Southern Oregon does get proper rain, mostly between November and April, and when it arrives with children in tow you want a plan. ScienceWorks is that plan.
It’s a 26,000 square foot hands-on museum just east of downtown Ashland, built around the sensible principle that nothing is behind glass. Two hundred-odd exhibits cover physics, light, sound, engineering and natural history, and almost all of them want to be pushed, pulled, cranked or climbed on. The bubble room and the Da Vinci-inspired build stations reliably absorb an entire afternoon. There’s an outdoor discovery area too, for the days the weather relents.
It’s pitched at roughly ages three to twelve, though we’ve watched plenty of adults get quietly absorbed in the physics wall. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm — check ahead, as hours shift seasonally and school holidays get busy.
Parking is easy and free, and it’s a five-minute drive from most of our Ashland properties. Pair it with an early dinner downtown and you’ve turned a washed-out day into one of the better ones of the trip.
Travelling with family? Many of our homes include cribs, high chairs and game spaces. Browse our properties.
