Calendar of Events

Calling all builders and creators! Whether you’re a seasoned builder or just discovering the joy of building, this is the event for you! Join us for a museum-wide weekend of building activities and challenges for all ages and skill levels. It all happens Saturday and Sunday, August 6–10th. LEGO® Build Stations · 10:00am – 5:00pm Dive into the world of creativity when you visit various build stations located throughout the museum’s atrium. Challenge yourself to build cityscapes, fantasy worlds, vehicles… the…

Calling all builders and creators! Whether you’re a seasoned builder or just discovering the joy of building, this is the event for you! Join us for a museum-wide weekend of building activities and challenges for all ages and skill levels. It all happens Saturday and Sunday, August 6–10th. LEGO® Build Stations · 10:00am – 5:00pm Dive into the world of creativity when you visit various build stations located throughout the museum’s atrium. Challenge yourself to build cityscapes, fantasy worlds, vehicles… the…

From Memorial Day, May 26 though Labor Day, September 1, 2025, The Discovery adds Monday to the days the museum is open to the public. That’s seven days a week you can build, invent, explore and have fun! We hope to see you here. Be sure to check out the calendar of events to find out what’s happening all summer long!

In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During Open Build, take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During Open Build, take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Young visitors will solve puzzles by matching shapes to their corresponding spaces, enhancing cognitive and spatial skills. Please note: This activity is offered as part of The Discovery’s Small Wonder Wednesday program and is limited to attendees ages 5 and under.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to create an expansive cardboard city. Build homes, skyscrapers, churches, parks, stores… whatever you can imagine. This is an ongoing collaborative project that will grow and change throughout the day. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to create an expansive cardboard city. Build homes, skyscrapers, churches, parks, stores… whatever you can imagine. This is an ongoing collaborative project that will grow and change throughout the day. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Work with fellow museum visitors in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to create an expansive cardboard city. Build homes, skyscrapers, churches, parks, stores… whatever you can imagine. This is an ongoing collaborative project that will grow and change throughout the day. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

From Memorial Day, May 26 though Labor Day, September 1, 2025, The Discovery adds Monday to the days the museum is open to the public. That’s seven days a week you can build, invent, explore and have fun! We hope to see you here. Be sure to check out the calendar of events to find out what’s happening all summer long!

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely.

Visit The Shop to make your own pocket field notebook, a tool in science for collecting scientific observations. Use available tools and materials to personalize your field notebook and follow our provided guide to create your first field entry. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to make your own pocket field notebook, a tool in science for collecting scientific observations. Use available tools and materials to personalize your field notebook and follow our provided guide to create your first field entry. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to make your own pocket field notebook, a tool in science for collecting scientific observations. Use available tools and materials to personalize your field notebook and follow our provided guide to create your first field entry. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely.