Featured Event

Los Centzontles band posing with the instruments
09/30/2023
12:30 p.m.–1:15 p.m.

Los Cenzontles Performance

Join us to celebrate Mexican music and culture featuring Los Cenzontles, a Bay Area-based arts academy and band that amplifies Mexican American culture through education, performance, and production.

Sea otter pup and parent
09/24/2023
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

The Cultural Significance of Sea Otters to the Ohlone

Join Sea Otter Savvy’s Heather Barrett and Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino in our Outdoor Nature Lab for a special Sea Otter Awareness Week event! Vincent, Louis, and Heather will discuss the significance of sea otters to Ohlone people and tradition.

Boy sitting on the Lawrence's sunstone overlooking the Bay Area
09/23/2023
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Fall Equinox Family Lunch +  Learn with Dr. Bryan Mendez

Bring your lunch and picnic outside next to our Sun Stones II exhibit, a sculpture offering unique viewing opportunities of a variety of astronomical events and phenomena. Planetarium Director Dr. Bryan Mendez will give a family-friendly talk about the seasons and the equinox, including movement and storytelling. Then, observe the equinox with Sun Stones II at 1:03 p.m.

Children playing around DNA sculpture in front of the Lawrence
10/08/2023
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Five Dollar Day

Visit The Lawrence and enjoy all the hands-on science we offer for just $5 per person. $5 Days are part of our efforts to increase access to our programs for all.

A room full of people viewing an eclipse on a TV screen
10/14/2023
8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.

Eclipse Viewing Party

On October 14, an annular solar eclipse will be visible across the United States. The Lawrence will have eclipse glasses for sale leading up to and during the eclipse. Join us for a viewing party and an exploration of how eclipses occur!

Children and adults working on craft activity at Dia de los Muertos event
10/29/2023
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

On-The-Go: Oakland Día de los Muertos

Celebrate with science at Oakland’s annual Día de los Muertos festival! The Lawrence On-The-Go will bring our mind-bending “Optical Illusions” activity. Design, build, and test your own optical illusion out of everyday materials while learning about the eye-to-brain connection.

Child and adult working on a physics experiment
10/29/2023
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Creepy, Happy Halloween

Our annual Halloween party is back! Visitors wearing a costume can get free tickets to 3D films or Planetarium shows. Plus, meet creepy crawly critters in our Animal Discovery Zone, and learn to make pumpkins fly in our catapult activity. Members can decorate their own glow-in-the-dark pumpkins in our Member Lounge.

View from above of friends seated at a table for a dinner of salad and pizza
11/09/2023
5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

The Future of Food: A Benefit Event for Hungry Minds

Join us at The Lawrence for an immersive evening for hungry minds exploring the future of food. This celebratory benefit event will include tastings inspired by food innovators, interactive experiences, a seated dinner, and a thought-provoking talk from our featured speaker, Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.

image of a tool used to test earthquake stability
08/17/2023
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Shaking Things Up: Earthquake Preparedness and Resiliency

August’s virtual lecture is all about earthquakes! Join Dr. Sarina Patel from UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab and Dr. Floriana Petrone from the Energy Geosciences Division at Berkeley Lab as we discuss what both institutions are doing to help Californians live safely in earthquake country. Midday Science Cafe is a virtual series that highlights compelling and complementary research from both UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab, brought to you by Science at Cal’s partnership with Berkeley Lab’s Government & Community Relations Office.

A child wearing safety goggles is conducting a science experiment using dry ice.
08/19/2023
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

On-The-Go: Scientific Adventures for Girls Family Science Night

Catch Lawrence On-the-Go at Scientific Adventures for Girls’ STEAM night: Planet Protectors.
Build a terrarium, learn about pollinators, become a recycling expert and more!

Hector Torres Vera
08/22/2023
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Caminos de la Ciencia: Un bori-químico construyendo bio-fábricas

El trabajo de Héctor consiste en secuestrar el ribosoma, haciéndolo capaz de ensamblar bloques de construcción que no son aminoácidos en moléculas que no son proteínas, con una especificidad de secuencia inigualable. Una vez que desarrollemos esta tecnología, podremos crear ribosomas capaces de crear materiales nuevos y emocionantes, como plásticos biodegradables y fibras flexibles y fuertes.

Girl fascinated by wind experiment
08/26/2023
11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

On-The-Go: Science@Stockmen’s Park

Explore everyday science at Science@Stockmen’s Park, a free monthly outdoor event for children ages three and up, teens, and adults. The Lawrence On-The-Go will bring our hands-on “Falling, Floating, Flying” activity. Design and build a floating or flying machine, then test how far it flies in our portable wind tunnel!

