Calendar of Events

Visit The Shop to create a unique work of art. Using hammers, nails, and a colorful selection of yarn and string, you can create a unique piece of geometric decor. Best of all, what you make 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 The Shop to create a unique work of art. Using hammers, nails, and a colorful selection of yarn and string, you can create a unique piece of geometric decor. Best of all, what you make 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. Presented with support from:  

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.

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

Visit The Shop to take part in this acknowledgement of Women’s History Month where visitors can design, assemble, and sew their own miniature pair of pants! Using a variety of fabrics and decorations, you can assemble your pants using fabric glue or a sewing machine. This activity celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Attorney General’s declaration that it was acceptable for women to wear pants in public in the United States! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials…

Register for a LEGO® Robot Rumble session and you’ll learn how to build and code the ultimate autonomous, fighting robot using using LEGO® Mindstorms. Then, test your bot’s capabilities when you pit it against your fellow participants in a head-to-head battle. Your objective? Push your competitor’s bot out of the ring to declare victory!

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

Visit The Shop to take part in this acknowledgement of Women’s History Month where visitors can design, assemble, and sew their own miniature pair of pants! Using a variety of fabrics and decorations, you can assemble your pants using fabric glue or a sewing machine. This activity celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Attorney General’s declaration that it was acceptable for women to wear pants in public in the United States! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials…

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

Visit The Shop to take part in this acknowledgement of Women’s History Month where visitors can design, assemble, and sew their own miniature pair of pants! Using a variety of fabrics and decorations, you can assemble your pants using fabric glue or a sewing machine. This activity celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Attorney General’s declaration that it was acceptable for women to wear pants in public in the United States! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials…

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. Presented with support from:  

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.

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.

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

Join us for a profound evening as Science Distilled delves into the intricacies of the human mind. Our esteemed researchers and experts will navigate topics ranging from genetics and trauma, to the essential tools and resources for safeguarding oneself and how to support your community. This event will address challenging subjects including depression, suicide, and violence, with a focus on providing the audience with research-based insights and actionable strategies to address these pervasive societal issues. During intermission, attendees are welcome…

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:

Can you outrun a leprechaun? Find out at the 12th Annual Leprechaun Race on Sunday, March 17, 2024. 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?……

Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, visit The Shop to design and build your own leprechaun-trapping mechanism. Who knows, with creativity and ingenuity you might just catch him! And, best of all, what you build is yours to take home. 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.

3D printing technology is changing the fields of design and manufacturing at a rapid rate. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to witness the layer-by-layer creation of various objects, learn about the materials and technologies involved, and understand the applications and implications of 3D printing across industries like healthcare, engineering, and art.

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. Presented with support from:  

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.

The Discovery will be open 10:00am to 5:00pm on Monday, March 25 and Monday, April 1, 2024 during Washoe County School District’s spring break. Be sure to check out the calendar of events to see all of the exciting things happening at the museum.

Prepare for the summer growing season with a garden box you design and build in The Shop. Using wood and a variety of tools, you can create a garden box to grow your favorite flowers or veggies. Best of all, what you make 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.