Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention

Little Sparks
2025-04-10 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-12 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-13 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-17 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-19 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-24 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-04-26 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-05-01 10:15 - 11:00 (America/New_York) and 8 more dates
A fun and interactive program that introduces littles (ages 0-5) to science concepts through music, dancing, crafting, stories, and more.
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Included in the cost of admission, no pre-registration required.

SparkSeekers: Homeschool Adventures | Music Mixers
2025-04-10 13:00 - 15:00
Find your sound as you mix and master your own beat. Will you create the next big hit?
The SparkSeekers program is designed to empower homeschooled students (ages 7–11) by immersing them in the captivating intersection of science and imagination through hands-on observation and experimentation. Participants will develop the skills to inquire and problem-solve, drawing inspiration from the ingenious minds of history’s greatest inventors. With an exciting new theme each month, there’s always a fresh opportunity for imaginative exploration and learning.

Price: $15 per student (ages 7–11)
Registration: Register online here or in-person at the front desk
This is a student drop-off program. Adults and children not participating in the program must purchase separate museum admission if they wish to explore the museum with the participant at the end of the program.

Maker Workshop: Coding
2025-04-12 11:30 - 12:30
Embark on a journey of innovation and exploration with our Maker Workshops at the Creation Station. Each week brings a new and exciting theme, allowing participants to engage in hands-on maker sessions where they can build and create using a variety of materials, electronics, and coding platforms. Immerse yourself in the world of technology and creativity, where each workshop is a unique adventure in the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Suggested Participation Ages: 9 years old and up; children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop.
Price: $5 per participant + cost of admission
No pre-registration required. Please visit the front desk of the museum on the day of your visit to purchase a ticket. Admission is required to purchase a ticket to the workshop.

Maker Workshops: Drafting
2025-04-19 11:30 - 12:30

Museum Closed
2025-04-20
The Cade Museum will be closed on Sunday, April 20 in observance of the Easter holidays. We will reopen on Thursday, April 24 with normal museum hours from 10 am – 4 pm.

SparkSeekers: Homeschool Adventures | Space Travel and Colonization
2025-04-24 13:00 - 15:00
Have you ever wondered what it takes to live in space? Explore some of the challenges that astronauts might face from right here at the Cade Museum!
The SparkSeekers program is designed to empower homeschooled students (ages 7–11) by immersing them in the captivating intersection of science and imagination through hands-on observation and experimentation. Participants will develop the skills to inquire and problem-solve, drawing inspiration from the ingenious minds of history’s greatest inventors. With an exciting new theme each month, there’s always a fresh opportunity for imaginative exploration and learning.

Price: $15 per student (ages 7–11)
Registration: Register online here or in-person at the front desk
This is a student drop-off program. Adults and children not participating in the program must purchase separate museum admission if they wish to explore the museum with the participant at the end of the program.

Maker Workshops: Industrial Engineering
2025-04-26 11:30 - 12:30

Duke Ellington & Friends Sacred Jazz Concert - FREE Admission Day!
2025-04-27 16:00 - 19:00
1,000 Voices of Florida presents the sixth annual Duke Ellington & Friends Sacred Jazz Concert!
Come experience Ellington’s jubilant sound on the lawn of the museum with brassy horns, tickled ivories, and toe-tapping beats.
Legendary bandleader Duke Ellington ascended the ranks of American jazz by reinventing the big-band sound. From Harlem’s Cotton Club to venues around the world, Ellington’s orchestra delighted millions with gems like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” and “Prelude to a Kiss,” and spiritual music, too. Ellington defied genre and tradition, uniting music lovers of all lifestyles and backgrounds.
The concert is free — and admission to the museum will also be free all day. Please bring your own blankets and/or lawn chairs.

Maker Workshops: 3D Modeling
2025-05-03 11:30 - 12:30

SparkSeekers: Homeschool Adventures | Propulsion and Locomotion
2025-05-08 13:00 - 15:00
Tired of dropping things and not knowing why they fall? We’ll explore Isaac Newton’s 3 Laws of motion through pushes, pulls, inertia, and friction.
The SparkSeekers program is designed to empower homeschooled students (ages 7–11) by immersing them in the captivating intersection of science and imagination through hands-on observation and experimentation. Participants will develop the skills to inquire and problem-solve, drawing inspiration from the ingenious minds of history’s greatest inventors. With an exciting new theme each month, there’s always a fresh opportunity for imaginative exploration and learning.

Price: $15 per student (ages 7–11)
Registration: Register online here or in-person at the front desk
This is a student drop-off program. Adults and children not participating in the program must purchase separate museum admission if they wish to explore the museum with the participant at the end of the program.

7th Birthday Bash! 🎂
2025-05-10 10:00 - 14:00
Join us as we blast off for an out-of-this-world Community Day celebration with FREE admission on Saturday, May 10, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm to mark 7 amazing years of creativity, curiosity, and community!
We’re pulling out all the stops with goodie bags for early guests, a petting zoo experience, and birthday themed crafts and slime! We will even have special guests from our community such as Fun4Gator Kids, Alachua County Libraries, Depot Park, and Partnership for Strong Families.
Bring the whole family and help us celebrate seven years of sparking innovation—and many more to come! 🎂✨

Maker Workshops: Scratch
2025-05-10 11:30 - 12:30

Mindbender Mansion Member Preview
2025-05-17 10:00 - 16:00
You’re invited to step into the wonderfully puzzling world of Mindbender Mansion before it opens to the public! As a valued member, you’re exclusively invited to preview this delightfully quirky experience packed with brainteasers, puzzles, and interactive challenges that will put your problem-solving skills to the test.
Explore mind-bending mysteries waiting to be unlocked. Collect hidden clues and secret passwords by cracking challenging puzzles and teaming up for group tasks. Complete your quest to earn a spot in the prestigious Mindbender Society!
Don’t miss this sneak peek into one of our most puzzling exhibitions yet—fun for all ages and brainpower levels!
Mindbender Mansion was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and is sponsored locally by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.

Maker Workshops: Aerospace Engineering
2025-05-17 11:30 - 12:30

Exhibit Opening | Mindbender Mansion
2025-05-18 10:00 - 16:00
Enter the wonderfully puzzling world of Mindbender Mansion, a quirky place full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brain power and problem solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers.
Guests to this fun and quirky mansion are invited to join the Mindbender Society by gathering hidden clues and secret passwords scattered throughout the various thematic rooms of the house. The clues and passwords are revealed by solving select brainteasers and group challenges.
Visitors are encouraged to think outside the box and collaborate with their fellow mansion guests to meet individual and group challenges, which include manipulating a tilt table, keeping up with trays on a conveyer belt, and disco hopscotch spelling.
Mindbender Mansion was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, Oregon, and is sponsored locally by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.
