The Walne Family Discovery Lab is a unique, in-depth opportunity to experience hands-on STEM learning in the Exploration Center. Stop by the counter and try your hand at daily experiments and explorations led by an experienced Arboretum educator. With multiple chances to learn each day and rotating experiments every week, there’s always something new to learn. Please note that the Walne Family Discovery Lab is for ages 6 & up.

10am, 1pm, 3pm • Exploration Center

3/27-4/2 Strawberry DNA

4/3-9 Natural Egg Dye

4/10-16 Fizzy Egg Lab

4/17-23 Sensational Seeds 

4/24-30 Snap Circuits

5/1-7 Stomp Rockets feat. Hidden Figures

5/8-14 Layers of The Earth 

5/15-21 Galaxy Slime

5/22-29 Paper Animatronics: Astronauts

The OmniGlobe is an “out of this world” experience in the Exploration Center you’ll have to see to believe! This six-foot sphere is illuminated by two projectors inside which can create expansive images of planets, the Sun, and even the Earth’s weather patterns, ocean currents and so much more. Take a midday break and join us at 11:00am daily for OmniOutlook, featuring current weather or space events. 

11am • OmniOutlook – Current Weather and Space Events

2:30pm • OmniGlobe Presentation

3/20-4/2 Search for Food

4/3-16 Tour of the Solar System

4/17-30 The Heat is On

5/1-7 Starry Night

5/8-/14 Mother Earth

5/15-21 Deep Space

5/22-26 Exoplanets

Join us during the week for storytime, where we explore seasonal and thematic storybooks.  During this 10-15 minute program, our tiniest guests (0-5years) will explore concepts related to nature, science, and holidays. 

On the weekends, join us for Puppet Shows in the Glade, where we will join some garden critters as they share their experiences in the natural world around us.  

Storytime 
Location: First Adventure
Weekdays at 10:30am

3/27-3/31 Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell 

4/3-6 The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman

4/10-14 Ten Little Eggs: A Celebration of Family by Jess Mikhail

4/17-21 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

4/24-28 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh

5/1-7* More Than Peach by Bellen Woodard

5/8-12 Mae Jemison by Mary Nhin

5/15-19 Neptune by Thomas K. Adamson

5/22-26 The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars by Julia Finley Mosca

*Includes Weekends

Puppet Show 

Location: The Glade

Weekends @ 10:30am and 11:30am 

3/11-12 NEW PUPPET SHOW: Spring Out of Winter

3/18-19 NEW PUPPET SHOW: Spring Out of Winter

3/25-26 NEW PUPPET SHOW: Spring Out of Winter

4/1-2 NEW PUPPET SHOW: Spring Out of Winter

4/7-9 Easter Puppet Show:  Whose Egg Is It Anyway?

4/15-16 Purpose of Pollinating

4/22-23 Purpose of Pollinating

4/29-30 Purpose of Pollinating

5/13-14 Marvelous Metamorphosis

5/20-21 Marvelous Metamorphosis

STEM Stops are your chance to stop and experience in-depth science and STEM learning in the Children’s Adventure Garden! Join facilitators throughout various galleries as they share fun experiments and real scientific specimens for you to explore that relate to the topic of each gallery. STEM Stops are “come-n-go,” so each experience is guided by YOU and your discovery journey.

3/20-4/2

12pm • Orchard and Vineyards • Apples a Plenty

1:30pm • Orchard and Vineyards • Life Cycle of a Blackberry

3:30pm • Orchard and Vineyards • Raisin’ Grapes

4/3-16

12pm • Habitats • Whose Nest is Whose?

1:30pm • Habitats • Egg-celent Planters

3:30pm • Habitats •Dino Eggs-amination

4/17-30

12pm • Habitats • Turnin’ Turbines 

1:30pm • Habitats • Recycled Art

3:30pm • Habitats • ECO-Planting

5/1-29

12pm • Earth Cycles • Solar System Walk 

1:30pm • Earth Cycles • Cookie Moon Cycles

3:30pm • Earth Cycles • Constellation Creation