From Supercomputers to Slime: What to Do and See at Argonne Open House
Explore Argonne through hands-on activities, surprising experiments, and behind-the-scenes tours. Take the controls of a real particle accelerator, compete against a lab robot, and see yourself in infrared. Learn about materials science while making slime and using marshmallows to build crystal structures. You can even explore one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, detect radiation in everyday objects, and watch dramatic liquid nitrogen demonstrations up close.
Along the way, discover how Argonne researchers are using AI to accelerate science, developing technologies for America’s energy future, creating world-leading scientific tools, and exploring everything from the smallest particles to the biggest questions about our universe. Each stop offers new ways to play, experiment, explore, and experience science in action.
Tours
Last tours begin one hour before the event ends.
Ticketed Tours (Advanced Photon Source, Aurora Supercomputer)
Pick up free tickets at the tour location. Tickets are released every hour until two hours before the event closes. Standby lines are available throughout the day.
Non-Ticketed Tours (Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System, Center for Nanoscale Materials)
Join the line at the tour location.
Activity Areas
Each of the three Open House areas offer a full day of activities showcasing Argonne’s research within four key themes: Accelerating Science with AI, Creating the Tools of Science, Securing America’s Energy Future and Understanding Our Universe.
View the activities within the 200 Area, 300 Area, and 400 area by clicking on the building locations listed below.
200 Area
Activities in the 200 Area take place in Buildings 203, 208, 213, 240, and 241.
Do and see:
- Guided tour of the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System, the prime national facility for nuclear structure research
- Design a particle accelerator with AI
- Take the controls of a real accelerator system
- Watch a live liquid nitrogen demo (with dramatic freezing effects)
- See and tune superconducting RF cavities
- Become a “Particle Detective” using real experiment data
Do and see:
- Trace Argonne’s influence on nuclear power from the Manhattan Project to modern reactors
- Detect radiation in everyday objects
- View models of operating and advanced reactors
Do and see:
- Take a photo and celebrate Argonne at 80 and America at 250
- Explore “Then & Now” science—from historic milestones to today’s breakthroughs
- Cast your vote: what will the future of science look like?
- Ask an AI chatbot about Argonne’s history and discoveries
- Explore careers and pathways into science and innovation
- Meet the team behind UChicago’s award-winning podcast “Big Brains”
Do and see:
- Guided tour to see the new Aurora supercomputer
- Build a human neural network
- Compete with a pipette robot
- Make binary-code bracelets and spot data errors
- See real-time atmospheric sensing with lasers and thermal cameras
Do and see:
- Play games that reveal quantum behavior
- Handle mock nuclear fuel and learn how it’s recycled
- Discover neutrinos and cosmic science
- Explore batteries, disease modeling, and advanced materials
- Learn how Argonne supports entrepreneurs and their technologies to help solve energy and science challenges
300 Area
Activities in the 300 Area take place in Buildings 360, 362, 369, 370, 371 and 376.
Do and see:
- “Become the AI” in an interactive game
- Observe autonomous robots create a rainbow using lab pipetting
- Play quantum-themed games
- Use your hands to generate energy
Do and see:
- Watch live scientific glassblowing
- Run a hydropower model and test skills with the Hydropower Market Game
- Compare real-world vehicle energy impacts
- See high-voltage physics in action
- Explore ecosystems, water systems, and materials
- Experience an interactive art exhibit exploring energy and innovation
Do and see:
- Sort recyclables and hunt for rare earth elements
- Crush rocks and extract valuable materials
- Draw circuits with conductive ink
- Explore sustainable packaging
- Build materials using LEGO models
Do and see:
- Watch a vehicle run on a dynamometer
- Explore e-bikes, scooters, and future mobility tech
- Discover next-generation flight with drones and emerging aviation technologies
- Learn about programs preparing the next generation of transportation workforce
- See a locomotive engine up close
Do and see:
- Guided tour into the Advanced Photon Source overlook
- Control a robotic arm
- See yourself in infrared
- Explore levitation, vibrations, and X-ray optics
Do and see:
- Guided tour of the Center for Nanoscale Materials
- See atoms with advanced microscopes
- Build crystal structures (yes—even with marshmallows)
- Pose as a cleanroom scientist