We’ll visit the Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex, located east of North Vernon near Butlerville. The training center is holding an open house on Oct. 12 to mark the center’s 100th anniversary. The Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex is the Department of Defense’s largest urban training center used by the military, homeland security, first responders and others to simulate a variety of conditions and scenarios. The urban training complex is part of the Atterbury-Muscatatuck military training center.

Visitors to the center can also tour the Muscatuck Museum, which commemorates the history of the mental health facility that occupied the site from 1920 until 2005 — starting as the Indiana Farm Colony for Feeble-Minded Youth, eventually the Muscatatuck State School, and finally the Muscatatuck State Developmental Center.

According to an announcement by the Camp Atterbury public affairs office, open house activities will include “military displays, paintball shooting, a petting zoo featuring Sahara the Camel, The Indiana Pacers Fan Van from noon until 2:00 p.m., free food and drink, and games for the kids.”

Because the open house doesn’t start until 10 a.m., we may start the day with an early-morning visit to nearby Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.