RANGELEY – The Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust – in accordance with Reich’s will – opened the property of Orgonon to the public as the Wilhelm Reich Museum 45 years ago.

During those years, the museum has grown, expanding its services. Its 175-acre property has been developed into a nature center with an outdoor classroom and a network of woodland trails open to the public for hiking, berry picking, snowshoeing, sledding and cross-country skiing.

Buildings in which Reich lived and worked have been brought back to life. Since 1987, the museum has carried out a summer program for Maine foster and adoptive families in which eight families are given a week’s vacation free in a cabin on the property. A conference center is used for seminars, a natural science program and year-round events.

The central museum building, formerly the Orgone Energy Observatory, provides knowledge of Reich’s work and the environment in which it took place. Tours, exhibits and a documentary video are available. The stone building offers views of the Rangeley region.

The museum opens for the season on Friday, July 1. Visitors are welcome Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. during July and August and on Sundays only from 1 to 5 p.m. in September. Special tours can be arranged by appointment.