SCI Solar Parties are held during the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market on the north side of the Science Center near the SCI main entrance. Tickets and registration are not required to take part in the Solar Party activities.
Our youngest visitors can bring their imaginations as an SCI Programs Team member reads under the starry skies.
Locate constellations and planets, and hear myths of the night sky in this live planetarium program. Program and location subject to change.
Get chills and thrills from cryogenic demonstrations.
Have you ever wondered what Snippy the Snapping Turtle eats? Come check out a feeding demonstration of one of SCI’s most ravenous reptiles! The snapping turtle feeding may be too intense for some visitors.
Learn to navigate the starry night skies and find exotic, hidden Deep Sky Objects. Program and location subject to change.
Help guide a breathtaking journey through our solar system, exploring the unique features, mysteries, and wonders of its most important celestial bodies.
Get chills and thrills from cryogenic demonstrations.
This show reveals dark matter's earliest clues, covering the astral choreography of galactic orbits as well as sensitive detectors hidden deep underground in ancient gold mines. Narrated by Tilda Swinton. Program and location subject to change.
Experience the out-of-this-world space observation! Join SCI staff and members of the Des Moines Astronomical Society (DMAS) to take a look through high-powered telescopes and get a quick lesson on the basics of telescope operation.
For more information, visit the Star Party page.