Calendar of Events

Develop your carpentry skills when you build a custom photo frame in The Shop. Using a variety of materials and a photo you bring with you, or one taken at The Discovery, you’ll create a frame perfect for a holiday gift. 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.

Don’t let the Grinch steal your Christmas cheer. Visit The Shop to use available tools and a variety of materials to build a Grinch trap. If your trap is foolproof, you’ll save Christmas for everyone! 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 your own version of a matryoshka doll. More commonly known as Russian nesting dolls, these well-known toys were originally designed by Sergey Malyutin, a folk crafts painter from Russia. Did you know? The largest set of matryoshka dolls in the world is a 51-piece set hand-painted by Youlia Bereznitskaia of Russia, completed in 2003. The tallest doll in the set measures almost two feet tall!

Challenge your brain, and your family and friends with a board game you create in The Shop. Using available tools and materials, create a board game inspired by the holiday seasons and cultures from around the world. 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.

Need some extra time to shop the Museum Store—maybe while the kids are at school? Take advantage of extended Museum Store hours and finish out your holiday shopping with Reno’s best selection of the smartest toys, games, gadgets, apparel, puzzles, science kits, and more! Members and nonmembers will get 20% off their entire purchase during these special hours! Complimentary gift wrapping also available. Enter to win a Plasma Car! Spend $100 or more in the Museum Store during extended hours…

Stop into Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your very own wobblebot. Combine a variety of common materials and simple electronics to create a “robot” that wiggles, wobbles. 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.

Need some extra time to shop the Museum Store—maybe while the kids are at school? Take advantage of extended Museum Store hours and finish out your holiday shopping with Reno’s best selection of the smartest toys, games, gadgets, apparel, puzzles, science kits, and more! Members and nonmembers will get 20% off their entire purchase during these special hours! Complimentary gift wrapping also available. Enter to win a Plasma Car! Spend $100 or more in the Museum Store during extended hours…

The Discovery will be open 10:00am to 5:00pm on the Mondays during Washoe County School District’s winter break. That’s even more days to discover! Be sure to check out the calendar of events to find out what’s happening throughout the entire three weeks of winter break—December 21, 2018 through January 13, 2019!

Visit Art Alcove to create a classic tree-trimming work of art! Combine felted pom poms with a real pine cone to create the perfect decoration for the holidays—yours to keep, or give as a gift!

Visit The Shop to design and build the future of transportation. During “Open Build: Wheels,” take your pick from a variety of materials and use real tools to create nearly anything you can imagine with wheels. 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.

Stop into Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent your very own wobblebot. Combine a variety of common materials and simple electronics to create a “robot” that wiggles, wobbles. 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.

Explore the sounds of jazz with a performance from a trio of musicians from the Reno Jazz Syndicate. The trio will perform three 45-minute sets on the stage in the museum’s main atrium.

Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to take part in the Edison Challenge. In this activity you’ll use your imagination, a pile of junk, and electrical components so see if you can prove famous inventor, Thomas Edison, correct when he said, “all you need to invent is your imagination and a pile of junk.”

The Discovery will be open 10:00am to 5:00pm on the Mondays during Washoe County School District’s winter break. That’s even more days to discover! Be sure to check out the calendar of events to find out what’s happening throughout the entire three weeks of winter break—December 21, 2018 through January 13, 2019!