Editor’s Note: This article was produced as part of our partnership with the Science Museum of Virginia.
Not every night out has to end with squeezing into a crowded bar. Sometimes it’s nice to grab a drink, eat something good, learn a few things, and actually have something to talk about afterward. Sounds like a pretty solid date night, or at least an easy way to break the ice with someone new.
Next Thursday, July 23, the Science Museum of Virginia is once again opening its doors after hours for people looking for an alternative with Science on Tap: Upside Down, transforming the museum into a 21-and-over playground filled with hands-on science, food trucks, drinks, live astronomy, and plenty of reasons to wander around like a curious kid again, only this time with a beer in hand. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and timed entry tickets are available online HERE.
While the theme is a nod to Netflix’s Stranger Things, where the Upside Down is a dark parallel dimension, the Science Museum is putting its own spin on the idea. Instead of battling Demogorgons, guests will explore the stranger side of science through optical illusions, magnetism, astronomy, and the museum’s Survival of the Slowest exhibition, home to Lulu the sloth, whose upside-down lifestyle helped inspire the event.
For Miles McQuiggan, Communications Coordinator at the Science Museum, the “Upside Down” theme works on more than one level.
“Obviously people recognize the pop culture reference,” McQuiggan said. “But it also ties into Lulu, the sloth in our Survival of the Slowest exhibition, because sloths spend most of their lives upside down.”
If you’ve visited the museum this summer, you’ve probably already met that lil cutie Lulu. If not, Science on Tap is a pretty good excuse to finally say hello. Better yet, admission to Survival of the Slowest is included with your ticket, even though it normally costs extra. Along with everyone’s favorite sloth, you’ll find tenrecs, snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and a collection of animals that have figured out you don’t always have to be the fastest to survive.
The rest of the museum will also be open, so you can wander through favorites like Speed, Boost, the Animal Lab, and the newly opened Rescue exhibition.
Rather than sticking to one corner of science, this edition is all about the weird stuff. Expect optical illusions, magnets that seem to defy logic, levitation demonstrations, carnivorous plants, a chance to make your own trucker hat, and a live astronomy show inside The Dome.
“It’s kind of like that unexplained side of science,” McQuiggan said. “Things that, to a curious eye, seem mysterious until you understand why they work.”
If all that experimenting works up an appetite, food and drinks won’t be far away. El Guapo, River City Wood Fire, and Shakedown Eats will all be serving throughout the evening while bars inside and outside the museum keep the drinks flowing.
Science on Tap has quietly become one of those Richmond events that people circle on the calendar. Last summer’s editions sold out, and McQuiggan expects this one to be popular as well, so grabbing tickets ahead of time isn’t a bad idea.
Part of the appeal is getting to experience the museum in a completely different way.
“We really aspire to be here for Virginians of all ages,” McQuiggan said. “Whether it’s a date night, bringing your friends, or just enjoying a summer evening, it’s an opportunity to learn something and explore something.”
Science on Tap: Upside Down takes place Thursday, July 23, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia. Tickets are $18 for members and $25 for non-members, with timed entry beginning at 6, 6:30, and 7 p.m. The event is open to guests 21 and older.
For tickets and more information, visit HERE.
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