Calendar of Events

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 build a cozy home for your feathered friends. Using wood and available tools, you can design and build your own version of a classic birdhouse. 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.

In The Shop, hands-on gets serious. During Open Build, take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to design and build nearly anything you can imagine. 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.

From Memorial Day, May 27 though Labor Day, September 2, 2024, The Discovery adds Monday to the days 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!

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 Spark!Lab Smithsonian to combine art with invention when you create a Thaumatrope, also known as a “wonder turner.” A thaumatrope, invented in 1826 by J.A. Paris, is an optical toy that was popular in the 19th century. A disk with a picture on each side is attached to two pieces of string. When the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to blend into one.

Go back to school in style and ready to learn when you stock up on the smartest gadgets and toys available in the Museum Store at The Discovery. From Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11, you’ll get 20% off everything* in the Museum Store. *Discount available to museum members and nonmembers. Valid on Museum Store merchandise only. Does not apply to LEGO® products. May not be combined with standard Discovery member discount or any other coupon or offer. Excludes…

Go back to school in style and ready to learn when you stock up on the smartest gadgets and toys available in the Museum Store at The Discovery. From Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11, you’ll get 20% off everything* in the Museum Store. *Discount available to museum members and nonmembers. Valid on Museum Store merchandise only. Does not apply to LEGO® products. May not be combined with standard Discovery member discount or any other coupon or offer. Excludes…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use the process of invention to build a car that’ll protect its precious cargo. Using available materials and the invention process, you can create a vehicle that will protect a plastic egg in the event of a crash. Even if your egg breaks, you can tweak your design and test it again, and again, and again! Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Visit The Shop to put your automotive design skills to the test. Using wood and a variety of tools, you can design and build your very own race car. 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/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Go back to school in style and ready to learn when you stock up on the smartest gadgets and toys available in the Museum Store at The Discovery. From Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11, you’ll get 20% off everything* in the Museum Store. *Discount available to museum members and nonmembers. Valid on Museum Store merchandise only. Does not apply to LEGO® products. May not be combined with standard Discovery member discount or any other coupon or offer. Excludes…

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use the process of invention to build a car that’ll protect its precious cargo. Using available materials and the invention process, you can create a vehicle that will protect a plastic egg in the event of a crash. Even if your egg breaks, you can tweak your design and test it again, and again, and again! Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Visit The Shop to put your automotive design skills to the test. Using wood and a variety of tools, you can design and build your very own race car. 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/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Go back to school in style and ready to learn when you stock up on the smartest gadgets and toys available in the Museum Store at The Discovery. From Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11, you’ll get 20% off everything* in the Museum Store. *Discount available to museum members and nonmembers. Valid on Museum Store merchandise only. Does not apply to LEGO® products. May not be combined with standard Discovery member discount or any other coupon or offer. Excludes…

From Memorial Day, May 27 though Labor Day, September 2, 2024, The Discovery adds Monday to the days 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!

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.

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. 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.

Take inspiration from Orville & Wilbur Wright when you visit The Shop to design and build your version of a flyer machine. Using available materials and real tool, you can create your own rendition of the famous Wright Flyer! 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 this space.

Join us on Saturday, August 17 at BVW Jewelers for a unique opportunity to support The Discovery. On this special day, BVW will donate 10% of all sales to The Discovery. Shop BVW’s tremendous selection of fine jewelry, enjoy lite bites and wine samples, and interact and have fun with a few of The Discovery’s portable museum exhibits. The first eight people to make a purchase will also have the opportunity to punch a vault containing jewelry and other unique…

Let the performance begin! Visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your own version of a hand puppet. Using a variety of materials, you can design and create a hand puppet and then conduct a performance for friends, family and fellow museum visitors on the Spark!Lab puppet stage. 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.