Calendar of Events

The Discovery will be open 10:00am to 5:00pm on Monday, December 20, 2021 for Washoe County School District’s winter break. Be sure to check out the museum’s calendar of events to find out everything that’s happening at the museum during winter break.

That Grinch is a pesky guy! To keep him from ruining your holiday festivities, visit The Shop to create your own version of a Grinch trap. Using a variety of materials, you can design and build a trap that’ll lure that mean-spirited and unfriendly guy and keep him from spoiling your holiday spirit. 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.…

That Grinch is a pesky guy! To keep him from ruining your holiday festivities, visit The Shop to create your own version of a Grinch trap. Using a variety of materials, you can design and build a trap that’ll lure that mean-spirited and unfriendly guy and keep him from spoiling your holiday spirit. 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.…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own holiday ornament. Using a variety of materials and your creativity, you can invest an ornament perfect for holiday decoration. Best of all, what you make is yours to keep!

Get ready to ring in the New Year when you build your own confetti launcher in The Shop. Using a variety of materials, you’ll create a device that converts potential energy into kinetic energy to send festive confetti into the air. What you make is yours to keep and use as you celebrate the arrival of 2022! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young…

Get ready to ring in the New Year when you build your own confetti launcher in The Shop. Using a variety of materials, you’ll create a device that converts potential energy into kinetic energy to send festive confetti into the air. What you make is yours to keep and use as you celebrate the arrival of 2022! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young…

Get ready to ring in the New Year when you build your own confetti launcher in The Shop. Using a variety of materials, you’ll create a device that converts potential energy into kinetic energy to send festive confetti into the air. What you make is yours to keep and use as you celebrate the arrival of 2022! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young…

Take the entire family to the top of the charts with the new tune you play on the instruments you invent in Spark!Lab Smithsonian. Using available tools and materials, design and build your own musical instrument you can actually play. Best of all, what you create is yours to keep! Please note: This activity offers access to real 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 will be open 10:00am to 5:00pm on New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31, 2021. Round out the year with science exploration and fun at The Discovery! To see what’s happening at the museum, check out our calendar of events.

Work with fellow museum visitors in The Shop 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 through Sunday, January 9, so make plans to visit the museum again to see the completed cityscape! 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…

From Monday, January 3 through Friday, January 7, 2022, The Discovery will be closed to the public for routine facility maintenance and staff respite following the busy holiday season. The museum will reopen and resume our normal operating schedule on Saturday, January 8. We thank you for your patience and support, and look forward to an exciting year of exhibitions, events and programs.

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. Program supported in part by:

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 be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Starting at 4:00pm every Wednesday, admission to The Discovery 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 The Shop 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: 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.

Experiment with coding a robot in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to attempt to navigate your ’bot through an obstacle course.

Work with fellow museum visitors in The Shop 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: 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.

Hands-on gets serious in The Shop! In this material-specific session of Open Build, you’ll use real tools to create nearly anything you can imagine out of textiles materials like fabric, yarn, and more. 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.

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! Register today for one of two age groups. Age Group Time Member Nonmember Registration Ages 5-8* 10:00 – 11:30am $25 $30 Ages 9-12…

Ever wonder what’s inside that favorite toy? How does it work? What makes it move? Find out once and for all in this hands-on activity in The Shop that will have you dismantling a variety of toys to see what’s inside. 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.

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.