Now Open!
Journey deeper into space exploration as we uncover the technology scientists use to explore outer space. Immerse yourself in a Mars diorama and get up close and personal with a model from NASA of the Curiosity rover and a life-sized comparison of NASA's Hubble and James Webb telescopes. You'll even have the opportunity to touch a real Mars meteorite!
Mars Zone
Discover a diorama featuring a model of the Curiosity rover, on loan from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
This full-scale model showcases the incredible technology scientists use to gather data on the Red Planet. Step up to take a selfie with Curiosity in front of a background image taken by Curiosity itself!
Engineering for Mars
In addition to the amazing model of the Curiosity rover, JPL has loaned us several artifacts related to NASA's past, current, and future work on Mars.
Examine a prototype showcasing the wiring of the Perseverance rover's mast (or head), get up close to one of the rover's wheels, and notice the odometry marker holes drilled into the tires which allows the rover to photograph its tracks and measure driving process across soft surfaces. By the way, these ridges spell our J-P-L in Morse code.
Touch Mars
Here's your chance to touch a real meteorite from the Red Planet. The meteorite on display is a small portion of the meteorite NWA 14714, which was found in 2021 in Northwest Africa.
NWA 14714 is classified as a Martian basaltic shergottite. This classification describes the meteorite's chemical composition and morphological features; about 75% of Martian meteorites are shergottites. The original rocks that become shergottites are thought to have formed about 180 million years ago.
Telescopes Zone
Step up and compare your height to the impressive size of the James Webb and Hubble telescopes.
The Webb and Hubble mirrors are 21 ft (6.5 m) and 8 ft (2.4 m) in diameter, respectively. Webb collects more than six times as much light as Hubble, allowing it to see much fainter objects more clearly.
Then, interact with the digital screen nearby to discover more about the impressive work these telescopes are doing to deliver spectacular images of the cosmos.
Light Zone
Cast shadows made of colored lights, control plasma using the heat of your fingers, see your body through an infrared camera, and see how vast the stars in the sky are with a visual representation on a Sloan Digital Sky Survey plate.
A New Perspective on Some Old Friends
No idea is more connected to astronomy than the constellation. But did you know that there’s more to them than meets the eye? We see constellations as a two-dimensional picture in the sky, but they are actually made up of stars spread across the galaxy. See this for yourself with our beautiful, 3-D star sculpture. If you look closely, you can spot some familiar sights from a whole new perspective.
The Latest News from Space
There’s a whole universe of discoveries out there. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of your visit to get up to speed with the latest astronomy research. You’ll reveal the latest planets, farthest-flung galaxies, brightest stars, and so much more.