super-science-saturdays

Looking for family-friendly activities to do for Halloween? Costumes are encouraged for a nature-themed Halloween celebration! Investigate seasonal specimens that are not usually on display, including jumping spiders, hairy tarantulas, and Fred, our famous crystal skull. Follow a scavenger hunt through the museum’s haunted halls while looking for clues and earning stamps along the way, then redeem for a goodie bag with all sorts of prizes. While supplies last.

Costumes cannot include masks that cover the entire face, weapons, or weapon-like objects. Safety face masks are permitted, but not required.

Something big is coming! Take a closer look at some of the largest specimens in our collection, from mammoths to giant geodes. Learn how our planet has supported enormous organisms like T. Rexes and sequoias throughout geologic time and up to today. How do humans stack up to these titans? Join us to see how you measure up! Walk among prehistoric giants in Dinosaurs in Their Time and hear the stories of many of our famous larger-than-life dinosaur mounts, including Dippy, the dueling T. rexes, and more!

Join museum staff to explore everything microscopic and unseen! Have you ever wondered how scientists study things too small to see? Meet Madagascar hissing cockroaches Woodrow and Franklin and look for the symbiotic mites that live on roaches. Try the scientific tools our researchers use to see more than meets the eye. Follow a scavenger hunt through the galleries to see if you can find the tiniest specimens on display, including micro fossils, tiny snails, and much more.

Did you know that May 18 is Pennsylvania Native Species Day? Learn about nature that’s a little closer to home—identify different local animal species by their tracks and scat, meet scientists from the Section of Invertebrate Paleontology with examples of Pittsburgh’s own backyard fossils, learn how our friends at Powdermill Nature Reserve band thousands of regional and seasonal birds, and so much more! Whether you’re exploring a bustling city block, suburban lot, or nearby park, we can learn a lot about nature without going too far.

Looking for family-friendly spring-themed activities? Join us for Egg-stravaganza! The egg-citement returns with our annual springtime scavenger hunt and an egg-cellent line-up of things to do with kids! From tiny insects to giant dinosaurs, the museum has eggs and nests of all shapes and sizes to discover. Can you find them all? Follow egg-themed clues to search for specimens throughout the museum, earn stamps as you go, then collect your goodie bag full of springtime treats. While supplies last.

Investigate the patterns, shapes, and colors all around us. Use this inspiration to create artwork in your own sketchbook (while supplies last). Explore the dazzling spectrum that helps insects, mammals and many other animals thrive in their environments. See if you can find where Waldo, the Jackson’s chameleon, and Bluey, the blue-tongued skink, the museum’s newest animal ambassadors are hiding inside an interactive diorama. Fold and press your own origami flowers, learn how seeds can come together to create a masterpiece, and discover how UV light can illuminate hidden properties of minerals. Learn how people from many different cultures draw meaning from color, from ancient Egypt to the present day.

We are pleased to partner with Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center (COTRAIC) on this event. Native Americans will demonstrate traditional and Intertribal dances and songs around 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Join in for a social dance or two!