Events and Public Programs
Participate in free events and activities at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center!
Visitor Center Experiences
To enhance your self-guided experience, our staff and volunteers will occasionally conduct special “pop-up” programs and activities for guests of all ages to explore science topics and NASA missions. All experiences are free of charge.
Gallery Programs
Look for an informal educator and our curiosity cart in the main exhibit hall to complete a challenge or engage in fun, hands-on science demonstrations.
Auditorium Programs
From constellation BINGO to space trivia, learn about celestial sightings in the evening sky or test your knowledge of space in our staff-led theater programs.
Science On a Sphere Solar System Tour
Take a self-guided tour of our local solar system and explore past, present, and future NASA planetary missions.
Special Events and Programs
Join us in one of our upcoming events or programs to explore a special STEM topic. All programs are free; those requiring advanced registration will be noted in the event description.
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
August
Explore ICESat-2 & The GLOBE Program
Friday, Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT
Special Presentation at 10:30 a.m., Auditorium
Citizen Science Outdoor Experience at 12:10 p.m., Main Entrance
Join us on Friday, Aug. 2 from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. to learn about NASA’s role in studying our home planet, Earth, with the ICESat-2 mission and The GLOBE Program! At 10:30 a.m., hear a special presentation from NASA Earth Science subject matter experts Brian Campbell and Valerie Casasanto, and learn about the free ICESat-2 Orbit App from their NASA summer intern, Jade Martinez. Participate in hands-on activities like collecting data on tree heights and land coverage around the Wallops Visitor Center using the GLOBE Observer App and exploring ICESat-2 in Augmented Reality as well as with 3D puzzles of the Columbia Glacier. Check out the schedule below!
- 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Auditorium presentation
- 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – ICESat-2 exhibit demonstration with hands-on activities
- 12:10-12:45 p.m. – GLOBE Observer App outdoor demonstration
To prepare for the outdoor demonstration, please download the free GLOBE Observer App and register your email address prior to your arrival as the visitor center does not have public Wi-Fi and cell phone service is spotty. This activity will include collecting tree height and land coverage data around the visitor center grounds.
AstrOlympics: Time
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. – noon EDT
Part 6 of 6
What do Olympic athletes, celestial objects, and rockets have in common? Motion! Join us for our final session of the AstrOlympics program series, which celebrates a range of science that can be observed when matter is in motion!
Our final science theme is time – the accurate measurement of repeating patterns. Explore how the ability to accurately measure time is key for cosmic exploration, and participate in a hands-on demonstration with the electrical engineering and electrical production team from the Sounding Rocket Program Office at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to explore how timing is critical for in-flight events during a rocket launch.
Leaping through Space!
Thursday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m. – noon EDT
Special Demonstration at 11 a.m., Auditorium
Join us for a program on Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon EDT, which combines STEM and the arts – also known as STEAM. Learn all about forces, energy, and motion as you participate in hands-on activities related to movement on Earth and in space with our special guests from a local ballet company. The talented dancers from this local ballet company will provide a special demonstration at 11 a.m. EDT as well.
Sensory Friendly Friday
Friday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m EDT
Explore the Wallops Visitor Center during our sensory-friendly day on Friday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sounds and lighting in our exhibit spaces will be reduced with a designated “Headphone Zone”. We will also have touch items available for guests to experience and a designated quiet area in our STEM Lab. No advanced registration is required to attend.
Astro After Hours
Saturday, Aug. 10, 8-10 p.m EDT
In collaboration with the Virginia District Division of Interpretation and Education of Assateague Island National Seashore, the NASA Wallops Visitor Center invites the public to explore the Visitor Center during an evening fun and discovery! Join us for games and hands-on activities, then step outside for a chance to spot meteors during the Perseids Meteor Shower!
Featured Activities
- Astronomy 101 & Constellation BINGO 8-9 p.m.
Explore prominent constellations visible in the summer night sky and play a quick, fun round of constellation BINGO. - National Park Service Junior Ranger Night Explorer*
Explore the starry side of the night and grab a Junior Ranger Night Explorer guidebook to learn how to use your senses to explore the night environment, how to find the North Star, and track moon phases. *Free Night Explorer patches are available for the first 100 youth (ages 5-12) who complete the planisphere activity with Park Rangers from Assateague Island National Seashore. - Night Sky and Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing* 8-10 p.m.
Join telescope attendants on the Visitor Center grounds to view celestial objects and sightings of bold, bright streaks of the Perseid Meteor Shower. *Viewing is dependent upon clear skies.
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