Lawrence On-The-Go staff interacting with participants at a tabling event
09/09/2023
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

On-The-Go: Kits Cubed STEM Fair

Join Lawrence On-the-Go for a fun Saturday STEM Fair with Kits Cubed, an organization based in Oakland dedicated to igniting the inner scientist in every child through science kits and events.

Oakland First Fridays - Science at Cal - The Lawrence
08/04/2023
5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

Oakland First Fridays

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Oakland First Fridays with Science at Cal and The Lawrence On The Go! Explore the science of sound with two activities from our Phenomenal Physics festival.

Children are observing a bug during Science Fun Days
08/05/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Bug Bonanza

A visitor favorite, Bug Bonanza is a celebration of bugs! SaveNature will bring their awesome insect zoo to The Lawrence from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Learn about the lives of these fascinating creatures and even touch them…if you dare! We’ll also conduct bug hunts in the Outdoor Nature Lab, where we’ll have magnifying glasses available to explore our backyard up close.

A trapeze artist performs at The Lawrence during Science Fun Days
07/29/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Les Aerielles

Celebrate the human body and what it can do when put to music! Les Aerielles will return this summer with their incredible young trapeze arts performers. Performance times at 12:00 noon, 1:00, and 2:00. p.m.

Lithium production plant
07/20/2023
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – It’s Elemental: Lithium Recovery for a Sustainable Electrified Future

Lithium is an essential element in energy-dense batteries and is a key ingredient for a low carbon future, but we do not currently produce enough to satisfy the rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage for the electricity grid. While lithium can be found abundantly around the globe it is not found in concentrated deposits, making lithium production challenging. In this month’s Midday Science Cafe, we will first hear from Dr. Michael Whittaker, an affiliate in UC Berkeley’s Department of Earth and Planetary Science, about how to efficiently produce lithium from dilute sources, such as those found in geothermal brines underneath the Salton Sea in southern California. Next, we will hear from Meg Slattery, PhD candidate at UC Davis and former Berkeley Lab affiliate, about the importance of community engagement in developing sustainable and equitable supply chains for new energy and transportation solutions.

A girl jumps off the Sunstones sculpture in the Forces That Shape the Bay exhibit
06/10/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Fun with the Sun

Kick off our series of Summer Science Fundays with a celebration of our sun and other stars. Search for sunspots, learn how dust particles come together to form planets and stars, and explore how solar eclipses work.

A child builds a structure with giant geometry materials during Science Fun Days
06/17/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Build, Engineer, and Invent!

Explore building in two and three dimensions and discover the engineering properties of sturdy structures including bridges, roller coasters, and more! We’ll provide the building materials, you supply the creativity!

06/24/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Making Music Exhibition Opening Day

Rock out with science and celebrate the opening of our brand-new exhibition, Making Music: Math and Science Out Loud!

Two girls testing boats made of recycled materials in our Forces That Shape the Bay exhibit
07/01/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Float Your Boat

What does a boat need to float and sail? Join us in our Forces That Shape the Bay exhibit, where we’ll be engineering our own small boats out of recycled materials. Discover what it takes to design and build a sail that works and a boat that floats.

A boy testing out different weights on a balance scale
07/08/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Fun with Physics

Investigate and experiment with the forces that govern our world, with activities from our hands-on Phenomenal Physics festival and GSK Science in the Summer™. 

Two Lawrence Hall of Science volunteers serve ice cream to a young visitor
07/15/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Ice Cream Shake-Up

On National Ice Cream Day, we celebrate the sweetest of the seven basic tastes, the one made possible by sugars. Make your own ice cream and learn about the science behind this tasty treat.

A mother and son look through a microscope
07/22/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Chemistry Funday

Join us for two activities exploring the surprising properties of light and investigating the chemical structure of matter. Compared to microscopes, these techniques can teach us different things at an even smaller scale. The first activity uses laser diffraction to study the structure of bird feathers. The second activity uses polarized light to study how materials respond to being put under stress.

A student looks through a microscope
06/12/2023–06/16/2023

Amgen Biotech Experience: Complete Series Teacher Workshop-June 2023

This five-day, summer workshop covers the Complete Series of the ABE curriculum, including an introduction to micropipettes and gel electrophoresis, plasmid digestion, plasmid ligation, confirmation of digestion and ligation via electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, colony PCR, and protein purification.

A group of performers from Cal Taiko band drumming on stage
08/12/2023
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Science Funday: Cal Taiko Band

Experience the rhythm of traditional taiko drumming in a performance by UC Berkeley’s Taiko band. Berkeley students will play massive drums made from animal skins and ancient tree trunks. This troupe of youthful and energetic drummers will channel the heartbeat and spirit of their homeland and will talk about this cultural tradition that traces its roots back more than 1,000 years in Japan.

