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Water

Become immersed in the importance of water from the personal to the global scale.

Creativity Lab

Come and harness your creativity and problem solving skills!

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Danville Science Center | Explore

Things To Do

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dome show

The Great Solar System Adventure

Explore the wonders and perils of our Solar System in this breathtaking immersive adventure.

wings over water film image featuring two sandhill cranes near a wetland

dome show

Wings Over Water

The prairie wetlands have a story to tell!

Now Showing

dome show

The Accidental Astronauts

Embark on an unexpected journey into space.

Couple hiking for Dome film Into America's Wild

dome show

Into America’s Wild

Journey through some of the most beautiful but little-known landscapes of North America.

exhibit

Water

Water is everything. Become immersed in the importance of water from the personal to the global scale.

Two girls running on the track in the Go exhibition

exhibit

Go!

Discover the mind-blowing principles behind movement and energy!

Boy bending down in Butterfly Garden pointing at a flower

experience

Butterfly Station

Meet a wide variety of beautiful lepidoptera and get inspired to create your own garden!

Now Closed for the Season

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exhibit

Crescent Crossing

All Aboard! Bring your little one to experience our interactive exhibit packed full of train-themed fun!

Sitll taken from the Digital Dome Film A Story of Survival Dinosaurs

dome show

Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival

Discover colossal creatures from the past, explore their transformations and uncover their secrets to survival.

dome show

Earth, Moon and Sun

Learn how these cosmic bodies work together as a system.

Group Only

creativity lab

Rube Goldberg's Alarm Clock

Build an impractical yet incredible balloon popping creation.

October 22 – October 26

Illustrations of pixel characters for the Cool Character Creations Creativity Lab

creativity lab

Cool Character Creations

Learn how to illustrate and animate your own unique pixel-art game characters.

October 29 – November 2

creativity lab

Light Up Holiday Greeting Cards

Create custom greeting cards that light up!

November 5 – November 9

creativity lab

Air We There Yet?

Learn how to make an air-powered vehicle out of simple materials.

November 12 – November 16

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creativity lab

Holiday Ornaments

Come design and make your own personalized ornaments with our laser engraver.

November 26 – November 30

December 3 – December 7

event

Stream into the V.O.I.D

Virtual interactive live astronomy presentation highlighting the month’s celestial happenings.

Every second Tuesday at noon!

decorative image of hammer and a work bench .jpg

creativity lab

Home Alone Challenge

A fast-paced challenge in the Creativity Lab!

December 10 – December 14

decorative image of a heart with a brain inside of it.

event

Oct

23

Sensory-Friendly Night

Join us for a sensory-friendly evening, complete with a petting zoo!

October 23
5–7 p.m.

Illustration of a drone on a yellow background dodging solo cups for the Special Delivery Creativity Lab

creativity lab

Special Delivery

Program and pilot a drone through a complex obstacle course.

December 17 – December 21

December 24 – December 28

Illustration of a yellow block wearing sunglasses on a pixel art background of the Science Center

creativity lab

Minecraft Your Own Business

Take on the challenge of designing your very own exhibition within a virtual replica of the Science Center.

December 31 – January 4

Graphic of a waving Santa in front of a blue background with snowflakes.

event

Dec

04

Sensory-Friendly Night

Join us for a sensory-friendly evening … and say hello to Santa!

December 4
5–7 p.m.

event

Feb

07

Corks & Forks Auction and Gala

Join us for a delightful evening full of elegance, fun and philanthropy!

February 7
7–10 p.m.

adult and child looking over at a model train layout

exhibit

Estlow Train Layout

Experience a step back in time and into Danville’s train history with the N-scale masterpiece.

Thebigchill getty.jpg

experience

The Big Chill: Cool CO2 Science

Watch us perform some amazing science with dry-ice!

