Featured Events
Join us for one of our many fun and educational featured events. From Wonderlab After Hours to kids camps, there’s something for everyone at Wonderlab!
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AfterHours: Granfalloon, Jailbird
Saturday, June 1 | 7pm | 21+
Kick off Granfalloon at WonderLab! For this year’s Kurt Vonnegut Convergence, dive into the themes around Jailbird. Learn about the secular saints of the scientific world, from the past to the present, and engage with other guests in nuanced discussions on the impacts of these scientific individuals. Guest speakers will inspire curiosity and further learning on anarchy in science. Enjoy light refreshments and adult beverages while you meet new people and learn together.
Vonnegut is excellent at writing characters who remain passive in their life, but still have a large amount of privilege. Walter F. Starbuck, the protagonist of Jailbird, has many opportunities handed to him – Harvard, a position at the White House, and the potential to be vice president at a large conglomerate. When Starbuck actually makes decisions in his life, he typically ends up hurting others. Starbuck ruined an old friend’s life by outing him as a Communist to the United States Government, he was a part of the Watergate Scandal, and hid a will to run a powerful conglomerate for two years. Our protagonist starts the book in jail, and ends the book headed back to jail.
Join WonderLab in turning this characterization on its head. Instead of those who are passive, harmful, and privileged, discuss with our speakers about those who have made a positive, strong impact on our society. This year’s WonderLab Granfalloon program is dedicated to scientists, past and present, who are revered as change-makers in STEM fields; you may recognize some as familiar and learn about scientists new to you.
Recommended Ages: 21+ Adults, Photo ID required
Dates and Times: Saturday, June 1st, 7:00-10 PM
Ticket Prices for the Individual Event
- Member: $20
- Non-Member $30
- Access Pass: $10
Combo Ticket Prices
Buy one ticket for Granfalloon and get one ticket for Brews & Boos 50% off.
- Member: $30
- Non-Member: $45
- Access Pass: $15
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2024 Summer WonderCamp
Sessions June 3 – July 26
What are your kids doing this summer? WonderCamp Summer 2024 has all the options for grades K-8.
- Engineering
- Animals
- Gardens
- BUGS!!!!
- Building
- Chemistry
- Ecology
- and more!
Camp sessions are available for children in grades K-8. Session topics and locations vary – choose your favorite! Members receive discounted prices. Full scholarships are available.
Click the button to read all the 2024 Summer WonderCamp information.
We can’t wait to see you at camp!
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BubbleFest 2024 – Bubble Blow Out!
- Saturday, June 29 from 9am – 5pm
- Sunday, June 30 from 1-5pm
- All ages
- Activities Free with Museum Admission
BubbleFest! An extraordinary event dedicated to the wondrous world of bubbles.
Step into a realm where translucent spheres dance through the air, reflecting the magic of science and fun. Bubble Fest is not just an event; it’s a celebration of the beauty and science behind the iridescent globes that captivate both the young and the young at heart.
Embark on a journey through a variety of interactive exhibits that will transport you into the heart of bubble exploration. Marvel at the foam fountains, hold a cloud ball, create enormous bubbles.
Prepare to be mesmerized by the Bubble Scientist, a captivating Bubble Show that unveils the secrets of bubble creation and manipulation. Our resident bubble experts will showcase mind-bending experiments, from giant bubbles that stretch across the room to intricate bubble sculptures that defy gravity.
But the fun doesn’t stop there – BubbleFest offers hands-on activities for the whole family. Dive into BubbleFest favorites such as Vacuum Bubbles, Dry Ice Bubbles, Body Bubbles, Bubble Zomes, Hoop Bubbles, Body Bubbles, String Bubbles, and more. Ponder the questions of the universe at the Bubble Thoughts Station.
Experience the enchantment of BubbleFest – a day filled with laughter, learning, and the sheer joy of discovering the magic within each and every bubble. Join us for a bubblicious celebration that will leave you with memories that pop and float in your heart forever!
Recommended Ages: All ages
Dates and Times:
- Saturday, June 29 from 9am – 5pm
- Sunday, June 30 from 1-5pm
Event Price
- All activities free with Museum Admission
Museum admission prices
- Members: Free
- General Public: $14.50
- Access Pass: $2
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Summer Maker Workshop – Solar Ovens
- Saturday, July 13, 2024
- 10am – 4pm
Ticket Prices Include all project materials and museum admission
- $6 Members
- $20 Non-Members
- $8 Access Pass
Use solar energy to cook! Design, build, and test your very own solar oven during WonderLab’s Summer Maker Workshop. Solar ovens use renewable energy to cook food. Solar cookers are particularly useful when other sources of fuel are unavailable or to prevent the use of fossil fuels. Bonus, they do not pollute the environment when in use!
During the workshop you’ll learn about historical uses of the solar oven dating back to 200 BCE, explore how solar ovens have evolved in design over thousands of years, and experiment with how solar rays can be harnessed and used as energy. Develop a design based on what is learned in the Maker Workshop to develop a prototype of your own solar oven. Test your prototype in the WonderGarden (weather permitting) to make pizza and s’mores! If the weather is not conducive to cooking outside, we will have cooking demos inside using hot plates.
Recommended Ages: Age 8 years +
Activities:
- Attend the workshop and design a prototype.
- Build your own solar oven with materials provided by WonderLab: recycled and new materials such as cardboard, corks, wood, hammer and nails, plexiglass, aluminum foil, clear plastic wrap, mirrors, glue guns, and more.
- Test your oven in the WonderGarden (weather permitting) to make pizza and s’mores! If the weather is not conducive to cooking outside, we will have cooking demos inside using hot plates.
What’s Included with the ticket price?
- Museum admission
- All materials and guidance – no prior experience required!
About Solar Ovens: Solar ovens have been around for over 2200 years. The first documented use of solar ovens comes from an ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes. Using large flat rocks positioned under the sun, the Essenes would warm grains and other food for community meals.
There’s close to 2000 years between the time of the Essenes and the first known successfully constructed solar oven developed by Horase de Saussure in 1776. The Genevan scientist used wood, glass, and cork insulation to make a “hot box” styled solar oven that collected enough of the sun’s rays to get up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Following that design, in 1869, mathematician Augustin Mouchot invented a solar oven that looked similar to the current day satellite dish. In 1876, physicist William Adams designed a solar oven that combined the “hot box” element of Saussure’s oven with Mouchot’s reflective paneling. By directing the sun’s rays directly to the food needing to be cooked, Adams developed a third style of solar cooker. Modern day solar ovens all stem from these three designs. During the Maker Workshop we will focus on creating solar ovens that are inspired by Saussure and Adams.
The Summerg Maker Workshop is part of a year long series of maker events at WonderLab. Read more about all the 2024 MakerWorkshops here.
The 2024 Maker Workshop series at WonderLab is dedicated to educating the museum’s community about astronomy through the lens of product design. These programs are developed in the effort to reach an older audience and engage them in continued scientific learning. Participants are encouraged to work alone, work together, and work creatively.