ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum

ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum is Southern Oregon’s hub for curiosity and discovery.
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With interactive exhibits, hands-on workshops, and engaging STEAM programs for all ages, it’s a vibrant place to play, learn, and stay curious. We offer educational exhibits, activities, themed programming, and special events to more than 25,000 people annually. Our 17,000 square feet of exhibit space is home to nearly 100 interactive exhibits that explore the foundation of Science, Technology, En

gineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). As a community center that inspires the next generation of problem solvers, ScienceWorks invites learning through exploration and interactive experiences; instilling a natural curiosity and passion for learning by creating engaging experiences that are both fun and educational. The majority of exhibits have been built in-house in a state-of-the-art fabrication studio. Receiving national and international attention, ScienceWorks exhibits have been sold to the Singapore Science Center, Technopolis in Belgium, Miami Museum of Science, Calgary Science Centre, and museums in the U.S.

UPDATE: Our website is up and running again. Thank you for your patience while we worked through the issue.Our website i...
05/26/2026

UPDATE: Our website is up and running again. Thank you for your patience while we worked through the issue.

Our website is temporarily down. We’re working to resolve the issue and will share an update as soon as it’s back up. Thanks for your patience!

When art and science come together, they don’t just overlap, they expand what’s possible, helping people not only unders...
05/25/2026

When art and science come together, they don’t just overlap, they expand what’s possible, helping people not only understand the world, but connect with it. Art and science work so well together because they’re really two ways of exploring the same thing: how the world works.

Science asks questions like “What is this?” and “How does it function?” Art asks “What does it feel like?” and “How can we experience it?” Put them together, and you get a fuller understanding, both analytical and human.

Kick off your summer with art that brings our community together. Three free events. One creative community. Join us this June as art, stories, and connection come to life at ScienceWorks.

The Home Project — Opening Reception
Be among the first to experience The Home Project, a powerful exhibit sharing stories of belonging through portraiture and art, on view at ScienceWorks through August. Artist talks and behind-the-scenes footage at 4 PM followed by opening reception from 5 to 6 PM.
Saturday, June 6
4 to 6 PM
Free

Mural Fest 2026 — “Belonging”
Watch art come to life in real time as regional muralists transform our plaza into an open-air studio.
Saturday & Sunday
June 20 & 21
10 AM to 5 PM
Free

Siskiyou Crest Artist in Residence Presentation
Meet Artist in Residence Cody Markelz and explore how art, science, and wild landscapes intersect.
Sunday, June 28
2 PM
Free

ScienceWorksMuseum.org/Events

Hello ScienceWorks friends!Your Bird of the Month for May is the Lesser Goldfinch. These bright and colorful little bird...
05/22/2026

Hello ScienceWorks friends!

Your Bird of the Month for May is the Lesser Goldfinch. These bright and colorful little birds are very common and widespread throughout the western United States. I see and hear them every time I go to ScienceWorks, and just about everywhere else in the Rogue Valley.

These social birds fly in bounding flocks looking for seeds to eat. They are able to take advantage of both native and non-native plants year-round and are one of the most familiar resident birds of Southern Oregon.

The “Lesser” in their name comes from the fact that they are slightly smaller than the similar American Goldfinch. These cheerful and plucky little birds don’t seem too bothered about their humbler name and like to sing their long, complex songs from prominent perches, often mimicking other birds. They are not shy around humans and are common in suburban areas and parks.

Lesser Goldfinch males are distinctive, with black caps, green backs, bright yellow fronts, and white spots on their wings (noticeable in flight). Females have more subtle plumage, which helps them stay hidden while on the nest.

Females and non-breeding males can be distinguished from American Goldfinches by subtle differences in their plumage, such as the color of their undertail coverts (butt feathers). These are yellow in Lesser and Goldfinches and white in American Goldfinches.

Lesser Goldfinches are one of a few bird species I have confirmed nesting at ScienceWorks. I found this fledgling doing a wing-flapping display and begging for food. The dad dutifully obliged.

Every time of year offers something special for birding, but May is the most magnificent month for birds across most of the Northern Hemisphere. Breeding season is in full swing and migrants are still moving through in their millions. I highly recommend getting out early to a riverside, marsh, or lush woodland at least once this spring and simply basking in the glory of birdsong. You’ll hear goldfinches and many other colorful birds in their race to survive and breed for another year.

