2026 Activations.
Hands-on experiences that bring STEM to life. Try the gear, run the experiments, meet the people building what comes next.
Open Build Day — Sat, June 27
Reserve your free tickets
Dissect the Human Body — Digitally
The Anatomage Table is a fully interactive 3D digital cadaver. Explore every system of the human body at the highest level of medical accuracy — no scalpel required.
Invisible Ink, Color-Changing Beads & Trivia
Reveal a secret message, design a UV-reactive bracelet, master the physics of a rattleback, and win prizes in science trivia. Four ways to play, all in one stop.
Build It. Bend It. Make It Yours.
Spin our wheel, hold real precision-made parts, and discover the skills powering America's most advanced manufacturing — from welding to machining to additive printing. Win prizes along the way.
Build the Plumbing That Built Cities
Engineer your own miniature pipe and filtration systems. Talk to working water engineers. See how clean water actually gets to your tap — and what it takes to keep it that way.
A Mobile Lab. Real Scientists. Synthetic Biology.
Step inside a traveling science lab to run hands-on synthetic biology experiments — led by working MilliporeSigma scientists themselves.
Hold a NASA Mission in Your Hand
STELLA puts NASA's satellite science into your palm — an open-source, low-cost instrument letting students explore the same remote sensing tools powering space habitats and global missions.
Random Problem. 5 Minutes. Invent.
Draw a Who + What card, then race to prototype a solution. Build, sketch, or craft — then show off your invention. Stop by once or keep coming back for a new challenge.
The Future of Making, On Wheels
A traveling lab packed with the real machines shaping advanced manufacturing. Try the equipment, see the work, and meet the careers that build everything around you.
Drone Cage Races & Robotics in Real Time
Watch drones race inside the cage. See robotics programs in action through global competition highlights and hands-on demos. The future of teamwork, one robot at a time.
Power a City With Wind You Designed
Test your own wind turbine blades against real fans — adjust angle, shape, and speed to maximize energy output. Plus free Smithsonian giveaways, games, ebooks, and more.