Weekly Hours
- Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
- Sunday: 1pm – 5pm
- Monday: 10am – 5pm only during March, June, and July
Holiday Closings
HandsOn! is closed New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day every year. HandsOn! may also close for special fundraisers or other scheduled events. Please check our events calendar for additional information on planned closures.
Did you know that you have 14 pounds of air pressure pushing on every square inch of your body?
Join us in the Discovery Lab as we learn about the impressive properties of air and Air Pressure through fun interactive activities. Watch marshmallows grow in a vacuum sealer, send fruit and veggie pieces into the air with our potato launcher, launch a seltzer rocket, make a popping CO2 baggie, and even watch a grown-up get vacuum sealed!
The Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. FREE with general paid admission.
Discover the Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?? of pollination through play in our traveling poster exhibit now on display!
Learn about the vital bonds between plants and pollinator animals, enjoy thematic table activities found throughout the exhibit hall and in the Tot Spots. And after you’ve explored the poster exhibit, be sure to venture out into our Discovery Garden to experience these pollination interactions in real life!
Catch it today before it flutters away!
*All poster designs have been made available through the generous support of the Smithsonian Institution Exhibition Service.*
Did you know that you have 14 pounds of air pressure pushing on every square inch of your body?
Join us in the Discovery Lab as we learn about the impressive properties of air and Air Pressure through fun interactive activities. Watch marshmallows grow in a vacuum sealer, send fruit and veggie pieces into the air with our potato launcher, launch a seltzer rocket, make a popping CO2 baggie, and even watch a grown-up get vacuum sealed!
The Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. FREE with general paid admission.
Stop by our Discovery Cart to explore something new each week.
This week’s program is Cubelets Coding Blocks!
Discovery Cart activities are self-guided. All program components and materials must remain on site unless otherwise noted. Some activities may contain small parts not suitable for children 3 and under. FREE with general paid admission.
Discover the Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?? of pollination through play in our traveling poster exhibit now on display!
Learn about the vital bonds between plants and pollinator animals, enjoy thematic table activities found throughout the exhibit hall and in the Tot Spots. And after you’ve explored the poster exhibit, be sure to venture out into our Discovery Garden to experience these pollination interactions in real life!
Catch it today before it flutters away!
*All poster designs have been made available through the generous support of the Smithsonian Institution Exhibition Service.*
Did you know that you have 14 pounds of air pressure pushing on every square inch of your body?
Join us in the Discovery Lab as we learn about the impressive properties of air and Air Pressure through fun interactive activities. Watch marshmallows grow in a vacuum sealer, send fruit and veggie pieces into the air with our potato launcher, launch a seltzer rocket, make a popping CO2 baggie, and even watch a grown-up get vacuum sealed!
The Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. FREE with general paid admission.
Stop by our Discovery Cart to explore something new each week.
This week’s program is Cubelets Coding Blocks!
Discovery Cart activities are self-guided. All program components and materials must remain on site unless otherwise noted. Some activities may contain small parts not suitable for children 3 and under. FREE with general paid admission.
Discover the Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?? of pollination through play in our traveling poster exhibit now on display!
Learn about the vital bonds between plants and pollinator animals, enjoy thematic table activities found throughout the exhibit hall and in the Tot Spots. And after you’ve explored the poster exhibit, be sure to venture out into our Discovery Garden to experience these pollination interactions in real life!
Catch it today before it flutters away!
*All poster designs have been made available through the generous support of the Smithsonian Institution Exhibition Service.*
Did you know that you have 14 pounds of air pressure pushing on every square inch of your body?
Join us in the Discovery Lab as we learn about the impressive properties of air and Air Pressure through fun interactive activities. Watch marshmallows grow in a vacuum sealer, send fruit and veggie pieces into the air with our potato launcher, launch a seltzer rocket, make a popping CO2 baggie, and even watch a grown-up get vacuum sealed!
The Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. FREE with general paid admission.