeller Hall at Acadia National Park's Schoodic Education and Research Center in a public ceremony on July 3.

SERC is located in Winter Harbor, Maine, at the former Naval Security Group Activity base, which the U.S. Navy transferred to the Park Service in 2002 as part of the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park. The dedication of Rockefeller Hall, which gets under way at 3 p.m. on July 3, marks a milestone in the transformation of the Navy base to a state-of-the-art campus for SERC.

The campus facilities include classrooms, laboratories, lodging, dining rooms, and a 125-seat auditorium on a newly landscaped, pedestrian-friendly campus.

The ceremony will include a presentation of remarks followed by a reception under an open-air tent (rain or shine). Scheduled speakers include U.S. Senator Susan Collins; U.S. Representative Mike Michaud; Dr. Gary E. Machlis, science advisor to Park Service Director Jon Jarvis; Mr. David Rockefeller, Jr.; Mr. Alan J. Goldstein, chairman of the Schoodic Institute Board of Directors; Dr. Michael Soukup, president and CEO of the Schoodic Institute; and Acadia Superintendent Sheridan Steele.

Rockefeller Hall will be open for public tours after the ceremony from approximately 3:30 to 5 p.m. NPS and Schoodic Institute staff will be on hand to answer questions about the building, and SERC’s programs and activities.

The NPS and Schoodic Institute recently completed significant improvements to Rockefeller Hall to serve as the new welcome center for SERC. Highlights of the 21,000-square foot building include a reception desk, administrative offices, small-group meeting rooms, six lodging suites, exhibits, and a book sales area. Importantly, Rockefeller Hall is now accessible to all with the addition of entrance ramps, new restrooms, and an elevator. The $2.7 million project was funded by Park Service entrance fees and a generous donation from Mrs. Edith Robb Dixon of Winter Harbor, Maine, who will be recognized during the ceremony for her tremendous support and dedication to SERC.

The NPS originally constructed Rockefeller Hall in 1935 to serve as an operations center and housing for the U.S. Navy Radio Station, and the building is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Schoodic Institute (www. sercinstitute.org) is the NPS’s nonprofit partner working to create a world-class research and learning institution at Acadia National Park dedicated to supporting scientific research in the park, providing professional development for teachers, and educating students to become a new generation of stewards who will help conserve our natural and cultural treasures.

The mission of Schoodic Institute is to guide present and future generations to greater understanding and respect for nature by providing research and learning opportunities through its outstanding setting, unique coastal Maine facilities, and innovative partnership programs. The dedication of Rockefeller Hall will celebrate this vision and the successful transformation of the navy base to a new campus for SERC.