The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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Exhibit
Use your ingenuity to solve problems and meet engineering challenges!
Scientists and engineers use their ingenuity and creativity to design, build, and test solutions to different problems. In Ingenuity Challenges, you’ll take on one of a rotating series of brainteasers. Put your creativity to the test and use recycled materials to create your unique invention. Build new musical instruments, plan a marble contraption, and more!
Let’s Make a Membranophone!
What do conga drums, tambourines, and kazoos have in common? They all belong to a category of musical instruments called membranophones! Join us in designing and constructing your very own membranophone, then showcase your musical talents on stage in a melodious performance.
Five Years of Ingenuity
Admission
General
Age 3+: $20
Kids under 2: FREE
Members: FREE
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3D Theater
$5 + Admission
Planetarium
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Check out some of the other challenges our learning designers have developed!
Circuitry and ArtbotsExperiment with engineering and motion as you design, build, and test artbots. Observe and compare how your motorized contraptions perform as you create surprising and unexpected patterns. Experiment with circuitry and build your own jitterbots, or design custom LEGO® artbots.
Hydraulics—Water-Powered MachinesHave you ever wondered how a crane is able to lift heavy objects, or how desk chairs can go up or down at the push of a lever? Come and design innovative hydraulic and pneumatic systems that can lift, push, or pull an object.
Linkages and Moving ToysFind your inner engineer and artist by exploring linkages. Use mechanical linkages to prototype mechanisms with specific movements while designing your own animated characters and moving toys.
Optical IllusionsDesign, build, and test your own optical illusion while learning about the human eye as part of our newest Ingenuity challenge. Observe and compare how optical illusions work, while you create fun and unique designs.
Pinball PaloozaLearn the inner mechanics of a pinball machine, then construct your own! Use everyday materials to create flippers, plungers, and ramps to make your pinball machine uniquely yours.
Prosthetic Hand ChallengeDo you have what it takes to design, build, and test a prosthetic hand? This challenge was developed in partnership with UC Berkeley’s CITRIS Lab on an exhibit spun from Sophie’s Super Hand. Use a variety of materials to design, build, and test a prosthetic hand as part of our newest Ingenuity Challenge, funded by Colocation America.
Turbines and WindmillsDesign, build, and test wind turbines to harness the power of the wind. In this engineering design challenge, you will experiment with blade designs to find out how much electricity you can generate!
Urban Water Challenge (ReNUWIt)How do engineers influence the water we use and drink? Engineers at ReNUWIt are reinventing the nation’s urban water infrastructure. Be a water engineer and design your own systems to make urban water safe, sustainable, and (re)usable. For more information about ReNUWIt, visit renuwit.org