Calendar of Events

Join our friends from the Nevada Humane Society for a project in The Shop that will have your pooch or kitty wanting more! Using a variety of materials, you’ll create your choice of a toy for your favorite dog or cat. Your furry friends will thank you. And, 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…

Visit The Shop to create a classic wooden pull toy. Choose from a variety of materials and go to work with your choice of woodworking tools to create a toy that will fondly follow you wherever you go! 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.

If you have lived through a Northern Nevada summer, you are no stranger to wildfires and the resulting smoke that engulfs our community. Join us as we hear from a panel of experts discussing the technology used to monitor and predict wildfires, air quality, and the impacts on public health, and wildfire prevention. This event features a short documentary film and panel discussion followed by audience Q&A. Location: Downtown Reno Library, 301 S. Center Street, Reno Times: Doors open at…

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…

Join students and faculty from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Chemistry to explore the wonderful world of chemistry through a variety of hands-on experience and live science demonstrations. Chemistry is the central science, and its principles operate in all aspects of our daily lives. Understanding chemistry is fundamental in understanding the world around us, everything from energy to biology, medicine to materials, and more.

From Memorial Day, May 29 though Labor Day, September 4, 2023, The Discovery adds Monday to the days of the week 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

The Discovery is excited to unveil its newest resident: a 25-foot-long, 12-foot-tall Allosaurus—a fearsome carnivorous dinosaur that roamed the Earth 150 million years ago. A distant cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex, the Allosaurus wields dagger-like teeth, razor-sharp claws and powerful hind legs. Measuring in at approximately 25 feet in length, the meticulously constructed cast offers visitors a formidable glimpse into an ancient past. In celebration of The Discovery’s newest fossilized friend, the museum will host “Dino Days” from June 24…

Calling all paleontologists-in-training! Explore the complex process and important decisions that are made to get fossils out of the ground in this hands-on dig pit activity.

Visit The Shop to create a dinosaur-themed classic wooden pull toy. Choose from a variety of materials and go to work with your choice of woodworking tools to create a prehistoric toy that will fondly follow you everywhere you go! 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 Art Alcove to create an artistic interpretation of your favorite prehistoric creature. Using watercolor, you can paint a whimsical and colorful silhouette of the dinosaur of your choice.

Calling all paleontologists-in-training! Explore the complex process and important decisions that are made to get fossils out of the ground in this hands-on dig pit activity.

Visit The Shop to create a dinosaur-themed classic wooden pull toy. Choose from a variety of materials and go to work with your choice of woodworking tools to create a prehistoric toy that will fondly follow you everywhere you go! 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 Art Alcove to create an artistic interpretation of your favorite prehistoric creature. Using watercolor, you can paint a whimsical and colorful silhouette of the dinosaur of your choice.

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.

Visit The Shop to put your creativity and your crafting skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino. 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 practice the safe use…

Visit The Shop to put your creativity and your crafting skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino. 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 practice the safe use…

Join The Discovery in celebrating STEM professionals from the LGBTQ community. We welcome visitors of all ages for a day of Pride-inspired science, technology, engineering and math activities. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about modern LGBTQ+ scientists and engineers and the valuable contributions they are making that help us better understand the world around us through a variety of hands-on activities: Stomp Rockets Build a stomp rocket inspired by NASA astronaut Sally Ride. Coding Robots Explore the exciting…

Visit The Shop to create a robot friend using a variety of materials including cardboard. Use real tools and combine a variety of materials to create your version of a robot that can help you accomplish daily tasks. Best of all, what you make is your to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in…