Calendar of Events

Put the finishing touches on your Halloween costume in The Shop here at The Discovery. Tap into The Shop‘s library of real tools and materials to create a custom costume only you can imagine. 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.

Put your carpentry skills to the test when you visit The Shop to build a sculpture of your favorite animal using scraps of wood. Choose from The Shop‘s selection of real tools and saw, hammer and drill your pieces of scrap wood into an artistic interpretation of your favorite member of the animal kingdom. 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…

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.

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

Use your creativity and a variety of materials in The Shop to transform and ordinary pinecone into a whimsical and festive holiday decoration. 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

Use your creativity and a variety of materials in The Shop to transform and ordinary pinecone into a whimsical and festive holiday decoration. 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 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. Invent a Flavor In this Tech!Night activity, you’ll have the chance to invent an icing flavor for cupcakes. Yum! Generously supported by:

November 10, 2017 is the second annual International Science Center & Science Museum Day (ISCSMN), and The Discovery is a part of the celebration. Science centers and science museums worldwide take the opportunity of this day to celebrate and promote their missions through widely diverse informal science education and engagement activities addressing the critical topics articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the world’s nations in late 2015. Visit The Discovery on this special day to explore the museum’s…

Touch and explore real fossils and learn about the fossilization process in this quick, hands-on activity. You’ll also have the chance to make your own fossil imprint fossil to keep. Exploration Station activity available 10:30am to 4:30pm.

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.

Using wire, pipe cleaners and a variety of beads in The Shop, build clever little ears of corn for a festive holiday decoration. 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.

Join A T. rex Named Sue at this year’s Chemistry of the Cocktail, The Discovery’s premier fundraising event, and prepare for a colossal exploration into the science behind the craft of paleontologically-themed martinis and other cocktails. Add to that delicious fare from your favorite local culinary hot spots, and you have the recipe for a great way to support the museum. Help raise $100,000 in a single night to support The Discovery’s mission to inspire by being the place to…

Using wire, pipe cleaners and a variety of beads in The Shop, build clever little ears of corn for a festive holiday decoration. 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 use real pumpkins and gourds to create a unique work of art. Carefully slice a pumpkin or gourd and apply paint to imprint a festive design on paper. 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, 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.

Skip the Black Friday madness and make plans to shop the Blue Friday sale in the museum store at The Discovery for the smartest selection of gadgets, toys, apparel, games, puzzles, science kits, and more! 30% off everything in the museum store from 7:00am to 10:00am 20% off everything in the museum store from 10:00am to 1:00pm Discounts valid for museum members and nonmembers. Discounts valid on museum store merchandise only. May not be combined with standard member discount or…

Light up your holiday and a loved one’s mailbox when you visit The Shop to create an LED holiday greeting card. Combine arts and crafts with electrical engineering when you add an LED bulb and circuitry to a holiday card you create. The result is certain to brighten the season! 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…

Light up your holiday and a loved one’s mailbox when you visit The Shop to create an LED holiday greeting card. Combine arts and crafts with electrical engineering when you add an LED bulb and circuitry to a holiday card you create. The result is certain to brighten the season! 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…

Light up your holiday and a loved one’s mailbox when you visit The Shop to create an LED holiday greeting card. Combine arts and crafts with electrical engineering when you add an LED bulb and circuitry to a holiday card you create. The result is certain to brighten the season! 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…

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…

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…