From specialized tours and events to hands-on activities and lectures, PARI provides unique experiences for visitors of all ages.
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Curious about what we have available here? View our Frequently Asked Questions? They might have the answer you need!
Scheduled Public Events
These unique and one of a kind events are available on specific dates. Registration is required.
Featured Events:
Thank you for taking a look at our calendar. At the moment we are completely booked and don't have any events with tickets available. But, we are hard at work on our summer schedule so check back soon for a new batch of tours and events for June, July, and August!
Book Your Own Tour
📅 Most Weekdays
Self Guided Tours or Private Guided Tours are often available on weekdays and some weekends. So long as another event, field trip, or private tour is not already scheduled, we can likely accomodate your visit. Give us a call at 828-862-5554 to check availability.
Fall Festival Free Open House
📅 October 12th 2024
Gather your friends and family and join use for our annual autumn open house event Fall Festival of STEM! 🚀🧑🚀
Tour our museum, talk to scientists, play games and do activities, take in a show and have some good food.
Self-Guided Saturday
📅 December 7th 2024
Come and explore our museum! See how our telescopes work today, and how they communicated with satellites long ago. Learn about historic NASA artifacts like our Apollo lander and real rocket engine. Take in the sparkle of mineral specimens and fossils from around the world. Discover the impact of meteorites of all types that fell to Earth. Delve into our dark fluorescent tunnel.
Geminids Meteor Shower
📅 December 13th 2024
Join us for a spectacular night under the stars as we watch the Geminids Meteor Shower! The meteors in this shower are thought to be from the asteroid Phaethon, and appear to come from the Gemini constellation. Join PARI astronomers and get your chance to see this incredible event! Choose from three ways to experience this brilliant display of meteors.
Self-Guided Saturday
📅 December 14th 2024
Come and explore our museum! See how our telescopes work today, and how they communicated with satellites long ago. Learn about historic NASA artifacts like our Apollo lander and real rocket engine. Take in the sparkle of mineral specimens and fossils from around the world. Discover the impact of meteorites of all types that fell to Earth. Delve into our dark fluorescent tunnel.
Holiday Private Tours
📅 December 23rd 2024
We have just a few tours available right before Christmas Day. Gather a group of family and friends and add a trip through space science to your celebration. Reserve your spot before they're gone!
Valentine's Day Viewing
📅 February 15th 2025
Experience the opportunity to see some of the most romantic places in space! Enjoy learning about the cosmic connections that have inspired love stories for centuries. Take advantage of this unique way to connect with the stars and each other. It's a Valentine's Day celebration that's out of this world!
Self-Guided Saturday
📅 January 25th 2025
Come and explore our museum! See how our telescopes work today, and how they communicated with satellites long ago. Learn about historic NASA artifacts like our Apollo lander and real rocket engine. Take in the sparkle of mineral specimens and fossils from around the world. Discover the impact of meteorites of all types that fell to Earth. Delve into our dark fluorescent tunnel.
NASA Space Apps Challenge Hackathon
📅 October 4th to October 6th2024
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is a hackathon for coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, technologists, and innovators around the world to come together and use open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners to create solutions to challenges we face on Earth and in space.
Space Day Free Open House
📅 April 27th 2024
Gather your friends and family and join use for our annual spring open house event and STEM day, SPACE DAY! 🚀🧑🚀
Tour our museum, talk to scientists, play games and do activities, take in a show and have some good food.
Upcoming Events:
Don't see what you're looking for?
PARI offers a variety of customized tours and programs for all kinds of groups.
We are pleased to offer self guided museum tours on select days!
Choose a date below and come explore! When you arrive, press the silver call button at the gate then proceed to the visitors entrance. Tickets are sold at the door for $12.00 per person.
