Demonstrations
At least four* of the demonstrations listed below are performed daily in our galleries, providing a fun and exciting interactive experience between visitors and Science Center staff. All demonstrations are 15-20 minutes long. The daily schedule can be found posted in our lobby. For exact times, please call after 10 a.m. on the day of your visit (602-716-2000). The topics change, but the learning and excitement is always the same!
Arizona Gems - all ages
Did you know that Arizona plays host to three beautiful birthstones? Come check out Amethyst, Peridot and Turquoise and their gorgeous colors.
Balancing Clowns - all ages
Make an acrobatic clown that balances on the tip of your fingers.
Balancing Nails – all ages
How many nails can you balance on a single peg? Learn how to seemingly defy gravity in this activity.
Blood Lab – 3rd grade through adults
Learn about your blood, including where it is made and what's in it, as well as the different blood types and the need for donation.
Bloody Handprints - all ages
Come find out why blood seems to magically reach the surface of your hand as you finger paint without the paint!
B.L.T. - all ages
Build It, Learn It, Take It Home!
Got Junk? Don't throw it out! Learn how to recycle your cardboard boxes, drink bottles, and CDs into cool scientific gadgets.
Chromatography – all ages
Become a color scientist and use a process called chromatography to figure out what colors are used to make black ink.
Discover DNA – 3rd grade through adult
Learn about the genes and touch real DNA extracted from strawberries. At the end of the demonstration, you can solve a mystery using the information you've learned.
Eggceptional Pressure – all ages
Air pressure is the simple mechanism behind forcing an egg into a bottle. Can we bring it out in one piece again? Come find out in this "fun" demonstration.
Elephant's Toothpaste - all ages
This explosive demonstration looks like a giant tube of toothpaste fit for an elephant!
Fingerprints - all ages
Do you have what it takes to be a CSI? Analyze your fingerprint patterns and find out!
Galactic Voyage – all ages
How do scientists know what gases a star is made up of? Do we have to travel out into space to find out? Or can we find the answer from planet Earth? This demonstration will reveal the answers.
Great Balls of Fire - all ages
Learn about the chemical reaction leading to combustion and discover the fire triangle through various experiments.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell - 5th grade through adult
Can a car run only on pure water? Come find out and learn about the many uses of hydrogen.
Illusions – all ages
Can you believe your eyes? Not sure of the answer? This demonstration introduces the audience to some common optical illusions and explains how they happen.
Iron Wire - 3rd grade through adult
Learn about incandescence, thermal expansion, Curie temperature and phase change.
Knots - all ages
Come tie one on and be "knotty". You can choose a square, or a bowline, all the ways a rope can be tied.
Lava Lab - pre-K through 4th grade
Did you ever wonder about the earth forces behind a volcanic eruption? Learn about the different types of lava and experience a mini-eruption in the Lava Lab!
Liquid Nitrogen – all ages
Explore extreme temperatures and learn about the different states of matter while you watch experiments with liquid nitrogen.
Sponsored by:
Living in Space - all ages
Gravity of Earth works in keeping us on the ground. Microgravity on the space station changes the way we operate. Come find out more in this demonstration.
Look Inside Your Ete - all ages
Take a peak at what the inside of your own eye looks like as you look for loaters, blood vessels and even your own brain!
Magic Planet - all ages
Explore the wonderful planet on which we live and discover how the forces of nature balance themselves.
Magnetic Hydrojet - all ages
Come and see the strange force made with magnetism and electricity.
Oobleck - all ages
Solid, liquid, gas...and Oobleck? Put your hands in this non-Newtonian matter that acts like both a solid and a liquid at the same time.
Optics of the Eye - all ages
Watch a real cow eyeball dissection and learn about the anatomy and optics of the eye.
Paper Helicopters - all ages
Build your own helicopter and test it out in this fun activity for all ages.
Playdough - all ages
Just like from the store except this stuff can be made right in your kitchen! Check out what it takes as we'll show you the key to making your very own playdough.
Rattlebacks - all ages
Create and spin your own "rattleback" that seems to suddenly change direction mid-spin!
Scatology - all ages
Become a scatologist as you match real samples of scat to the animal that made it. Can you match the poop to the "poopitrator"?
Sense of Smell - all ages
The nose knows they say! Come test your sense of smell and learn what else is going on when you get a whiff.
Simple Circuits - all ages
Learn about what it takes to make a light bulb glow as you explore the electrifying world of circuits.
Sponsored by:
Sink or Float - all ages
Build a boat and see if it can take the weight. Will you be able to sail the seas or will you sink your battleship?
Snap Circuits - 5th grade through adult
Laser guns, space wars, and light detectors. It's a snap! Come make a circuit or design your own with unique, easy to use, snap together parts.
Snot - all ages
AH-CHOO! Trick your friends with fake snot that looks and feels fresh from the nose!
Squid Dissection - all ages
Ahoy there matey! Today, we're taking a look at the anatomy of a squid. Beware the tentacles!
Stomach This! A Digestion Demonstration – all ages
Observe the normally 12-hour process of digestion in just 15 minutes as we simulate food traveling through the digestive system and discuss the final product.
Supertaster - all ages
Are you a supertaster? Find out if you are and what what means about your sense of taste.
Sweet Spot - all ages
Come learn about the science of baseball and hear the sweet spot of the bat. Learn about why it makes the ball soar and sound so good.
The Brain - 5th grade through adult
Description coming soon!
The Heart - all ages
Pump it up! Learn about how your heart works and how to make good choices to keep it healthy.
Tops - all ages
Decorate your own top and take it for a spin!
UV Awareness - all ages
Does sunscreen really work? Are you protected from the sun's UV rays in the shade? Experiment with different UV detecting materials to see how protected we really are.
Vomit - all ages
Clean up in aisle five! Check out how to make fake vomit that looks like the real thing with the yuckiest science or grossness.
Wavy Electronics - all ages
What are the latest trends in electronics? How do scientists take the ordinary and make something different with it? Come find out in this fascinating demonstration.
Wounds - all ages
Aah! I'm bleeding! Learn how make-up artists create wounds and how our bodies deal with the real deal.
*Arizona Science Center reserves the right to change or cancel demonstrations. For the most accurate information please call 602-716-2000 after 10 a.m. on the day of your visit.
