History
The Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory stands as a memorial to the dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work of Edwin Foster (Frosty) Drew. As a child, Edwin contracted Polio, one year before the vaccine became available. A graduate of Brown University, Edwin began his career as a writer, though soon became engaged in efforts to preserve and protect the natural heritage of southern Rhode Island. His efforts in organizing and raising public awareness largely contributed to the preservation of Ninigret Pond and its surrounding areas as a priceless natural asset to the town of Charlestown and the state of Rhode Island. Edwin passed away in September 1976 at the age of 28 and was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1990. Today, Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory continue its mission of environmental stewardship and delivering environmental education to people of all ages, with primary focus on marine and aquatic habitats and the night sky.
Specialties
At Frosty Drew Observatory, we love the cosmos and everything astronomy! We want to be your first contact with astronomy and astrophysics, where we can inspire your inner geek to reach for the sky and lead you on a life-long science adventure. The Frosty Drew Observatory is located under some of the darkest skies in Southern New England and our telescopes are fabulous as featuring the Moon, dazzling planets, bright stars, speckled star clusters, mesmerizing nebulae, and vast galaxies. We stay open late, sometimes until dawn. If you are looking for that awesome astronomy thing to do or just want a night out to experience the cosmos under the darkest skies in Rhode Island, than amazing things await at Frosty Drew Observatory.