Three educators are collaborating together.
05/17/2023
4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Teacher Workshop: Scientific Thinking Toolkit for All

High school teachers are invited to a free online interactive Teacher Workshop: Scientific Thinking Toolkit for All as a part of the Nobel Prize Summit: Truth, Trust, and Hope. Come learn about a new innovative high school curriculum on scientific thinking that equips students with strategies and skills to evaluate evidence and make informed decisions amid the challenges and possibilities of the Information Age.

PiE Robotics
04/29/2023
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

04/30/2023
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) Robotics Competition

High school robot makers and their Cal undergraduate mentors, Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) Robotics, face off this weekend in a robotics competition. Watch them tweak their robots to prepare for judging. Enjoy some preliminary heats and the final competition on Sunday in the theater. All are welcome.

A group of trees with sunlight flowing between them
04/20/2023
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Curbing Climate Change through Carbon Removal

Stringent climate change targets, including lowering the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, will require both a decline in global emissions of CO2 and an increase in CO2 removal. CO2 removal describes an array of natural and technological strategies that capture and remove CO2 from the air and store it semi-permanently in some form. At this month’s Midday Science Cafe, we’ll hear from researchers who study just a few CO2 removal strategies under consideration.

orange frog
04/25/2023
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Joyas del Bosque: La genética de color en ranas venenosas

Las ranas venenosas de la fresa son anfibios diminutos que podrían caber en la uña de tu pulgar. En Centroamérica, habitan los bosques de Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá…

Students are participating in a science activity at Solar Camp
06/12/2023–06/23/2023
06/26/2023–07/07/2023

Free Hands-on Solar Camp

Want to learn more about the sun and use engineering to solve problems? Join us for a free Hands-on Solar Camp this summer!

Mars
04/07/2023
3:30 p.m.–4:45 p.m.

04/08/2023
3:30 p.m.–4:45 p.m.

The Lawrence On-The-Go: Surviving Life on the Red Planet

Do you think you could live on another planet? In this program you will blast off into cutting-edge science as you investigate ways to survive on Mars!

Lawrence on The Go van
03/11/2023
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

North Bay Science Discovery Day

Optical Illusions How do our eyes and brain work together to make sense of the world around us? Experiment and…

A group gathers to celebrate new years with falling confetti
12/31/2022

2022 Grand Finale

Join us for our annual celebration and launch into your New Year’s festivities! You bring the holiday cheer, and we’ll bring the magic of confetti cannons! With several daily launches, you’ll be showered with joy and laughter as you close 2022.

A child is participating in an activity in a physics exhibit at The Lawrence
12/21/2022
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Phenomenal Physics

Come explore the forces of physics—the basic principles that govern our physical world. Explore electricity and magnetism, optics and sound, even fluid dynamics. What will you discover about these forces as you experiment?

Dr. Nia Imara
12/03/2022
6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

We Love the Light: A talk by astrophysicist and artist Nia Imara

Join our partner Justice Outside for a cosmic journey and a lecture by artist, astrophysicist, and professor of astronomy, Dr. Nia Imara. In We Love the Light, Imara will lead us on a dynamic, light-filled exploration of the universe. She will tell a story of how we live on a small, rocky planet orbiting an ordinary star, which is just one of the billions of stars flying around in the Milky Way—which, in turn, is one of the countless galaxies that have been speeding away from each other for the past 14 billion years. It is a story about how our relationship to the cosmos and to one another can be understood by standing at the unique vantage point at the crossroads of art and science. It is a story of how light is fundamental to life.

a boy looks in wonder at a cloud of vapor produced by dry ice
10/30/2022
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Happy Creepy Halloween

Join us for our annual Halloween celebration, featuring creepy crawly critters, flying pumpkins, and more!

a cougar
10/20/2022
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Lessons from the Wild: How humans interact with and learn from other animals

Humans have a lot to learn from the other animals who share the Earth—some have innate abilities and senses that surpass our own, allowing us to build technologies and solutions for a better world. Featuring Dr. Mark Kline from Berkeley Lab and X-Therma and UC Berkeley scientist Dr. Phoebe Parker-Shames.

Frog on a leaf
10/08/2022
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Nature’s Toxic Defenses: Why Don’t Poison Frogs Poison Themselves?

