Celebrate with 10 days of special programs and hands-on science every day during Spring Break

Design your very own Spring Break experience at Discovery Place Science during Da Vinci Design Week! Starting Thursday, March 29, families and guests can make, invent, design and discover together as they channel their inner Leonardo da Vinci with special DIY projects, design challenges and engineering demonstrations every day.

From learning new skills like paper quilling to creating movable robots out of wood, guests of all ages can unleash their own creative genius. See the full schedule of activities and events below:

Da Vinci Design Week Schedule: Thursday, March 29 – Sunday, April 8, 2018

10:00 a.m. – Make & Invent*: Every day of Spring Break, stop by Thinker Space to try out a new “make” experience! You can follow the design prompts or follow your own creative direction to create something completely unique. Check out some of the Make opportunities you can try:

• Felt Jewelry & Wearables
• DIY Lightsabers
• Paper Quilling
• Mold Making
• Sewable Circuits
• Remarkable Robots
• 3D Modeling

*Make activities will begin on Friday, March 30

11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. – Da Vinci Demos: Guests will get to try their hand at some of Da Vinci’s greatest inventions and designs! Learn how to calculate the Golden Ratio using Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, catapult flying objects through the air or build a bridge strong enough to hold a car without using nails or tools. Be on the lookout for these demonstrations and more, located throughout the Museum.

12:00 p. m. – Anatomical Discoveries*: One of the main components of Leonardo da Vinci’s art and inventions was his study of the human body. Every day at 12:00 p.m., stop by the Explore More Me lab to explore how the muscles of the body work together. From chicken leg dissections to educator-led demonstrations, you’ll be flexing your brain muscle with these anatomical discoveries! *Anatomical activities will begin on Saturday, March 31.

2:00 p.m. – Artistic Design: From the Mona Lisa to the most recent discovery of the Salvator Mundi – the most expensive painting to ever be purchased – Leonardo da Vinci is world-renowned for his famous artwork. Create your own amazing artwork and designs every day at 2:00 p.m. in Explore More Collections. From fingerprint art to trying a technique called chromatography, guests will create beautiful artwork of their own to take home.

Daily Showings – Dream Big in IMAX: From the world’s tallest buildings to underwater robots and solar racecars, Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small and shows how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected and amazing ways. Inspire your young engineer with a trip around the world full of inspiring stories and extraordinary visuals on the largest screen in the Carolinas.

Need some additional inspiration for your designs? Explore the work of a true Renaissance man in the limited-engagement exhibition Da Vinci's Machines. Explore Leonardo da Vinci’s studies in mechanics, flight, robotics, nature and anatomy in over 75 exhibits and iconic designs. While exploring the exhibition, guests will also have the opportunity to meet some famous characters from da Vinci's life through dramatic interpretation. Performances occur daily. Check the daily schedule for show times. But don’t wait! Da Vinci’s Machines leaves May 6, so don’t miss this opportunity to visit before it’s gone!

Discovery Place’s special Spring Break activities run Friday, March 29 – Saturday, April 8. For a full list of activities and events, visit the Daily Schedule at science.discoveryplace.org.

Hours of Operations: March 29-April 8, 2018

Sunday, April 1 - Closed for Easter

Monday- Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday: noon – 5:00 p.m.

Da Vinci's Machines and Da Vinci Design Week are part of the Year of the Engineer, and will be on exhibition Saturday, November 4, 2017 – Sunday, May 6, 2018. Entry to the exhibition is free with Museum admission. Admission to Discovery Place Science is $17 for adults (14-59); $13 for children (2-13); $15 for seniors (60+); and free for Discovery Place Science Members and children younger than 2, plus tax. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. IMAX tickets may be added for an additional $5. Children age 13 and younger must be accompanied by a responsible adult while in Discovery Place. Guests can purchase tickets online at discoveryplace.org, via phone at 704.372.6261 x300 or in person at Discovery Place.