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A Beautiful Planet
IMAX
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Explore life on the International Space Station and learn how research done in space pushes the boundaries of human knowledge. Discover how humanity and the power of nature have changed the world.
Animal Habitats
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:7-10
Learn about animal habitats and discover their basic needs. Explore the unique ways that animals survive in different climates and environments.
Backyard Wilderness 3D
IMAX
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Follow the cycle of the seasons as animals find food and raise their young. Be inspired to get out and explore the world that lives in your own backyard.
Bay Biology
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:11-13
Investigate biodiversity in the Chesapeake Bay. Develop a model watershed and learn how to assess water quality using a variety of methods.
Beavers
IMAX
Length:35 minutes
Ages:4 and up
Trek through the Canadian Rockies with a family of beavers, one of nature’s greatest engineers. Watch as they fell trees, construct their lodge, evade the forest’s predators, and transform their environment.
Beyond Building
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-10
Participate in engineering activities inspired by real-world careers. Engage in the design process beyond building bridges, and explore branches of engineering that create everyday objects.
Beyond Your Backyard Sky
Planetarium
Length:45 minutes
Ages:9 and up
A backyard exploration of the night sky sets the stage for your trip through space from the solar system through the Milky Way galaxy.
Circuits
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:9-11
Learn how to make electricity flow, find out why polarity matters, what materials will carry electricity, and the difference between parallel and series circuits.
Cosmic Colors
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:9-12
Explore the electromagnetic spectrum including microwaves, visible light, and x-rays. Discover the many reasons for color—like why the sky is blue and why Mars is red. Learn how scientists use the electromagnetic spectrum to observe objects in the universe.
DNA Discovery
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:9-13
Analyze your own genetic traits and translate genetic codes to make a unique creature. Utilize laboratory procedures to extract DNA from wheat and see it up close and in person.
Eclipsing the Sun
Planetarium
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Investigate phases of the Moon to understand how and when eclipses happen. Simulate the monthly cycle of phases while you chart how the Moon appears to change.
Engineered by Design
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:9-13
Explore the engineer’s design process (imagine, plan, create, test, improve) as you design a solution for a given task.
Expedition Chesapeake
IMAX
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Meet scientists who study the diverse species in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Learn about how the ecosystem is changing and the efforts to protect its future health.
Extreme Weather 3D
IMAX
Length:40 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Discover some of the ways the dynamic forces of weather are shaping planet Earth. Explore the interconnected system of weather that causes tornadoes, collapsing glaciers, and draught-driven wildfires.
Fairy Tale Engineering
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:6-8
Utilize the design process through hands-on activities inspired by classic fairy tales and solve the characters’ problems with engineering!
Family Science Festival
Enrichment Program
Length:30 minutes
Ages:5 and up
Drop in and enjoy six hands-on science themed activities designed to engage the whole family! Stations will be staffed and set up so that you and your family can rotate through at your own pace.
Flight of the Butterflies 3D
IMAX
Length:45 minutes
Ages:7 and up
Watch the amazing transformation from pupa to adult monarch. Follow the migration of the monarch butterfly from Mexico to Canada and accompany a determined scientist on a decades-long search to find their hidden overwintering sites.
Forward! To The Moon
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:7 and up
Launch on a journey beyond Earth towards a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st-century Artemis program is the next step in our mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the surface of the Moon.
Great Bear Rainforest
IMAX
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Explore a temperate rainforest to find grizzlies, wolves, sea otters, and the spirit bear—one of the rarest bears on Earth. Discover how the next generation of the region’s Indigenous people are protecting the rainforest.
Hidden Life of Stars
Planetarium
Length:45 minutes
Ages:10 and up
Discover what makes a star, how many stars there are, and follow the life cycle of a star. Learn about the different types of stars found in the universe and how the Sun compares to other stars.
Indigo Dying Lab
Enrichment Program
Length:90 minutes
Ages:13 and up
Discover the chemistry behind indigo dyeing and the art of shibori. Explore different ways to create patterns on textiles and experiment to create your own unique fabric samples to take home.
Note: This is a double session. A portion of this program will take place on the Maryland Science Center’s green roof, so dress for the weather. Gloves will be provided, but you are encouraged to wear old clothing as the indigo dye can stain.
Live from the Sun
Planetarium
Length:40 minutes
Ages:10 and up
Learn about the closest star to planet Earth—the Sun. Get updates from current missions exploring the Sun and investigate sunspots. Weather permitting, see live images of the Sun from our rooftop telescope.
