September 13 – All Day!

Gross Movie Magic – Pimples and Vomit
ALL DAY

Paul Pape Designs(opens in a new tab) leads this high-energy, drop-in demonstration featuring a large-scale pimple-popping prop. Learn the science of what’s happening under your skin—why we get pimples, what’s inside them, and what happens when we pop them—while participants interact with the large-scale pimple-popping prop.

Paul will also host a live “movie vomit” special effects demonstration. Paul explains the science behind each gross-out effect while showing audiences how Hollywood makes the magic—or the mess—happen. Educational, disgusting, and unforgettable!

Creepy Crawly Wildlife Encounters
10AM-12PM

Wildlife Encounters of Nebraska(opens in a new tab) will bring all the yuckiest critters! Come get familiar with the unfamiliar – hissing cockroaches, a tarantula, a cane toad (largest toad in the world), and snakes! There may even be a bearded dragon eating mealworms and superworms. For those too grossed out there will be some cute animals like a baby kangaroo, an armadillo, and a hedgehog!

Inside an Owl’s Dinner: A Hands-On Owl Pellet Investigation
10AM-1PM

Join Nebraska Wildlife Rehab(opens in a new tab) for an engaging family experience where children and adults work together to dissect a real owl pellet and uncover the tiny bones and other remains hidden inside. Participants will learn how owls hunt, what they eat, and how scientists use owl pellets to study local ecosystems. This interactive activity encourages curiosity, observation, and a deeper appreciation for wildlife through authentic scientific exploration.

Parasites and Parasitoids of Insects
10AM-2PM

Insects are not the enemy, they are also prey. Entomologist Dr. Jody Green(opens in a new tab) will showcase some of the yucky tactics predators and parasites use to survive using insects as their hosts. Learn about some of our many surprising native predators and parasites like: horsehair worms, parasitoid wasps, and periodical cicadas infected by mind-altering fungal pathogens that make their butts fall off!

Cicadas & Bagworm Moth Dissections
10AM-3PM

We’re teaming up with the Omaha Bug Symposium for a deep dive into the anatomy of cicadas, bagworm moths and their protective homes. You won’t want to miss this chance to get a closer look into our native bug species inside and out!

10:30AM – Male Cicada Dissection
12PM – Second Cicada Dissection
1PM – Bagworm Moth Dissection

In-between dissections the Omaha Bug Symposium will be at their station for hands-on experiences with the bagworms, cicada shells, the dissection results, and photos.

Body Parts: Sheep’s Eye and Kidney Dissection
11AM  and 11:45AM

Learn how mammals see and pee! Join medical students from the UNMC Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology(opens in a new tab) to dissect a sheep’s eye and kidney. Space is limited for this engagement. Reserve your spot at the front desk when you check in.

Frog Lab
11AM–3PM

Hop into the Frog Lab with the Metropolitan Community College STEM Team(opens in a new tab), for a 3D-printed reverse frog dissection! Jump into the anatomy of a frog without any croaking involved. Discover which organs we have in common with frogs and learn why these amphibians play a crucial role in our environment.

Body Parts: Brain and Spinal Cord Dissection
2PM and 2:45PM

Explore parts of the brain and spinal cord of a sheep! Pre-medical students from Creighton University’s Neuroscience Research Lab(opens in a new tab) will guide participants through the spine chilling experience of dissecting the brain and spinal cord of a sheep. Space is limited for this engagement. Reserve your spot at the front desk when you check in.

Tick Talk
2PM

Entomologist Dr. Jody Green(opens in a new tab) will talk about tick biology, what makes them gross, and how we can protect ourselves from the nasty impacts of tick bites. We will touch on known diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme disease, and lesser known, but still devastating and life threatening infections such as Alpha-gal. Learn how to safely remove an embedded tick. All participants will receive fine-tipped tweezers for safe tick removal and a sticker.

Skat & Skulls
ALL DAY

In collaboration with Keep Omaha Beautiful(opens in a new tab), this is your chance to explore the mammals in our urban ecosystem! Get hands-on with skulls, pelts, and scat (poop) from local mammals, uncovering the secrets of who eats what, and how.

• Match skulls to pelts to scat (poop)
• Discover how diet shapes teeth and survival
• Learn how each species fits into the local web of life

You’ll explore how urban mammals fit into the ecosystem and learn how understanding their roles helps us care for the environment we share.

Make and Take: Oobleck and Slime
ALL DAY in the Maker Space 

Make your own oobleck or slime to take home to investigate these non-newtonian fluids. These substances do not follow the standard rules of viscosity as many fluids do. When stress, force, or pressure are applied the jagged cornstarch particles are forced tightly together, trapping the water between them and turning the fluid into a solid. When you stop applying pressure, the water is able to flow freely again, allowing the particles to slide past one another and return to a liquid state. What happens when you punch it? What happens if you drop a bowling ball on it? Come find out and make your own oobleck to take home.

Who: Everyone

Where: 345 Riverfront Drive

When: September 13 // All Day

Cost: Event is FREE with the cost of daily admission (or membership).