Tours Available On:
Saturday, January 25th, 2025 10am to 4pm, last entry granted at 3pm
Included in the tour:
Operations and Control Room with:
Telescope Controls
3D Printers and 3D models, inculding Lunar and Martian terrain
Historical exhibits of telescope and satellite communications equipment of the past
NASA Exhibit Gallery with:
Apollo Lunar Lander
ATS 6 Satellite
Redstone Rocket Engine
Many other items flown in space from Mercury through the Space Shuttle program
Gem & Mineral Gallery with:
Hundreds of specimes from North Carolina
Hundreds of specimens from around the world
600 micromounts of rare minerals
Plant, animal, fish, and dinosaur fossils
Impact glasses like tektites including moldavite and australite, and other glasses like fulgarites and trinitite
Meteorite Gallery with:
Stony meteorites, Iron meteorites, and Stony-Iron meteorites that fell in places around the world
Famous meteorites with exciting stories
Meteorites that originated from the Moon, Mars, and locations in the asteroid belt
Fluorescent Tunnel full of rocks that glow and emit light in neon colors
PARI's annual spring open house is free and open to the public. Join us for a day of fun and STEM learning!
📅 Saturday, April 27, 2024
🕙 10:00am until 4:00pm
🎟️ Admission is free, but there will be some paid activities
🚀Hop on board our shuttle for outdoor site tours (*not a real space shuttle, just a ground one🚐)
💎Take in our museum galleries with NASA and space artifacts, minerals and gems, meteorites, and more, open with scientists to answer your questions☄️
🔭Peek through a solar telescope to safely observe the Sun and look for sunspots☀️ (weather allowing)
🪐Journey through our solar system on the Galaxy Walk, our scale model of our home in the universe
🖍️Visit the activity tables with fun stuff for kids
🎶Hear music played by DJ RaZor with 4 Dreamz Entertainment
🌌Immerse yourself in outer space with a planetarium show (requires a separate $5 ticket)
😋Enjoy a meal from local food vendors, and snacks from the PARI dining hall (food must be purchased)🥪
😃Visit booths and displays from some of PARI's friends and partners.
⛰️Hike to our observation deck for beautiful views
🎉Play games outside
📡 Talk to one of our educators about our summer camps and learn about scholarships for your kids. You can even claim a scholarship (while they last) and register while you're here.
🎨 Paint minifigures of spaceships, astronauts, dinosaurs, & more (paid activity)
Come by and bring some family and friends. It's the perfect day to experience what we're all about and learn about our home in the universe!
🎃 Fall Festival 2024 🍂
PARI's annual autumn open house will not be occuring on October 12th as planned due to damage from hurricane Helene. We regret not being able to see you all and hope everyone is doing ok. We will reschedule if possible, and will post details here.
PARI's annual autumn open house is free and open to the public. Join us for a day of fun and STEM learning!
📅 Saturday, October 12, 2024
🕙 1:00pm until 6:00pm
🎟️ Admission is free, but there will be some paid activities
🚀Hop on board our shuttle for outdoor site tours (*not a real space shuttle, just a ground one🚐)
🚜Hop on board our hay ride for a trip around the grounds
💎Take in our museum galleries with NASA and space artifacts, minerals and gems, meteorites, and more, open with scientists to answer your questions☄️
🔭Peek through a solar telescope to safely observe the Sun and look for sunspots☀️ (weather allowing)
🪐Journey through our solar system on the Galaxy Walk, our scale model of our home in the universe
🖍️Visit the activity tables with fun stuff for kids
🎶Hear music played by DJ RaZor with 4 Dreamz Entertainment
🌌Immerse yourself in outer space with a planetarium show (requires a separate $5 ticket)
😋Enjoy a meal from local food vendors (food must be purchased)🥪
😃Visit booths and displays from some of PARI's friends and partners.
⛰️Hike to our observation deck for beautiful views
🎨Transform into your favorite space creature, or something else, with face paining (requires purchase)
🎉Play games outside
📡 Talk to one of our educators about our summer camps and learn about scholarships for your kids. You can even claim a scholarship (while they last) and register while you're here.
🎨 Paint minifigures of spaceships, astronauts, dinosaurs, & more (paid activity)
Come by and bring some family and friends. It's the perfect day to experience what we're all about and learn about our home in the universe!
Take a look at some of PARI's out of this world designs!
Each is available on a huge variety of items, like apparel, art prints, phone and laptop cases, backpacks, mugs, blankets, and more! Click one to customize it at our store on Redbubble. All proceeds benefit PARI's education mission.
