Calendar of Events

Join partners One Truckee River and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB) for a fun-filled evening of watershed discovery for adults and kids! In this 1.5 hour program, we’ll start with an interactive storytelling activity about the history of the Truckee River Watershed for the whole family. Then the adults will break off to take a River-Friendly Living class with One Truckee River, while kids participate in a “Watershed Warriors” lesson led by KTMB. For Kids (recommended for ages 5-12) KTMB’s Watershed…

$5 museum admission all day! The Nevada State Treasurer’s Office invites you and your family to The Discovery on Saturday, September 10, 2022 for an event designed to inspire children to envision their educational future and help parents and caregivers learn about the variety of state-sponsored 529 college savings programs available. Visitors of every age will enjoy $5 general admission all day! Members are always free!

Discover your inner sleuth when you explore the science that solves crimes. Apply your own wound, create blood spatter artwork, see what it’s like to be buried alive, gather evidence from crime scenes, test your crime committing knowledge in a trivia challenge, and much more! Labs, lectures and experiences at this Social Science will include: Autopsy Science In this lecture, explore topics like time of death, postmortem changes, patterns of injury, and a step-by-step presentation of the autopsy process from…

The Discovery invites you to an exclusive, members-only opportunity to see Survival of the Slowest, the exciting new featured exhibition that explores the often-overlooked species that have used their disadvantages to help them survive—and even thrive—in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. This world-class exhibition will allow visitors to get up close and personal with more than 15 live animals including a two-toed sloth, red-footed tortoise, green iguana, four-toed hedgehog, bearded…

The Discovery invites you to Survival of the Slowest, the exciting new featured exhibition that explores the often-overlooked species that have used their disadvantages to help them survive—and even thrive—in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. This world-class exhibition will allow visitors to get up close and personal with more than 15 live animals including a two-toed sloth, red-footed tortoise, green iguana, four-toed hedgehog, bearded dragon, ball python, and more! Visitors…

The Discovery invites you to Survival of the Slowest, the exciting new featured exhibition that explores the often-overlooked species that have used their disadvantages to help them survive—and even thrive—in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. This world-class exhibition will allow visitors to get up close and personal with more than 15 live animals including a two-toed sloth, red-footed tortoise, green iguana, four-toed hedgehog, bearded dragon, ball python, and more! Visitors…

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available at low or no-cost for children and adults who qualify. Vaccines will be administered by Washoe County Health District and/or Safeway on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. No appointment necessary. If you have insurance, including Nevada Checkup or Medicare, please bring your insurance card. If you do not have insurance, the cost of vaccinations will be covered by Immunize Nevada. For patients receiving vaccines through Washoe County Health District,…

Head to The Discovery for a hauntingly good time at the 11th annual Halloween Trick or Treat. Visit the museum in costume and trick-or-treat from gallery to gallery. There’ll be spooky decorations and delicious treats for all of the friendly or scary ghosts, ghouls and goblins who dare to attend. Advance tickets are encouraged but not required.      A note about costumes: For the safety of all visitors, costumes with weapons of any kind are not allowed.

Join our friends from Tahoe Star Tours for a unique opportunity to gaze at Jupiter through computerized Celestron telescopes. Jupiter will be about 367 million miles away and will not be this close to Earth again until the year 2129. As a bonus, Saturn and a crescent Moon will also be visible. Telescope operators from Tahoe Star Tours will guide you to the eyepiece, and will answer questions about the solar system. Note: This event takes place in The Discovery’s parking lot. Entry to…

Prepare for an exotic expedition of epic proportions at Chemistry of the Cocktail – The Discovery’s annual fundraising event. Tour uncharted jungle scenery and view rare and unfamiliar animal species, as you sample jungle-inspired cocktails, enjoy a delicious menu created by the experts at Blend, and take part in hands-on mixology experiments, all while providing much-needed financial support for The Discovery.

Skip the Black Friday madness and make plans to shop the Museum Store holiday sale at The Discovery where you’ll find Reno’s best selection of the smartest toys, games, gadgets, apparel, puzzles, science kits, and more!

Meet Penny. She is a third-grade student who has grown up visiting The Discovery with her family. She is an expert at climbing to the top of the Cloud Climber, loves getting messy when doing science experiments, and thinks every scientist is cool, especially female scientists. Penny’s love of learning led her to donate her allowance to the museum. On this Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll join Penny is supporting The Discovery and make a gift of $50, $100, $250, or more. No matter…

Our friends from Nevada Humane Society will visit The Discovery to share information about the services their organization provides in our community. Learn more about how to adopt an animal that is right for your home and family and pick up a free coloring book about dog bite prevention.

