Calendar of Events

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 wood. 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.

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 wood. 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.

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:  

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 wood. 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.

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.

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.

Visit The Shop to combine science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to create a spring themed decoration that transfers energy to light an LED. Design, test and refine your creation until you’re pleased with how it works. Best of all, what 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 The Shop to combine science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to create a spring themed decoration that transfers energy to light an LED. Design, test and refine your creation until you’re pleased with how it works. Best of all, what 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.

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.

Mary Louise “Missy” Cummings Ph.D. was one of the United States Navy’s first female fighter pilots. She is also a mechanical engineer and professor specializing in human-autonomous system interaction. She has conducted influential research on artificial intelligence, automation, and human patterns in engineering. Take inspiration from Missy Cummings Ph.D. when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a jet. Using available materials and real tools, you can create your own version of a fighter jet! Please note: The Shop offers access to real…

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.

Mary Louise “Missy” Cummings Ph.D. was one of the United States Navy’s first female fighter pilots. She is also a mechanical engineer and professor specializing in human-autonomous system interaction. She has conducted influential research on artificial intelligence, automation, and human patterns in engineering. Take inspiration from Missy Cummings Ph.D. when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a jet. Using available materials and real tools, you can create your own version of a fighter jet! Please note: The Shop offers access to real…

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.

Visit The Shop to create an artistic representation of a beautiful flower. Using wood and a variety of other materials, you can create a vibrant spring flower. What you make 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.

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!

Visit The Shop to create an artistic representation of a beautiful flower. Using wood and a variety of other materials, you can create a vibrant spring flower. What you make 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.

Today is the day! Get ready to explore hands-on science all summer long with Camp Discovery. Camps are available for students entering 1st through 7th grades from June 9 through August 8, 2025. In addition to camps here at The Discovery, Camp Discovery will also be hosting camps at schools throughout Reno and Sparks. Camp registration opens for members of The Discovery on Monday, April 7 at 10:00am! Nonmembers can register beginning at 10:00am on Wednesday, April 9.

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:  

Join our friends from Music Together Biggest Little City for a fun-filled class of music and movement. Through singing, dancing and instruments, young learners and their parents/caregivers will explore the joys of family music-making and the powerful benefits of having music in their lives. About Music Together Music Together is an early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age eight—and the grownups who love them! First offered in 1987, our music classes help little ones develop…

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.

In this activity in The Shop, you can create a scary mixed-media beast. Using a variety of tools and a combination of materials like cardboard, cups, fabric, wood, and more, you can create your own mixed-media monster! 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.

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!

In this activity in The Shop, you can create a scary mixed-media beast. Using a variety of tools and a combination of materials like cardboard, cups, fabric, wood, and more, you can create your own mixed-media monster! 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.