There are many great ways to engage with science in the city of angels, from citizen science programs at the Natural History Museum to exploring the cosmos at events hosted by Griffith Observatory.

But few single events throughout the course of the year are as enlightening, unique, and awe-inspiring as the annual fall open house at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

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One weekend every year the JPL opens their doors and lifts the curtain to allow visitors to go behind the scenes at a facility that’s been instrumental in developing and operating some of the most significant machines in the history of the space program.

Best part? It’s 100% free and open to the public, with this year’s open house taking place on the second weekend of October.

This year’s highlights include a life-size model of Mars Science Laboratory, demonstrations from numerous space missions; JPL’s machine shop, where robotic spacecraft parts are built; and the Microdevices Lab, where engineers and scientists use tiny technology to revolutionize space exploration.

Intrigued?

The open house event will take place over the weekend over October 10-11, and hours for both Saturday and Sunday are 9:00am – 4:00pm.

No reservations are required, but if you go, expect a crowd.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located at 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109.

Enjoy!