Come explore all things icky, sticky, and vile and discover the fascinating science behind everything YUCK! During this family-friendly theme day, the Luminarium is showcasing a museum full of the gross, gunky, and gruesome. Playful experiments invite you to embrace the spirit of a scientist and investigate why so many things make us go “Yuck!”
Inside every grody pile of goo, there’s science to learn. Do you have the stomach to dissect a brain? How do artists use chemistry to create gross-out special effects? Why do people love to watch pimple-popping videos? It’s a full day designed to leave you a little squeamish AND a little smarter. Come see what all the YUCK is about.
Gross Movie Magic – Pimples and Vomit
ALL DAY
Paul Pape Designs 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!
Parasites and Parasitoids of Insects
10AM-2PM
Insects are not the enemy, they are also prey. Entomologist Dr. Jody Green 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!
Skat & Skulls
ALL DAY
In collaboration with Keep Omaha Beautiful, 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.
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
Oobleck – Explore Non-Newtonian Fluids
ALL DAY
Investigate a non-newtonian fluid made of just cornstarch and water. This substance does 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.
Tick Talk
2PM
Entomologist Dr. Jody Green 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Creepy Crawly Wildlife Encounters
10AM-1PM
Wildlife Encounters of Nebraska 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 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.
Who: Everyone
Where: 345 Riverfront Drive
When: September 13 // All Day
Cost: Event is FREE with the cost of daily admission (or membership).
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