One World One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:2-7
Follow Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street.
Our Star, the Sun
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-13
Find out how sunspots and solar storms are related. Weather permitting, get a safe view of the Sun and solar features of the day.
Note: This program takes place in the Observatory.
Radical Reactions
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:6-7
Follow the scientific process to explore simple chemical reactions using a colorful cabbage juice indicator. Apply your new knowledge of acids and bases to launch a rocket.
Science That Rocks
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:9-10
Sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic? Learn about different types of rocks and how they form, then put your new geology knowledge to the test.
Science Unscripted
MSC Theater
Length:45 minutes
Ages:6-14
Help create our next science show. You choose the experiments that you get to see in this fast-paced theater show.If you’re a fan of physics, chemistry, and biology, or even if you’re not quite sure what those are yet, you won’t be disappointed.
Search for Extremophiles
Enrichment Program
Length:90 minutes
Ages:9-11
Join a team of explorers as we search for life beyond Earth. Learn about conditions on other worlds, conduct experiments, and discover what it takes to live in extreme environments.
This program includes a viewing of We Are Aliens planetarium show. Chaperones must register for the We Are Aliens show if they want to see the show with their student.
Seeing the Sun
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:14 and up
Find out how sunspots and solar storms are related. Weather permitting, get a safe view of the Sun and solar features of the day.
Note: This program takes place in the Observatory.
Sensory Mystery
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:4-6
Experiment with how your eyes, ears, nose, and skin function. Learn how your brain is connected to other parts of your body. Put it all together and use your senses to help solve a mystery.
Shapes in the Night Sky
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:5-8
Search for the shapes among the stars and constellations and rethink them into new star patterns. Dream up a story for your personal constellation.
Soap Bubble Math
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:7-8
How many bubbles are there inside of one bubble container? Find out by designing an experiment to test it out. Make bubbles, gather data, then add, round, and skip-count your way to the answer.
Solar System Odyssey
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:10-13
Take a futuristic journey through our solar system on a mission to discover a new home to colonize.
Solid Liquid Slime
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-10
Examine the difference between solids and liquids. Conduct an investigation on slime’s state of matter while preparing a chemical slime sample.
Solid Liquid Slime: Dual Language
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-10
Examine the difference between solids and liquids. Conduct an investigation on slime’s state of matter while preparing a chemical slime sample.
Designed for dual language immersion, this class will be taught in both English and Spanish.
Stats Lab
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:11-13
Collect and analyze statistical data generated by toys and games. Calculate probabilities and compare predicted and observed outcomes.
Stories in the Stars
Planetarium
Length:45 minutes
Ages:7-14
While you may know the constellations as the Greeks have drawn them, people worldwide looked up at the same stars and saw different pictures. Explore the night sky and hear stories from around the world that bring new pictures to life.
Sudsy Science
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:4-6
Make bubbles using a unique solution that you create using different ingredients. Make predictions and find out what shape bubble wand makes the coolest bubbles.
Synthetic Biology
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:13 and up
Survey ways that humans alter DNA for their own benefit. Discuss ethical issues related to engineered organisms and explore the intersection of technology and society.
Terrarium Ecosystems Lab
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:7-9
Find out what it takes for a terrarium to evolve and grow. Build your own mini-terrarium and learn what is required for an ecosystem to thrive in the real world.
To Space and Back
Planetarium
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Investigate phases of the Moon to understand how and when eclipses happen. Simulate the monthly cycle of phases while you chart how the Moon appears to change.
Unveiling the Invisible Universe
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:11 and up
Discover the invisible side of the electromagnetic spectrum and learn about the technologies that astronomers use to investigate cosmic phenomena.
We Are Aliens
Planetarium
Length:35 minutes
Ages:8 and up
Explore how the understanding of life on Earth guides the hunt for alien life elsewhere in the Universe.
What’s the Matter
MSC Theater
Length:45 minutes
Ages:6-14
Learn about the states of matter in this theater program. Discover the difference between chemical and physical changes. Witness the results of chemical reactions as substances combine and change right before your eyes.
Wind and Waves
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-10
Create a model of an offshore wind and wave energy farm. Design your energy farm to be cost-effective while also dealing with challenges such as migrating whales or shifting winds.
Ziplock Chemistry
Enrichment Program
Length:45 minutes
Ages:8-13
Conduct chemistry in a plastic bag to learn the difference between an endothermic and exothermic reaction. Follow the scientific method and design your own experiment to identify the mystery chemicals.