Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get messy! Make mystery solutions that fizz, pop, and explode. Discover why objects glow in the dark and make fluorescent crystals. Explore the science behind the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Dive into mysteries of the mind and dissect a sheep’s brain. Learn forensic science techniques and use them to solve a museum mystery.
Learn more about Super Scientist.
Explore nature’s wild and wacky wonders! Investigate flying mammals, bizarre reptiles, and mixed-up dinosaurs. Observe experiments with dry ice and test out the science of food. Design your own “weird” animal with its own unique adaptations. Scout through Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems to find minerals that look like cookies, French fries, stars, and bubbles, plus learn the science behind rainbows.
Learn more about Weird Science.
Get ready for a wickedly fun week exploring all things Oz! Try your hand at “magic” as you mix potions, make bubble art, and investigate dry ice. Journey through the museum in search of emeralds, rubies, and other colorful jewels. Uncover the science behind melting and defy gravity by designing a flying broomstick. Learn about lions, tigers, bears, and other animals of Oz, plus craft a wand for a good witch or a bad witch.
Learn more about Bubbles and Broomsticks.
Discover an enchanted world inside the museum and make connections to some of your favorite stories. Let it all go as you experiment with ice, and go under the sea to learn about the differences between fresh and salt water. You‘ll have no worries as you learn how lions, warthogs, and meerkats survive in their ecosystems, plus explore ways you can help make the world a better place.
Learn more about Enchanted Explorations.
Do you have the drive and determination to survive in the wild? Build your survival skills as you play team-building games, decipher puzzles, and problem-solve your way through challenges. Investigate and identify edible, medicinal, and poisonous plants. Build a shelter, practice filtering water, and learn navigation techniques. Compete in a series of friendly competitions to see if you have what it takes to survive. The challenge is on!
Learn more about The Drive to Survive.
Campers, let your imagination run wild as you explore daily themes with crafts, games, and creative play. Make tents and “camp out” as you learn about wilderness survival. Uncover your inner “forest witch” and brew potions, look for frogs, and collect worms for your magic spells. Imagine life in underwater kingdoms, sculpt with mud, host a fairy tea party, and much more!
Learn more about Investigation Imagination.
Uncover the geological mysteries of caves and caverns. Learn lab techniques for analyzing rocks and minerals, then venture outdoors to practice the basics of geology field work on a hiking trip through Schenley Park. Explore the science of unique rock and mineral formations through hands-on experiments and use your geology knowledge to interpret the hidden secrets of the natural world.
Learn more about Geology Explorers.
Level up your knowledge of rocks as you examine gems, minerals, rocks, and fossils in the lab and throughout the museum. Learn the tools of the geologists’ trade on a rock walk in Schenley Park. Discover surprising ways we use rocks and minerals in everyday life. Experiment with the rock cycle and observe everyday items made from rocks and minerals, plus start your own collection to take home.
Learn more about Geology Rocks.
Build your knowledge of rocks, elements, volcanoes, and more as you explore the geology of Minecraft in the real world. Discover the different types of rocks and how they form, plus search the museum for favorite Minecraft minerals. Investigate the science behind volcanoes and lava flow, and learn about real-life uses of coal, ores, metals, and more.
Learn more about Rock On: The Geology of Minecraft.
Meet weird prehistoric creatures and some of nature’s coolest critters! Get your hands on mystery slime, take a close look at reptile scales, and build an obstacle course for worms. Examine the movements, habitats, and senses of animals with daily experiments. Measure and make observations during a gummy worm dissection. Get creative with chemistry to investigate scientific phenomena as you mix emulsions and test what floats in slimy substances.
Learn more about Creepy Crawly, Slippery Slimy.
Calling all druids, wizards, and rogues! Immerse yourself in this game-based camp full of quests and unforgettable challenges. Create unique characters and go on adventures in a prehistoric world of giant dragonflies and the real-life “dragons” we know as dinosaurs. Explore hidden spaces in the museum and learn how caves form. Uncover the science of biomimicry, plus investigate interesting insects and nocturnal creatures. Roll the dice and see what missions lie ahead!
Learn more about Dungeons and Dragonflies.
Become a junior researcher and experience real science in action at Powdermill! Spend the week participating in active science in the field. Uncover an environmental issue, develop a research question and hypothesis, and collect data to prove your point. Work as a team to learn research methods to address real problems. Your group will be in full control of what you explore! At the end of the week, present your findings for review by a Powdermill ecologist.
Learn more about Junior Researchers.
Plunge into experiments about the physics and chemistry of water as you develop your own mega-bubble solution. Test solutions for acids and bases, and compare ice crystals to minerals in the museum. Challenge yourself with boat building, buoyancy tests, and water balloon drops. Hike through Schenley Park to investigate aquatic habitats in the Panther Hollow Watershed and take a dip in nearby Schenley Swimming Pool.
Learn more about Aquatic Adventures.
Investigate how water keeps our city of three rivers running. Study the diverse life of Pittsburgh’s waterways, discover the importance of watersheds, and learn everyday practices to keep them healthy. Build skills in freshwater field work as you collect macro- and microorganisms. Dive into the world of wetland plants and wildlife, and discover the science of condensation, evaporation, precipitation, and more.
Learn more about Urban Hydrology.