Calendar of Events

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.

Get ready to strum or pluck your way to the top of the charts on a string instrument you invent in Spark!Lab Smithsonian. Using a variety of materials including cardboard, craft sticks, wood scraps, twine, and more, you’ll create a musical instrument that really plays! 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.

The Discovery is excited to welcome everyone to explore Energy/Energía, an exciting new permanent exhibition featuring more than 20 hands-on exhibits focused on energy generation, storage and use. Visitors will investigate energy innovation happening right here in Northern Nevada, and have the opportunity to explore foundational energy concepts, learn what it takes to solve energy challenges, and leave inspired to discover more.

Visit The Shop to try your hand at paper engineering. Using a variety of paper, ribbon, and other materials, you can create a waterfall card to deliver a hidden message. 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 try your hand at paper engineering. Using a variety of paper, ribbon, and other materials, you can create a waterfall card to deliver a hidden message. 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 try your hand at paper engineering. Using a variety of paper, ribbon, and other materials, you can create a waterfall card to deliver a hidden message. 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 try your hand at paper engineering. Using a variety of paper, ribbon, and other materials, you can create a waterfall card to deliver a hidden message. 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.

Back by popular demand, paint or draw on the Clear Canvas in Da Vinci’s Corner and then watch as the canvas is washed clean to prepare for the next amazing works of art.

Visit The Shop to try your hand at paper engineering. Using a variety of paper, ribbon, and other materials, you can create a waterfall card to deliver a hidden message. 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.

With fossil fuels in high demand and short supply, can you invent a vehicle that uses an alternate form of power? Not batteries, but wind! Using a variety of materials, invent a vehicle that harnesses wind power to transport people or parcels to-and-fro. 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 create a beautiful and functional device to harness the power of the sun. Using wax paper, tissue paper, and a variety of other materials, you can create a sun catcher that looks like stained glass. 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.

With fossil fuels in high demand and short supply, can you invent a vehicle that uses an alternate form of power? Not batteries, but wind! Using a variety of materials, invent a vehicle that harnesses wind power to transport people or parcels to-and-fro. 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.

Back by popular demand, paint or draw on the Clear Canvas in Da Vinci’s Corner and then watch as the canvas is washed clean to prepare for the next amazing works of art.

With fossil fuels in high demand and short supply, can you invent a vehicle that uses an alternate form of power? Not batteries, but wind! Using a variety of materials, invent a vehicle that harnesses wind power to transport people or parcels to-and-fro. 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 create a beautiful and functional device to harness the power of the sun. Using wax paper, tissue paper, and a variety of other materials, you can create a sun catcher that looks like stained glass. 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 future of transportation is in your hands! Visit The Shop to use available tools and materials to create a miniature car that uses a rubber band for power. Experiment with a variety of rubber bands to see which will make your car move faster, slower or travel farther? 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…

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 a variety of plastics. 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.

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own flying machine! Using a variety of materials, you can invent a contraption that will take a human into the sky. This challenging STEAM activity requires inventors to consider key concepts of flight including lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Best of all, what you invent is yours to keep! 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…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own flying machine! Using a variety of materials, you can invent a contraption that will take a human into the sky. This challenging STEAM activity requires inventors to consider key concepts of flight including lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Best of all, what you invent is yours to keep! 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…

The future of transportation is in your hands! Visit The Shop to use available tools and materials to create a miniature car that uses a rubber band for power. Experiment with a variety of rubber bands to see which will make your car move faster, slower or travel farther? 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…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own flying machine! Using a variety of materials, you can invent a contraption that will take a human into the sky. This challenging STEAM activity requires inventors to consider key concepts of flight including lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Best of all, what you invent is yours to keep! 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…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use the process of invention to build a car that’ll protect its precious cargo. Using available materials and the invention process, you can create a vehicle that will protect a plastic egg in the event of a crash. Even if your egg breaks, you can tweak your design and test it again, and again, and again! Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…