Calendar of Events

In celebration of National Architecture Week 2017, join us to design and build your own play structure! Carve, stack, and fold your way to the playground of your dreams, and be inspired by great examples of architectural design. This activity is presented in partnership with the Northern Nevada chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Use your creativity and “the force” when you create you own LED lightsaber in The Shop. 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.

May is the perfect month to get into metal! Try out stamping or wire design—either way, you’ll leave with a handmade keepsake that you can use as a keychain, bookmark or wearable. Local metalsmith Karen Hancock will show you how to work with copper and brass in this interactive workshop. Karen is the owner and designer behind the minimal-yet-daring jewelry line Right Collection. Note: This is a walk-in program. However, preregistration is recommended. Our thanks to the Meyer family for…

Visit The Shop to design and build your own version of a nautical vessel. Using a selection of buoyant materials and a variety of tools, you can create a boat and then test its seaworthiness on the waters of The Discovery’s Truckee Connects exhibit. 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.

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.

Prepare for spring when you create a hanging planter for a sweet pea plant. Using available tools and materials, you’ll create a comfy home for your seedling to live until its ready for planting in the garden or a larger pot. 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.

Prepare for spring when you create a hanging planter for a sweet pea plant. Using available tools and materials, you’ll create a comfy home for your seedling to live until its ready for planting in the garden or a larger pot. 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.

Science Distilled, a new lecture series created by DRI and The Discovery, makes cutting-edge science approachable through presentations on current and curious topics held at hip locations in a social atmosphere. How do raptors, butterflies, and flowers secretly govern the ecosystems around them? What do raptors, butterflies, and insects have in common? Their unique adaptations not only allow them to thrive in a changing world, but also play a part in governing the ecosystems around them in incredible ways. Have…

The Discovery invites you to an exclusive, members-only opportunity to explore A T. rex Named Sue, an exciting new temporary exhibition featuring a life-sized cast of Sue, the largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. A T. rex Named Sue also features a variety of digital and hands-on interactive exhibits to help you uncover Sue’s incredible past and explore the exciting field of paleontology. RSVP Required Please use the links below to RSVP for a specific museum…

No dinosaur in the world compares to Sue—the largest, most complete, Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. At a heart-stopping, 42 feet long and 12 feet high at the hips, Sue is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved T. rex ever discovered! A dramatic, life-sized skeleton cast of Sue is the centerpiece of this blockbuster exhibition that also features hands-on and digital interactive exhibits that help you uncover Sue’s amazing past and explore the field of paleontology. A. T. rex Named Sue…

Visit The Shop to create your own handheld galaxy. Using glitter and a little chemistry, you’ll create a tiny galaxy trapped in a repurposed water bottle. 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 put your creativity and your sewing skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers practice the safe use of the tools and materials in this space.

Visit The Shop to put your creativity and your sewing skills to the test when you design your very own stuffed dinosaur. With the help of the museum’s educators, you’ll use available materials to design and fill your own plush dino to keep! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers practice the safe use of the tools and materials in this space.

Use your ingenuity in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a new prehistoric-themed way to collect loose change and save for the future. Using available materials and your creativity, you’ll create your very own dino bank to keep.

Don’t just drink beer, understand it! Explore the science behind your favorite brews when you examine varieties of hops, learn how beer is made, sample tasty beers from local craft breweries, and challenge your skills and your friends in fun beer games, too! Presented as part of Reno Craft Beer Week 2017. Try This at Home Get started brewing beer at home with pointers from expert home brewers. Beer in the Raw Explore the raw ingredients used to make beer with…

Use your ingenuity in Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a new prehistoric-themed way to collect loose change and save for the future. Using available materials and your creativity, you’ll create your very own dino bank to keep.

Explore the intersection of art and science when you create a 2D piece of dinosaur art enhanced with and LED. What 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.

Join our friends from The Budding Musician to sing, dance, play instruments, and learn how the power of music can positively affect your child’s development in a myriad of ways. This class is age-appropriate for 12 children 12 months through 5 years.