Welcome to ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum
Community Mural Fundraiser
Be part of creating a lasting work of art at ScienceWorks: a mural created by the whole community!
As part of our Books & Brews Nostalgic Book Fair, we're inviting our community to help transform an exterior wall of the museum into a vibrant celebration of science, art, and nature.
During Books & Brews, artist Ursula Barton will lead a one-of-a-kind community mural project. Participants will have the chance to throw paint-filled balloons at a designated section of the museum's exterior, creating a colorful foundation that Ursula will transform into a large-scale mural inspired by the extraordinary patterns found in nature. The finished artwork will feature enlarged textures and forms inspired by feathers, butterfly wings, reptile scales, fish skin, and microscopic life.
How to Participate
Throughout the Books & Brews event, participants will have the opportunity to throw pairs of balloons at the museum wall. Each pair includes one paint-filled balloon and one water-filled balloon, creating the colorful splashes and textures that will become the foundation of Ursula Barton's finished artwork.
Balloon bundles can be purchased on the day of the event and are available in several sizes:
- 1 pair (1 paint + 1 water balloon) — $10
- 3 pairs — $25
- 15 pairs (a full box) — $100
We also invite supporters to donate a box of balloons ahead of time to the fundraiser. Sponsored balloons will be available for children, families, and other community members to throw throughout the day, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to leave their mark on the mural, regardless of their ability to pay.
Together, thousands of colorful balloon splashes will become the backdrop for a permanent work of public art on the Walker Street side of ScienceWorks, where it will welcome students from Ashland Middle School, TRAILS Outdoor School, museum visitors, and our entire community for years to come.
Every balloon thrown helps create something bigger than itself — a lasting symbol of curiosity, creativity, and the community that makes ScienceWorks possible.
New Public Hours Beginning September 1
ScienceWorks will be open to the public Friday – Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
We look forward to welcoming you Friday through Sunday with hands-on activities, exhibits, and plenty of opportunities to play, learn, and stay curious!
Upcoming Programs and Events
Hands-On Happenings
Weekends in August
Free with membership or admission
Every Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 2 PM,* Kranzler Hall comes alive with rotating facilitated activities that spark curiosity and creativity. Drop in for favorites like the painting pendulum, the exploration station, and our ever-inventive tinkering studio — all free with membership or admission.
This August, the tinkering studio features a pollinator hydration station activity.
Come play, explore, and stay curious!
*Subject to instructor/volunteer availability
Books & Brews
Saturday, September 26
11 AM to 4 PM
Free with membership or admission
Remember that feeling when the Book Fair came to town — the anticipation... the joy... the smelly erasers and bendy pencils just waiting to be purchased? This all-ages event brings the love of literacy, imagination, and nostalgia to life. Sip craft brews, browse books and comics, and relive the magic of book fairs past.
Interested in being a vendor? We're looking for booksellers, writers, and makers of brews of all kinds — beer, cider, mead, tea, coffee... you get the picture! Click here to fill out our vendor application.
Monster Ball
In Memory of Sarah Wood
Saturday, October 24
4 to 8 PM
Monsters of all ages, mark your calendars! Our annual Monster Ball returns for a night of spooky science, hands-on activities, crafts, workshops, performances, a silent auction, and more. Show off your most creative costume in our costume contest, with prizes for the scariest, funniest, and cutest looks! Want to help us get spooky? We’re also collecting gently used Halloween decorations to transform the museum into a frightfully fun wonderland. More details coming soon —
save the date!
Spin a sculpture. Solve a puzzle. Wear a crown. Build something new.
Peter Tobey's Dreamland is filled with possibilities — follow your imagination and see where it leads. Stay curious!
Field Notes
Where science, stories, and curiosity meet
About Us
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum is a vibrant hub for curiosity, creativity, and exploration located in Southern Oregon. Designed for learners of all ages, ScienceWorks offers interactive exhibits, hands-on workshops, and engaging programs that bring the wonders of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) to life. It's more than a museum — it's a place to spark imagination and discover new ways to play, learn, and stay curious!
Hands-On Happenings
Weekends 11 AM to 2 PM
Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market
Every Tuesday 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM
March 4 - November 25
$5 Special Admission
First Sunday of every month
Events
Join in the fun
Exhibits
See what the museum has to offer
Birthday Parties
Now offering workshops and goody bags
Memberships
Support your local museum
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