Behind the Scenes Tours and Open Houses
Take a special behind-the-scenes look at local museums, gardens, archives, labs, and research facilities.
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Lights, Camera, Action!
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Lights, Camera, Action! will demonstrate and encourage hands-on interaction with film and television equipment, including a television studio, professional cameras, jib, steadicam, broadcast switcher, audio mixer, and more. Participants will create a short video program in a team environment.
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Laser Tweezers: Reach Out and Grab Bacteria!
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Biomedical Physical Sciences Room B149
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Use lasers and a microscope to grab and interact with live swimming bacteria in a video game like experience! Participants will be invited to use our optical tweezers microscope. Users will receive brief training prior to using the instrument.
Learn more about Laser Tweezers: Reach Out and Grab Bacteria!
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Tour the MSU Pollinator Performance Center
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at MSU Pollinator Performance Center 4090 N College Rd Bldg 0470E Lansing, MI 48910
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Visit Michigan State University's Pollinator Performance Center for a tour of the facility. The Pollinator Performance Center is located on south campus, and it focuses on research and extension to support beekeepers, growers whose crops depend on insect pollination, and the public. At this open house, you'll get to check out the honey processing room, beekeeping equipment, and other educational stations. You'll also learn about different pollinators in Michigan, the issues they're facing, and what people can do to help keep them healthy.
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Unique Trees from Around the World
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Outdoors
Saturday, April 13, 3:00 - 4:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Outdoors
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Join Katie Fry, Beal Botanical Garden's Collection Manager, to celebrate the campus arboretum's 150th anniversary with a walk-through Beal to learn about the trees of Beal that are not native to Michigan. Why and how did they get there, and what fun stories do they contain?
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Get Wet in the Woods with Vernal Pools!
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 3:00 PM at Baker Woodlot and Rajendra Neotropical Migrant Bird Sanctuary Main Entrance
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Vernal pools are more than just mud puddles in the woods that dry out in the summer! They are extremely important and diverse features in our forest ecosystems that provide critical habitat for a variety of organisms. These pools are important sources of food and water in early spring when very little else is available. Join us in MSU's Baker Woodlot to look and listen for the unique invertebrates, amphibians, and other critters that make these special pools their home.
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Hollander Makerspace Open House
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 4:00 PM at MSU Main Library Hollander Makerspace
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Tour the MSU Libraries Hollander Makerspace! The Makerspace is an alternative learning environment and gathering space that encourages cross-discipline collaboration, experimentation, and learning. See a variety of 3D printers, watch our laser cutter in action, and learn about our technologies available to the public!
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Native Trees of Beal
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Outdoors
Sunday, April 14, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Outdoors
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Join Carolyn Miller, Beal Botanical Garden's Plant Recorder, to celebrate the campus arboretum's 150th anniversary with a walk-through to learn about Michigan native trees in the spring.
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Red Cedar River Historical and Ecological Walking Tour
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at MSU Main Library Main Entrance
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Tour the banks of the Red Cedar and learn about the history and ecology of the river at the heart of MSU’s campus. This 1.2 mile round-trip walk will start at the MSU Main Library and loop from the Kalamazoo Street Bridge to Farm Lane and back, with stops to describe interesting historical and ecological features of the river. Please wear comfortable shoes. In case of rain the program will be inside the Main Library.
Learn more about Red Cedar River Historical and Ecological Walking Tour
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Tall Tree Tales
Presented at the following times:
Sunday, April 14, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Main Entrance
Sunday, April 14, 3:00 - 4:00 PM at W.J. Beal Botanical Garden Main Entrance
Appropriate for: High school age, 18 years and above
Join the Beal Botanical Garden to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Campus Arboretum with the mythology and lore of trees. This tour will explore the trees of the Beal Botanical Garden and the stories, warnings, and magic they contain!
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Tour the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
Saturday, April 20, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams Main Entrance
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore the world-class Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), where nuclei are smashed into a target at nearly half the speed of light! Our tour takes you behind the scenes where nuclei are accelerated, smashed, and studied. The secrets we learn could help explain what happens in supernovae and the origins of elements that make up the human body. Adults will need to complete a permission form for any minors in their party. This tour will be limited to the first 50 visitors in line; others will be invited to the virtual tour at Abrams Planetarium.