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A museum exhibit with colorful signs and displays in shades of blue, purple, and black. In the foreground, a stylized model of the solar system features a flat, red circle mounted horizontally near the ceiling, with graceful arched supports containing text about the Earth and Sun, and shiny red loops curving out from the Sun's red circle.
An excitedly smiling child appears silhouetted in profile against the backdrop of an image of the Sun, its surface curving across the screen from left to right and a bright yellow loop erupting from its red and yellow swirling surface. Space is black behind the Sun, and the Sun's corona appears as a diffuse red glow along its edge.
A close-up of a museum exhibit on Earth observation, showing three types of soil in glass cases with fake plants "growing" in them. On the left, a fake cactus stand in tan, fine-grained soil under the label "Desert Profile"; in the center box, fake grasses stand in coarser, green-brown soil labeled "Grassland Profile"; and in the right-most box, a fake fern grows in loosely packed brown leaf litter labeled "Forest Profile". Above the boxes, orange and white text stretches across a brown wall panel.

Goddard Visitor Center

The visitor center showcases Goddard’s innovative and exciting work in Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary science, engineering, communications and technology development. Activities, exhibits and events at the Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provide inspiring and captivating educational experiences for all ages. Only 30 minutes from Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Annapolis, Maryland, the visitor center gives you the opportunity to explore the universe in your own backyard.

Learn More about Goddard Visitor Center

Location

Greenbelt, MD

Admission

Free

Phone

301-286-8981

Hours

Tuesday and Wednesday:
School/Group Programs

Thursday and Friday:
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday:
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Featured Video

The Goddard Visitor Center

Take a peek at what’s going on at the Goddard Visitor Center as we welcome guests to come in and explore!

Watch more Goddard Videos

NOTE: If NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is closed due to inclement weather, the visitor center will be closed as well.

Gift Shop

The Goddard Employee Welfare Association operates a gift shop, which is located next to the Visitor Center, in Greenbelt, Md., off Route 193 and ICESat Road. The Goddard Gift Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday. For more information about store hours, call 301-286-6476.

Downloads

aerial view of a low-slung office building with a circular concrete sidewalk behind it, featuring a tall Delta A rocket in its center, with green grass and trees surrounding

Goddard Visitor Center 2025 Spring Flyer

Jan 21, 2025

PDF (69.65 KB)

Learn More and Get Involved

A young girl with a long blond ponytail and black T-shirt faces away from the camera, watching a small model rocket lift off from its launch pad. The rocket is behind yellow caution tape, and a thin stream of white smoke billows out from its end into a small white cloud underneath as it shoots diagonally up toward the upper right corner of the image. The grass between the child and the rocket is green, and the background is dense, dark green trees.

Virtual Field Trips

Explore the Goddard Visitor Center's field trip experiences from your home or classroom.

aerial view of Goddard Greenbelt campus showing buildings surrounded by greenery

Events and Programs

Model rockets, Ask A Scientist, and so much more!

aerial view of a low-slung office building with a circular concrete sidewalk behind it, featuring a tall Delta A rocket in its center, with green grass and trees surrounding

Driving Directions

Where we're at and how to get here!

Field Trips and Facility Tours

Facility tours and in-person programs are available to school, community and cultural groups Tuesday through Friday with prior reservation.

A photo of three cutouts of white astronaut suits, with open circles where the helmets should be. The cutouts are designed for people of different sizes to stand behind the cutouts and look through the holes, so it looks as if they are "wearing" astronaut suits. The three cutouts stand in a lobby, in front of a wall sign with the NASA logo and "Goddard Space Flight Center".

Exhibits for Loan

Goddard exhibits and displays available for loan to school and community groups and other educational organizations, as well as Goddard employees.

Permanent Exhibits

Learn more about the permanent displays and exhibits at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center!

Learn More about Permanent Exhibits
A colorful museum exhibit depicting the Sun as a large, horizontal circle with orange "orbits" and loops surrounding it, mounted on a gracefully curved white pillar. Large windows with visible sky and trees are in the background.

For more information on the Goddard Visitor Center, browse this website, call 301-286-8981 or email GSFC-VisitorCenter@mail.nasa.gov. You may also sign up for the visitor center’s events mailing list by emailing goddard-visitor-center-programs@lists.nasa.gov.

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