Ready to engage in battle? Register for one of our one-day classes and you’ll learn how to build the ultimate BattleBot using using LEGO® Mindstorm robotics. Then, test your bot’s capabilities when you pit it against your fellow participants in a head-to-head, sumo-style battle. Your objective? Push your competitors’ bot out of the ring to declare victory! Age Group Time Member Nonmember Registration Ages 5-8* 10:00 – 11:30am $25 $30 Ages 9-12 1:00 – 4:00pm $30 $35 *Registrants ages 5-8…

Tickets for this event are sold out. No tickets available at the door.   Now boarding at Platform 9 3/4 for your opportunity to explore the science of witchcraft and wizardry. Take on the Whomping Willow, play Quidditch Remixed, create your own personal wand, explore the potion lab, flex your knowledge in the Potter trivia challenge, and so much more! Fear not, Muggles are encouraged to attend, too. Labs, lectures and experiences at this Social Science will include: Nail The Whomping Willow…

Can you outrun a leprechaun? Find out at the 11th Annual Leprechaun Race on Sunday, March 12, 2023. This family-friendly 5K run/walk starts and finishes at The Discovery and will take you on a tour through the streets of the Midtown and Wells Avenue neighborhoods. Don’t despair if the leprechaun beats you to the finish. For every runner, jogger or walker the leprechaun passes, the pot of gold grows in size. Who will benefit from the increased pot of gold?……

The Discovery invites you to explore Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants, the exciting new featured exhibition that takes you on a journey with National Geographic Explorer and University of Nevada, Reno professor Dr. Zeb Hogan to find and study rare, colossal, and often mysterious fish. Monster Fish features 6,000 square feet of stunning life-size sculptures, interactive exhibits, and evocative video installations that put you face-to-face with more than 20 fish species. Embark on a global journey to storied…

The Discovery invites you to explore Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants, the exciting new featured exhibition that takes you on a journey with National Geographic Explorer and University of Nevada, Reno professor Dr. Zeb Hogan to find and study rare, colossal, and often mysterious fish. Monster Fish features 6,000 square feet of stunning life-size sculptures, interactive exhibits, and evocative video installations that put you face-to-face with more than 20 fish species. Embark on a global journey to storied…

Tickets for this event are sold out. No tickets available at the door.   Celebrate the power of femininity at Social Science. Design a mini terrarium, take a self defense class, enjoy a cocktail while you do some speed-friending, triumph in drag queen trivia, and learn about amazing women in science. This event is open to everyone, regardless of their gender or gender identity. Labs, lectures and experiences at this Social Science will include: Miniature Terrariums Capture the beauty and wonder of…

Get under the hood at The Discovery! Motor on down to The Discovery for a day filled with hands-on automotive themed activities for car enthusiasts of every age. Join experts from NAPA AutoCare Centers to explore the inner workings of automobiles and the systems that make them go, turn and stop. Here are some of the exciting things happening on this special day:

Visit The Discovery on this special day during the Northern Nevada Science & Technology Festival to explore the opportunities and careers vital to growing our city and inspiring the next generation of learners and thinkers. Join fellow educational organizations from around northern Nevada to participate in engaging hands-on STEAM activities and explore the entire museum, including Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants, The Discovery’s current featured exhibition. Museum admission for this event is FREE as part of…

Join the Head Injury Association of Northern Nevada (HIANN) to learn how to properly fit a bicycle helmet for maximum protection and comfort. HIANN will also be giving away free bicycle helmets for children (while supplies last) courtesy of the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Coding and computer science are changing the face of nearly every industry on the planet. The Discovery’s Day of Code is your chance to explore the wonders of coding through a variety of hands-on activities. Help a robotic bug reach its nest, understand binary code, instruct a human robot to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, play coding games in the Microsoft STEM Lab, and a whole lot more! It all happens in one giant, code-filled day! Join us…

Saddle up to explore the original and the final frontier all in one exciting night. Get hands-on with science and fun inspired by the wild west and galaxies far, far away. Conquer a buckin’ bronc, play with alien slime, test your ranch hand skills, and more! Cowboys, cowgirls and city-slickers are all invited to attend! Labs, lectures and experiences at this Social Science will include: Mending Fences Round up a team of four to compete in this relay-style race to…