Calendar of Events

Combine architecture with a holiday tradition and an alternative material and you’ve got a brand new activity in The Shop! These aren’t your traditional gingerbread houses, these are made out of cardboard. Design and build your very own holiday house and decorate it with a variety of fun, festive items. 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…

Visit The Discovery on the second Wednesday of every month for Tech!Night, a new program designed to put emerging technology in the hands of museum visitors. Tech!Nights will feature a variety of high-tech tools and techniques, gadgets and games – command a robot, print in 3-D, and even code a new game – happening monthly in Spark!Lab Smithsonian. Fun with Robots In this Tech!Night activity, you’ll have the chance to code robots, race robots, and even create a robot from…

Decorate for the holidays with an ornament you create in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create your version of a festive holiday decoration. What you make is yours to keep to decorate your home or give as a treasured 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.

Stop by this hands-on activity to learn more about the land where dinosaurs lived. You’ll explore the landscape they inhabited and understand how relatively recently they roamed the Earth, especially when you consider the age of our universe. Activity available 11:30am – 1:30pm.

Decorate for the holidays with an ornament you create in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create your version of a festive holiday decoration. What you make is yours to keep to decorate your home or give as a treasured 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.

Stop by this hands-on activity to find out about the land where dinosaurs lived. You’ll explore the landscape they inhabited and understand how recently they roamed the Earth, especially when you consider the age of our universe. Activity available 12:30 – 2:30pm

Shop the smartest selection of toys, science kits, apparel, games, puzzles, and more during additional museum store hours at The Discovery. Enjoy 25% off your entire purchase,* complimentary coffee and hot chocolate, and gift wrapping. And, every purchase earns you an entry into a drawing for a FREE Plasma Car to be given away on December 24th. *Discount does not apply to sale items. Please note: The museum store will be open during this event, however access to the museum’s…

Shop the smartest selection of toys, science kits, apparel, games, puzzles, and more during additional museum store hours at The Discovery. Enjoy 25% off your entire purchase,* complimentary coffee and hot chocolate, and gift wrapping. And, every purchase earns you an entry into a drawing for a FREE Plasma Car to be given away on December 24th. *Discount does not apply to sale items. Please note: The museum store will be open during this event, however access to the museum’s…

Decorate for the holidays with an ornament you create in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create your version of a festive holiday decoration. What you make is yours to keep to decorate your home or give as a treasured 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.

Stop by this hands-on activity to find out about the land where dinosaurs lived. You’ll explore the landscape they inhabited and understand how recently they roamed the Earth, especially when you consider the age of our universe. Activity available 11:30am – 1:30pm

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.

Shop the smartest selection of toys, science kits, apparel, games, puzzles, and more during additional museum store hours at The Discovery. Enjoy 25% off your entire purchase,* complimentary coffee and hot chocolate, and gift wrapping. And, every purchase earns you an entry into a drawing for a FREE Plasma Car to be given away on December 24th. *Discount does not apply to sale items. Please note: The museum store will be open during this event, however access to the museum’s…

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, whatever you create 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.

Be ready to ring in the New Year with celebration accessories you make yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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.

Be ready to ring in the New Year with celebration accessories you make yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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.

Be ready to ring in the New Year with celebration accessories you make yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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.

Ring in the New Year with noise makers you make yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect noisy party accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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.

Be ready to ring in the New Year with celebration accessories you make for yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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.

Be ready to ring in the New Year with celebration accessories you make for yourself in The Shop. Choose from a variety of materials to create the perfect accessory for your New Year’s Eve celebration. 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 by this quick, hands-on activity to learn about excavation techniques like those used when A T. rex Named Sue  was discovered. Activity available 11:30am to 1:30pm.

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.