Happy Birding!

To read more of Nate's posts, visit ScienceWorksMuseum.org/Field-Notes

Our Pterosaurs exhibit is soaring away on May 31. If you haven’t had a chance to explore these incredible flying reptile...
05/21/2026

Our Pterosaurs exhibit is soaring away on May 31. If you haven’t had a chance to explore these incredible flying reptiles, now is the time. Stop by before they take off for good and get up close with the science, scale, and mystery of these prehistoric giants.

What’s coming next? Let’s just say… things are about to COME TOGETHER in a whole new way. We can’t wait for you to see how it all CONNECTS.

As we prepare for our next exhibit, a portion of the main gallery will be closed from June 1 – 12. We appreciate your patience during this transition and look forward to welcoming you back to experience something entirely new.

On May 20, 2017, the United Nations officially proclaimed World Bee Day following a proposal from Slovenia — a global re...
05/20/2026

On May 20, 2017, the United Nations officially proclaimed World Bee Day following a proposal from Slovenia — a global reminder of just how essential bees are to life on Earth.

Bees are some of our most important pollinators, supporting biodiversity, strengthening food systems, and helping sustain ecosystems around the world. In fact, every third spoonful of food depends on pollination.

Today is a chance to pause and consider how we can protect these small but mighty creatures.

If you're inspired to take action, consider planting native plants in your yard or even in pots on a deck or patio. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is a great local resource to help you learn more about our native flora.

For a dose of hope and inspiration, check out Homegrown National Park (homegrownnationalpark.org), a nationwide effort encouraging people to add native plants and remove invasive species everywhere we live, work, and play. Their interactive map allows individuals across the country to register their native-planted spaces — large or small. It is inspiring to see how many people are joining the effort to restore biodiversity and support pollinators.

This spring, we’ve been putting these ideas into action right here at ScienceWorks.

Thanks to generous support from our community, we’ve added a new round of native and pollinator-friendly plants around our plaza and Bear Garden. These spaces are now buzzing with life.

We are deeply grateful to Shooting Star Nursery and Ashland Greenhouses for their plant donations,
VH Contracting LLC for providing mulch, and to our executive director, Gaby, and our volunteer, Emily, for contributing additional plants and hands-on care.

Our new plantings feature a vibrant mix of mostly native species and their cultivars, including sages, yarrow, phlox, and other blooms that are especially loved by our local pollinators. We’ve also incorporated manzanitas, which provide important habitat for birds and support a healthy ecosystem beyond pollinators alone.

These plants were chosen not only for their ecological value, but also for their resilience. Once established, they are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant — a necessary approach to sustainable landscaping in our region.

Right now, many of these plants are in bloom, and the results are already visible. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are hard at work, moving from flower to flower.

We invite you to stop by, take a closer look, and maybe even pause long enough to notice the hum of activity. What do you see? Which plants are the most popular with pollinators? What might you try planting at home?

Here’s to the tiny pollinators that make a big difference, and to the community effort it takes to support them.

Stay curious 🐝

Homegrown National Park page

We’re honored to be on the ballot for the Ashland Food Co-op’s Change for Good program 💛If you’re a Co-op owner, we’d be...
05/19/2026

We’re honored to be on the ballot for the Ashland Food Co-op’s Change for Good program 💛

If you’re a Co-op owner, we’d be grateful for your vote to help bring ScienceWorks back as a 2027 partner. This simple round-up program makes a real difference — just a few cents at a time — supporting hands-on science education, accessible learning, and a welcoming space for our whole community.

If ScienceWorks has been part of your story, we’d be thankful for your vote.

Stay curious ✨

Update from the ScienceWorks field — native flowers are blooming!It’s been a long, slow process to restore our field ove...
05/05/2026

Update from the ScienceWorks field — native flowers are blooming!

It’s been a long, slow process to restore our field over the past couple of years, but we’re starting to see signs that the work is paying off. Last year, we spread several pounds of native seeds, and this spring they’re beginning to return the favor.

If you look closely (we know it’s hard to see, these flowers aren't as showy as their commercial cultivar cousins), you’ll spot blooms from native lupines, poppies, red clover, and more.

