Wayne State College
Menu

Who We Are

Facilities and Resources

Wayne State College

Wayne State College has a variety of facilities and resources available for community use to meet your conferencing, educational, social or personal needs.

The Wayne State Student Center provides many services that will make your next event a success. Whether you are planning a small group meeting or a large banquet for several hundred people, the Student Center can accommodate your needs.

Rice Auditorium is the home to the WSC indoor sports programs. It seats approximately 1,700 for basketball and volleyball events. In addition, the auditorium, through the use of its stage, can accommodate 2,500 to 3,000 for commencement, theatrical performances, lectures and other similar events.

Memorial Stadium/Bob Cunningham Field: The stadium is used for seating up to 4,000 spectators for Wayne State College and Wayne High School football games. It also houses a press box and concession stand. WSC also hosts many high school track meets at this facility. Call 402-375-7520 for information.

Ley Theatre, located in Brandenburg Hall, has fixed seating for 150. Additional seats may be added to accommodate up to 220.

Ramsey Theatre, located in the Peterson Fine Arts Building, can accommodate 650 people on its main floor and balcony.

Mamie McCorkindale School Museum was originally built in 1880. The Wayne State Foundation restored the school with donations of furnishings and equipment from alumni and friends of the college and area rural schools. The period depicted by the restoration of the school is 1910, featuring a 46-star flag, an 1890 globe, 1910 maps and a picture of Teddy Roosevelt. The members of the Wayne Area Retired Teachers Association give tours and presentations about the school and its contents for visitors. For more information, call 402-375-7389.

Chartwells, the campus food service, is a full-service company. For more information, call 402-375-7418.

The Willow Bowl is located at the southwest corner of campus. The outdoor amphitheater has seating for more than 2,000. It is used for a variety of activities including Wayne State College and Wayne High School graduations, Shakespearean plays, weddings and a host of student activities. For more information, call 402-375-7485.

The Wayne State College Bookstore is located in the Student Center. At the campus bookstore, you can shop for WSC apparel and gifts, including t-shirts, hoodies, fan gear, and other WSC clothing and accessories. You can also buy textbooks, course materials for classes, school supplies, and software. The bookstore is on the atrium level of the Student Center. Bookstore hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Wayne State College Bookstore is part of the efollett.com bookstore network. You can shop the Wayne State College Bookstore online through www.waynestatecollege.bkstr.com.

Tennis courts are available during the spring and summer months between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., depending upon weather conditions and user demand. Tournaments or private lessons are scheduled through the Recreation Center. For more information, call 402-375-7521.

Wayne State’s Arboretum is an affiliate site of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and encompasses the entire campus. For more information, call 402-375-7384.

The Museum of Natural History, containing approximately 5,500 animal specimens, is located in the Carhart Science Building. The museum is available for public use during regular school hours and for special tours by appointment. For information, call 402-375-7344.

The Fred G. Dale Planetarium, with its dome-shaped screen, is the most dramatic of theaters. The Wayne State College planetarium includes:

  • a high-definition projection system putting 3 million pixels on the 30-foot dome.
  • astronomy software with a database of 500 million stars that can move backward and forward through time +/- 100,000 years. The system allows an audience to look at space from any location in the solar system; allows the audience viewers to fly through space; and has an extensive educational library of astronomical images and movies for kindergarten through college class use.
  • a learning environment with a surround-sound system.

Please visit the planetarium's page for more information about these public shows or to find out how to book a private group showing. The suggested donation for all shows is $3 per person. All donations are appreciated.

For more information, please contact Dr. Todd Young, planetarium director, at 402-375-7471.

The WSC Recreation Center serves students, faculty, staff and the general public. This modern spacious facility includes a running track, open space for three full-size basketball and volleyball courts, a swimming pool, weight room, aerobic equipment and racquetball courts. For information, call 402-375-7520.

The Nature Center is located east of the Sports Complex. It contains College Park, Prairie Area, Ecological Study (wild) Area, a Nursery and Propagation Area, and the Wildcat Fitness Trail. For information, call 402-375-7343.

The College’s Recreation and Wellness Program provides health and lifestyle evaluations and physical fitness testing to the College community and the public at large. The program is staffed by senior Exercise Science students. It offers invaluable hands-on experience for WSC Exercise Science majors. Here students put classroom knowledge and skills into practice while providing valuable services to the campus and surrounding communities including water aerobics, strength training and stretching/balance activities. This program is available to adults age 55 and older every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. There are several activities within the program from which to choose. Blood pressure assessments are available each morning. Members can also choose to walk, bike, use the weight room or take advantage of the classes. The program is supervised by graduate exercise science students and the Wellness Coordinator. For more information, contact the Department of Health, Human Performance and Sport at 402-375-7301.

U.S. Conn Library provides a broad collection of resources and a variety of services for students, faculty, staff and area residents. A staff of librarians can assist you with study and research needs. Library collections include 350,000 print volumes and subscriptions to more than 400 journals and newspapers in print format. Online access is available to an additional 25,000 periodical titles and 50,000 e-books. Interlibrary loan services are available to broaden access to information sources not available in our local collection. The library also has an extensive collection of foreign and domestic DVD and video titles in the Robert Zahniser Film Collection as well as a vast array of educational DVDs. Computers are integrated throughout the library. In addition to desktop computer labs, the library has laptops and iPads available for in-building use. The library collection is enhanced by our status as a selective depository for U.S. Government documents.

The Library's Instructional Technology Center (ITC) provides a variety of resources and services including color printing, laminating, sign and badge production, AccuCut and Ellison die cut machines, audiovisual media duplication and binding. The ITC also houses the Materials Examination Center. The center provides a location where teachers, librarians, students and parents can come and review new children's books and educational materials prior to their purchase of those materials. 

The Library's Archives contain papers and materials relating to the history of Wayne State College. Contact archivist Marcus Schlichter at 402-375-7266 for any questions you may have concerning WSC's history.