Information
Landmark: ScienceWorks Hands-On MuseumCity: Ashland OR
Country: USA Oregon
Continent: North America
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, Ashland OR, USA Oregon, North America
Overview
In Ashland, Oregon, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum invites visitors of all ages to tinker, explore, and learn through interactive exhibits, lively educational programs, and immersive experiences that might have you building a bridge or launching a paper rocket.It’s a regional hub for STEM education-science, technology, engineering, and math-sparking curiosity, fueling creativity, and sharpening critical thinking, all while linking science to everyday life, from bridge design to smartphone apps.Founded in 2000, we set out to bring hands-on science experiences-like tinkering with magnets or peering through microscopes-to children, families, and students across Southern Oregon.Our mission is to spark curiosity, fuel creativity, and sharpen critical thinking by letting people get their hands on science and technology-like feeling the hum of a small robot as it comes to life.The community hosts school field trips, after‑school programs, summer camps, and public workshops, keeping its educational outreach strong across the region.The exhibit halls are arranged into themed sections-physics, biology, astronomy, engineering, and environmental science-so you might step from a spinning galaxy display straight into a room alive with tropical plant scents.Most exhibits invite you to jump in-turn a crank, press a button, or test a lever-instead of just standing back and watching.Outdoor areas offer spots for science experiments, splashing in the water table, and hands‑on physics demos-all in a safe space with watchful eyes nearby.In the Physics and Engineering Zone, you’ll find hands-on displays that bring mechanical principles to life-spin a pulley, lift a weight with a lever, or explore the workings of simple machines.Visitors roll up their sleeves with hands-on projects, building small models, testing their ideas, and working through problems as they go.In Biology and Life Sciences, you can explore hands-on displays-trace the veins on a model heart, watch animals’ hunting patterns, and see vibrant ecosystems come alive.Live animals and detailed models bring ideas like adaptation, nutrition, and biodiversity to life-you can see a plant’s tiny leaves curl or a bird’s beak fit its food.In Earth and Space Science, you might catch a planetarium show or wander through an astronomy display, where glowing models of planets and shimmering star fields bring cosmic wonders to life.Hands-on exhibits explore geology, volcanology, and weather systems, tying them to Southern Oregon’s rugged landscapes and shifting skies.In Environmental and Sustainability Education, you’ll dive into renewable energy, learn how to save every drop of water, and practice caring for the land that sustains us.It invites visitors to see how our choices shape the environment, from the plastic bottle in your hand to the air you breathe, and to learn ways to live more sustainably.In the Technology and Innovation section, you can explore hands-on exhibits featuring buzzing electronics, nimble robotics, and the basics of coding-fun for every age.Tackling hands-on challenges sharpens problem-solving skills and sparks creative thinking, like figuring out how to fix a stubborn bike chain.Family-Friendly Visitor Experience: It’s built for kids from preschool through high school, with hands-on activities that spark curiosity and suit different ways of learning.School groups can join structured field trips that match education standards, with hands-on science activities like building simple circuits or testing water samples.Special events like seasonal science camps, hands‑on workshops, and lively community gatherings give people a chance to dive deeper-whether that’s building a model rocket or exploring the night sky together.Everything’s designed so everyone can enjoy it-wide, smooth paths for wheelchairs, ramps that don’t feel steep, and programs that welcome every visitor.The museum stays open all year, and its cozy indoor exhibits make it a perfect spot to explore when winter rain taps against the windows.Summer camps hit their stride in the warm months, offering kids and teens long, lively programs-sometimes stretching from sunup to the smell of campfire at dusk.Special Programs bring the year to life with holiday-themed science events, stargazing nights under crisp skies, and rotating exhibits that change with the seasons.Lithia Park is just a short walk away, perfect for stretching your legs under shady oak trees or enjoying a picnic in the grass.In downtown Ashland, you can wander past little shops, sip coffee in a sunlit café, and catch a show or two-all a perfect match for a trip to the museum.The Oregon Shakespeare Festival sits just a short walk away, making it easy to pair a morning of science with an afternoon surrounded by the scent of fresh costumes and the sound of actors’ voices on stage.The Ashland Springs Hotel offers historic charm just minutes away, with polished wood floors that creak softly underfoot.In Southern Oregon, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum buzzes with energy, inviting families, students, and curious adults to explore science through hands-on experiments and playful, interactive exhibits.With hands-on exhibits you can touch, STEM programs that spark ideas, and a strong connection to the community, it’s become a go-to place in Ashland and the Rogue Valley for building science know-how and igniting curiosity.