This growing diversity does more than add color, it helps rebuild a healthy ecosystem. Native plants provide food and habitat for pollinators, support soil health, improve water retention, and create a more resilient landscape over time.

We’d love for you to come see it for yourself. Take a walk around the field, slow down, and notice what’s emerging. What do you see? Who’s visiting the flowers?

Small changes add up, and this is just the beginning.

04/30/2026

Summer can sneak up quickly. If you’re still figuring out plans, you’re not alone.

Our summer camps are filling, and a few age groups are starting to sell out, but we still have plenty of spots available. We’ve increased capacity this year to better support families across the Rogue Valley and make space for more kids to explore, create, and connect.

We’re still waiting to hear about the grant that helps fund camp scholarships. It may be a few more weeks before we know, and we’ll share an update as soon as we do. (If you'd like to donate a camp scholarship, please email us as [email protected])

Take a look at this year’s camp themes on our website and see what might be a good fit for your family.

ScienceWorksMuseum.org/Camps

Dig in. Blast off. Dive deep. One summer — endless exploration!

Hello ScienceWorks friends and happy spring!This handsome fellow is called a Golden-crowned Sparrow, and he is your Bird...
04/30/2026

Hello ScienceWorks friends and happy spring!

This handsome fellow is called a Golden-crowned Sparrow, and he is your Bird of the Month for April.

April is an interesting time for birding. Resident birds, such as House Finches, have started nesting. Some spring migrants, such as our House Wren friends, have returned. Others, like the Western Kingbirds, haven’t shown up at ScienceWorks yet. Wintering birds, like these Golden-crowned Sparrows, are slowly trickling out of the Rogue Valley as they make their way to nesting grounds in Alaska and Western Canada.

Sparrows are often tricky to ID because there are many species that all have intricate, streaky patterns and fairly drab, camouflage colors. Adult Golden-crowned Sparrows make it easy with their plain fronts and golden crowns framed by bold black stripes.

They can be confused for the similar and closely related White-crowned Sparrow, but adults are easy to tell apart due to their different “crowns”.

First-winter birds are more confusing because they lack the bold colors in their crowns. First-winter White-crowns have brown, instead of black, head stripes with no white. Golden-crowns always have some yellow on their foreheads regardless of age or molt. White-throated Sparrows are similar as well but are uncommon in this area.

Golden-crowned Sparrows start arriving in September, are super common October to March, and begin leaving in April. By mid-May, nearly all of our birds are on their way north to breed. They are highly social during the nonbreeding season, often mixing with White-crowned Sparrows and other birds. I apparently interrupted these ones while in the middle of an important meeting.

Look for these birds in hedgerows, shrubs, brush piles, neighborhoods, and virtually anywhere with a mix of open ground and dense, low vegetation. They like to practice their beautiful, three note songs this time of year as well.

If you see a bunch of little gray/brown blobs on the ground zooming into the bushes, there’s a good chance they are Golden-crowned Sparrows. If you miss them this spring, they’ll be back in droves in the fall.

Happy Birding!

All photos copyright Nate Trimble unless otherwise credited.
For more Birding with Nate posts, visit ScienceWorksMuseum.org/Field-Notes

New voices. Urgent stories. Powerful art. 🌿🔥🎨Now through May 31, visit ScienceWorks to experience For Love of Nature, a ...
04/28/2026

New voices. Urgent stories. Powerful art. 🌿🔥🎨

Now through May 31, visit ScienceWorks to experience For Love of Nature, a moving new exhibition featuring artwork created by Rogue Valley youth as a passionate call for greater stewardship of our planet.

Created by teen artists who lived through the 2020 Almeda Fire, these works reflect deeply felt experiences with climate change, resilience, and hope for the future. The exhibition is the culmination of a year-long workshop produced by Anima Mundi Productions and Rogue Climate under the mentorship of artist and educator Adrian Chavez.

These pieces are intended to inspire conversation, compassion, and action.

Join us for the free artist reception and meet the young creators behind the work:

Saturday, May 2
4 to 6 PM
Free admission
Learn more at ScienceWorksMuseum.org/art-in-STEAM

Come celebrate youth creativity and experience art that asks us to care more deeply for one another — and for the planet.

Address

1500 East Main Street
Ashland, OR
97520

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+15414826767

Website

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