Open House

MagLab Open House is a free, annual event for visitors of all ages! Each year on the last Saturday in February, we invite the public to explore the world's largest & highest-powered magnet lab, engage with nearly 100 hands-on demonstrations and meet our scientists and researchers.

Celebrate how great books and inspiring science both begin with curiosity and wonder.

From classics to comics, cookbooks to children’s books, science stories will leap off the page and into the MagLab in a ”library” of discovery and hands-on science fun for all ages.

When: February 21, 2026 from 10am to 3pm

Where: National MagLab Headquarters Location - 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310 - View Google Map

Admission: FREE!

MagLab Open House is a free, family-friendly science festival and your chance to explore the world’s largest and highest-powered magnet lab. This year, we will transform the lab into a library of discovery as we celebrate the magic of books with special literary experiences included in our nearly 100 hands-on Open House demonstrations and activities.

Enjoy the lab’s real-life science stories of adventure, suspense, passion, and drama. Come meet the lab’s “authors of discovery” - our brilliant scientists, technicians, staff and students - who will share chapters of their research and answer your questions. Whether you love fairy tales, graphic novels, or timeless literature, you’ll find compelling tales everywhere at MagLab Open House in a day filled with imagination, innovation, and inspiration.

Our Open House event features classic MagLab demonstrations like our Quarter Shrinker, Potato Launcher, Cryo Flowers, Junkyard Magnet, and a chance to taste Einstein's Ice Cream.

2026 Community Partners

Interested in being a community partner at Open House? Reach out to us at publicaffairs@magnet.fsu.edu.

2026 Food Truck

Want to help feed Open House visitors? Reach out to us at publicaffairs@magnet.fsu.edu.

Support Open House

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for a future Open House event, please contact us at publicaffairs@magnet.fsu.edu or make a donation online to support more dynamic hands-on STEM education and outreach experiences.

Open House Image Gallery

Credit: National MagLab

Tesla coil activity at the MagLab open house

Viewing potato cannon at the MagLab open house

People entrance to the building at MagLab open house

Touching sea creatures at the MagLab open house

Virtual Open House

Can't make it to the live event? Explore our more than 20 free virtual events, video demonstrations of your favorite flagship demos, behind the scenes, all-access video tours and a half-dozen web-based games for visitors of all ages here anytime you'd like to bring MagLab Open House right to your house!

Videos: Behind the Scenes - All Access

Explore the MagLab like never before with these 360 degree videos featuring spaces usually only accessible to the experts.

The MagLab Plant in 360 degrees

Click and drag to look around the plant in 360 degrees to see our chillers, cooling pumps, water treatment devices, helium and air compressors, an electrical switchgear, heat exchangers and other special equipment needed to support the world's most powerful magnets.

Length: 3:01

Helium Recycling in 360 degrees

Drag your screen around to see 360 degrees of the MagLab's equipment to capture, purify, and reliquefy helium.

Length: 1:09

See the behind the scenes playlist

Virtual Demos

See eye-popping demonstrations in action and learn the science behind them.

Shrinking Quarter Machine

A MagLab physicist and engineer pair up to demonstrate the lab's famous Quarter Shrinking Machine, a loud, stinky illustration of electrodynamics, circuits, Lenz’s Law and Lorenz forces.

Length: 7:56

Potato Launcher

An up-close view of a favorite Open House demo, carbo-loaded with information on how the pneumatic potato launcher works.

Length: 1:58

Junkyard Magnet

Watch a junkyard magnet squash water jugs and melons using the power of electromagnets.

Length: 2:40

See the virtual demo playlist

Recorded live sessions

Virtual Field Trip

Length: 1:07:00

The Story of Attraction

Length: 50:05

Scientist Speed Session with Dr. Matt Eddy

Length: 45:30

Kitchen Chemistry

Length: 59:22

See the recorded live session playlist

Games & Interactive

Reveal Veggie MRI

Can you guess the food by looking at an image taken in our world's most powerful MRI magnet?

Attack of the Acronyms

Acronyms (and their less cohesive cousin, initialisms) are one of scientists’ favorite communication tools. But their use — or overuse — can torpedo the chances of readers actually comprehending what is written.

More Games & Interactive

Last modified on 04 December 2025