Free reptile program coming to Silver Bay and Two Harbors libraries
Silver Bay and Two Harbors libraries will host free, one-hour reptile encounters June 11, giving Lake County families a no-cost science outing with live snakes, lizards and turtles.
Lake County families looking for a free summer activity will have two chances on June 11 to catch live reptiles at their local libraries. The Arrowhead Library System is bringing Creature Connections: The Reptile Experience to the Silver Bay Public Library at 10 a.m. and the Two Harbors Public Library at 3:30 p.m., part of a traveling program that runs from June 2 through June 26, 2026.
The one-hour, family-friendly program is free and open to the public. It pairs live-animal encounters with hands-on learning, with participants expected to see snakes, lizards, turtles and other reptiles while learning what makes reptiles unique, how they survive in the wild and why they matter in their ecosystems. The aim is educational as much as it is entertaining: the program is designed to turn curiosity into confidence around animals many people misunderstand or fear.
For families in Silver Bay and Two Harbors, the timing makes the program especially useful. It offers a no-cost outing in a part of the county where summer kid programming can be limited and where library branches often serve as one of the few easy-to-reach places for learning-based activities. The Silver Bay and Two Harbors stops also give parents, grandparents and caregivers a built-in option for mixed-age groups without paying admission or traveling far.
The program is sponsored by the Arrowhead Library System and presented with Sarah’s Serpentarium, which describes its offerings as education-first, hands-on and safety-focused for groups of all ages. Sarah Glesner, who leads the program work, brings more than two decades of live-animal education experience, including seven years at the Lake Superior Zoo, eight seasons with Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and two years in wildlife rehabilitation.
The reptile tour stretches across northeastern Minnesota with more than 20 library stops, including Grand Marais, where the public library says the program is part of its 2026 Summer Reading Program. That wider route underscores how libraries are filling a larger role this season, using traveling science programs to draw families into public spaces with free, structured activities that go beyond books alone.
For Lake County, the clearest opportunity lands on Thursday, June 11. Silver Bay gets the morning stop, Two Harbors gets the afternoon session, and both branches will offer a rare chance to see live reptiles up close without leaving town.
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