Calendar of Events

Follow in Orville and Wilbur’s footsteps when you visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a flying machine. Using recycled materials, you can invent something you think will fly. Create it, try it, tweak it, until you designed something airworthy, whether that’s a paper airplane or a prototype for a more advanced flying machine like a helicopter, jet, or rocket! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young…

Celebrate the favorite father in your life with a trophy you build in his honor. In honor of Father’s Day, visit The Shop to use a variety of real tools and materials to construct a trophy to commemorate the importance of the dad in your life. 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.

Celebrate the favorite father in your life with a trophy you build in his honor. In honor of Father’s Day, visit The Shop to use a variety of real tools and materials to construct a trophy to commemorate the importance of the dad in your life. 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.

The Discovery will be closed to the public on Monday, June 8, 2026 for exhibit maintenance. The museum will reopen and resume normal operating hours on Tuessday, June 9. As always, please check our calendar of events for updates on the many exciting things happening here at The Discovery.

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.

Visitors can use a variety of pieces that could be used to create a new sport, or innovate a sport they like. pieces are cones, various sports pieces, some baskets, small pallets, Tinkertoys and Lego. 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.

Hands-on gets serious in The Shop! In this material-specific session of Open Build, you’ll use real tools to build nearly anything you can imagine out of cardboard. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Science has a communication problem. The Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science at the University of Nevada, Reno prepares students to combat misinformation and bridge the gap between science and the public through engaging visual storytelling. As part of the project’s second annual travel-based course, students will report in both Spanish and English while working on location at La Selva Research Station in Costa Rica. From the jungle, they will document scientific research through video, photography, audio and writing. Join us…

Play is more than freeze-tag and sidewalk chalk. Play has been proven to drive deep, meaningful learning outcomes, but we’re just not playing enough. The Discovery’s celebration of the International Day of Play invites you to explore how central play is to every human’s development and well-being. Join us, along with a long list of community partners, to celebrate the power of play through hands-on activities, physical challenges, and ample amounts of fun!

Visitors can use a variety of pieces that could be used to create a new sport, or innovate a sport they like. pieces are cones, various sports pieces, some baskets, small pallets, Tinkertoys and Lego. 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.

Calling all Minecraft fans! Head to The Shop to build your own sculptural tribute to your favorite character or NPC. Using simple wooden blocks and a healthy amount of glue, you can build and color your favorite character or artifact from the ever-popular game originally created by Mojang Studios in 2011. 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…

From Memorial Day, May 25 though Labor Day, September 7, 2026, 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.

Cause and effect will be explored in this activity. Using materials (balls, tubes, blocks, baskets, marble run pieces, and more) visitors will try and build a chain reaction to catch a Dinosaur!

Celebrate Gerard’s 3rd birthday with us here at The Discovery! We’re marking the two-year anniversary of the installation of the museum’s Allosaurus cast with a weekend filled with dinosaur activities for all ages.

Cause and effect will be explored in this activity. Using materials (balls, tubes, blocks, baskets, marble run pieces, and more) visitors will try and build a chain reaction to catch a Dinosaur!

Join us for this engaging STEM Lab to design a small, self‑sustaining ecosystem filled with dinosaur friends. Using materials like gravel, activated charcoal, soil, peat moss, and small plants, you’ll create a self-contained terrarium that requires minimal care. The STEM Lab blends creativity with environmental science, helping participants understand concepts like humidity, nutrient cycles, and habitat balance while crafting a personalized living display.

Cause and effect will be explored in this activity. Using materials (balls, tubes, blocks, baskets, marble run pieces, and more) visitors will try and build a chain reaction to catch a Dinosaur!

From Memorial Day, May 25 though Labor Day, September 7, 2026, 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.

The future of robotics is promising. But what can robots do to help humans in our daily lives? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a robot using a variety of craft supplies and recycled materials that can aid in daily tasks. 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.

The future of robotics is promising. But what can robots do to help humans in our daily lives? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a robot using a variety of craft supplies and recycled materials that can aid in daily tasks. 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.

The future of robotics is promising. But what can robots do to help humans in our daily lives? Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a robot using a variety of craft supplies and recycled materials that can aid in daily tasks. 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 25 though Labor Day, September 7, 2026, 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!