Little Sparks
2025-08-14 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-16 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-17 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-21 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-23 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-24 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-28 10:15 - 11:00, 2025-08-30 10:15 - 11:00 (America/New_York) and 12 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 | What's the Matter? Exploring the States of Matter
2025-09-04 13:00 - 15:00
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.

Exhibit Closing | Mindbender Mansion
2025-09-07 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.

Exhibit Closing | Watts Up with Energy: Powering the Planet with Unconventional Sources
2025-09-14 10:00 - 16:00
100 years ago, the first electric light swept the world off its feet, jump-starting humanity into a new age of electricity. Today, we are looking for energy solutions to launch our world into an era of sustainable growth. This exhibit explores where we have been to see where we’re going. From discovering several unusual — but promising — energy inventions, to diving deep into the future of nuclear fusion, join us on a quest to harness the energy of the stars.

Design + Doodle Lab
2025-09-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-19 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-25 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-26 10:00 - 16:00
Unleash your creativity with a drop-in art experience for all ages. Throughout the day, we’ll offer a variety of pop-up art projects designed to inspire imagination and hands-on exploration. Prefer to follow your own muse? Head to our open art station, where you’ll find a wide range of materials and art supplies ready to become whatever masterpiece you dream up.

Exhibit Opening: The Birth of Sports Science
2025-09-18 10:00 - 16:00
Join us for the opening of The Birth of Sports Science: From Gatorade to Other Amazing Game Changers! The exhibit explores how science and invention have transformed sports, from ancient training methods and homemade tonics to Gatorade, high-tech equipment, and data-driven performance tools. Visitors will discover the breakthroughs that changed the game, the inventors who dared to ask new questions, and the future of sports science.

SparkSeekers: Homeschool Adventures | Space Odyssey: Space Travel and Colonization
2025-09-18 13:00 - 15:00

Community Day: The Birth of Sports Science!
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00
Join us for a fun-filled day with free admission as we celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, The Birth of Sports Science! Discover how science and invention have transformed sports, from ancient training methods and homemade tonics to Gatorade, high-tech equipment, and data-driven performance tools.
Special guests include the UF Women’s Basketball Team, who will bring along their training technology for guests to try out firsthand, and more!
This hands-on community event is perfect for families, sports fans, and curious minds of all ages.