Bookable Group Program

dome show

Zula Patrol: Down to Earth

Learn about the development of the life forms that call Earth home.

image of the blue, green, and teal art installation in Science Central called meander.jpg

exhibit

Meander

Admire this one-of-a-kind art piece and its significance to the Dan River.

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dome show

Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure

Travel faster than the speed of light.

Group Only

Big Bird, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu pointing at the moon

dome show

One World, One Sky

Discover a brilliant spectacle of light and color as you watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street.

experience

Opposites Attract

Explore characteristics of magnets and discover some of their everyday uses!

Bookable Group Program

dome show

Flight of the Butterflies

Experience the beauty of the migration cycle of butterflies.

Image of Mia from the Digital Dome Theater show Magic Globe

dome show

Magic Globe: A Story of the Seasons

An engaging and inspiring story about the importance of seasons and how climate impacts our planet.

dome show

Perfect Little Planet

Discover our solar system through a new set of eyes.

Group Only

decorative image for voyage of the sea film.jpg

dome show

Voyage of the Stars

An enchanting adventure through the sea and space!

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dome show

Expedition Reef

Embark on an oceanic safari.

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dome show

Extreme Weather

Join teams studying one of the most dynamic and complex forces shaping our planet.

Image of a dog with snow goggles and a jacket on top of a snowcapped mountain from Superpower Dog

dome show

Superpower Dogs

Experience the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world’s most amazing dogs.

Now Showing

Illustration of a squirrel flying an airplane for the Digital Dome feature 3-2-1 LIftoff

dome show

3-2-1 Liftoff!

Join Alan, the hamster, on an action-packed journey to help return his fallen robotic friend back to space and onward to mars.

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exhibit

Million Wall

Can you connect the dots?

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experience

Floating Boats

Make a splash and explore the concept of buoyancy!

Bookable Group Program

experience

Simple Machines

This will force you to learn about basic mechanical devices.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Riverside Science

Learn all about the Dan River and it's fascinating ecosystem.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Water, Water Everywhere

Immerse yourself in the majestic properties of water.

Bookable Group Program

group of children playing with foam blocks.jpg

experience

Imagination Playground

Let your future engineer’s creativity run wild!

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experience

The Web of Life

Explore what eats what in an ecological community.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Sow It – Grow It

Get hands on with plants.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Simply Soil

Grow your knowledge about this organic mixture.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Explore the rock cycle and learn about Earth's fascinating geology.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Super Senses

Investigate the five senses and their corresponding organs we use every day.

Bookable Group Program

Image showing radar map of extreme weather with different colors of precipitation intensities

experience

Wild Weather

Come learn the science behind extreme weather, from its causes to its impacts.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Fossil Finds

Uncover some amazing fossils and discover ancient ocean environments.

Bookable Group Program

Image of Pluto and Charon for the Digital Dome Feature Edge of Darkness

dome show

Edge of Darkness

Embark on a thrilling voyage alongside comet 67P and explore the first-ever close-ups of Pluto/Charon and it's moons.

Image showing butterfly lifecycle

experience

Build a Butterfly

Come learn all about butterflies and their amazing metamorphosis!

Bookable Group Program

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experience

3…2…1…Blast Off!

Explore potential and kinetic energy and test Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Animal Adaptations

Explore the diversity of organisms and how they adapt to their environments.

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Good Vibrations

Make some noise and explore the science behind sound!

Bookable Group Program

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experience

Shocking Truth

This program has the power to brighten your day.

Bookable Group Program

Photograph of a mantis with the moon in the background for the Digital Dome feature Bugs A Rainforest Adventure

dome show

Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure

Peer into the mesmerizing miniature world of magnified insects and discover their incredible lives.

dome show

Forward to the Moon

Take a journey to learn about NASA’s efforts to take our first steps towards a permanent, off-world presence.

Group Only

Image of a dinosaur in Antarctica roaring

dome show

Dinosaurs of Antarctica

Journey into prehistoric Antarctica and discover a world of bizarre dinosaurs and gigantic amphibians.