While we might be most familiar with rattlesnakes, black widows, and poison frogs (oh my!), toxins are produced or acquired by organisms in nearly every major group of life. This means that animals must avoid toxins or adapt to them. In this talk, Dr. Rebecca (Becca) Tarvin of UC Berkeley’s Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology will discuss why and how animals evolve to be both toxic and toxin resistant, including her research on how some poison frogs avoid poisoning themselves.

Grounds for Science: Illuminating the Brain and Programming Viruses to Harvest Solar Energy
10/04/2022
5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Grounds for Science – Illuminating the Brain and Programming Viruses to Harvest Solar Energy

Grounds for Science presents Illuminating the Brain: How light, color, and a jellyfish protein help us study the mind and Programming Viruses to Harvest Solar Energy. Featuring Ph.D. Candidates Anneliese Gest and Amanda Bischoff.

A planet with a view of its core
09/27/2022
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Materiales en condiciones extremas: una ventana al interior de los planetas

Nuestro planeta Tierra es como una cebolla: está hecho de capas. Algunas son sólidas, otras líquidas, y están hechas de distintos materiales. Así como un submarino debe soportar toda la presión del océano encima, estas capas tienen que soportar la presión de todas las otras capas encima, dejando el núcleo a una descomunal presión de 3 millones de veces la presión atmosférica.

Planet in space
09/15/2022
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Outer Space’s Hottest and Brightest Objects

At this month’s Midday Science Cafe, we’ll take a star-studded intergalactic journey to see some of the universe’s hottest and brightest objects. Featuring Dr. Gontcho A Gontcho, Berkeley Lab and Steven Giacalone, UC Berkeley.

A graphic with text that reads Solano Avenue Stroll, the Lawrence, and Science at Cal, with an image of kids doing a science activity
09/11/2022
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Solano Avenue Stroll

Featured Activity Create your own Bunny Copter with a fun, quick, hands-on STEM activity, and make a souvenir to take…

Model of human head and brain area is highlighted
09/10/2022
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – An Inside Look: UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics

Exactly two years ago, before the new Netflix documentary series, “How to Change your Mind” premiered, the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) was founded to provide research, training, and public education on a long-standing taboo in our society: psychedelic drugs. BCSP brings together researchers from across disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, education, journalism, and molecular biology. Michael Silver, the director of BCSP and a professor in optometry and neuroscience, will provide an overview of the burgeoning center and its work to better understand the fundamental properties of the mind, brain, and body through psychedelics.

Dra. Francesca Burgos Bravo
08/23/2022
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Mover objetos diminutos con luz: no solo un sueño de la ciencia ficción

Si diriges un haz de luz a la mano, no se siente mucho, salvo un poco de calor. Pero si diriges ese mismo haz de luz hacia partículas microscópicas, la luz se convierte en una herramienta realmente poderosa capaz de capturar y mover objetos. Pareciera que al hablar de manipulación de objetos mediante la luz se está haciendo referencia a alguna escena de ciencia ficción, pero no lo es. En esta charla Dra. Francesca Burgos Bravo hablará sobre los inicios de la manipulación óptica de partículas y cómo se ha convertido en una herramienta fundamental para estudiar procesos biológicos.

Dr. Rachel Woods-Robinson
08/18/2022
12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – Alchemy in the 21st Century: New materials to combat the energy crisis

As scientists continuously hunt for novel approaches to combat our energy crisis, the field of materials science has secured a spot in the fight, furthering our understanding of the properties and applications of matter. “Materials discovery” is at the heart of this research. Featuring Dr. Rachel Woods-Robinson from UC Berkeley and Dr. Matthew K Horton from Berkeley Lab.

Science at Cal - The Lawrence - Berkeley Lab
08/05/2022
5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

Oakland First Fridays

This month’s First Fridays theme is “Family Fun,” and Science at Cal, The Lawrence On-The-Go, and Berkeley Lab are coming prepared with their most engaging and fun science activities to make First Fridays a go for the whole family!

girl playing pinball
07/31/2022
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Summer Funday: Get Your Game On!

Join us for a celebration of the science and math of games!

Four people walking in a snowy landscape
07/26/2022
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Science at Cal – La guía microbiana para viajar al futuro

Por 3500 millones de años organismos vivos diminutos llamados microbios han transformado el planeta. Hoy tenemos mejor ciencia para estudiar sus poderosas propiedades. Se prevé que nuestro conocimiento sobre los microbios va a influir notablemente en nuestra dieta, nuestra salud, nuestra industria y la resiliencia de ecosistemas enteros en el futuro cercano. De hecho, estamos descubriendo nuevos microbios cada día y necesitaremos su ayuda para tener una vida mejor. Durante esta presentación, la Dra. Patricia Valdespino nos dará un vistazo al futuro con la ayuda de los microbios que ella estudia.