Are you and your friends or family busy brainstorming your next vacation getaway? Do you love learning? Enough said. Let’s hit the road and head to some of the best science-y locations on this side of the galaxy.
1
Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island Florida
Tags: Indoor – Outdoor – Year Round – Science – Tech – Engineering – Math
Okay, who doesn’t love space? Much more than a theme park, Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been NASA’s main launch site since 1968. And while the entire base is spread across 144,000 acres, the visitor’s center is packed with displays, IMAX theaters, memorabilia (including real spacecraft), and daily presentations by real astronauts! Or brave the summer heat and tour the Heroes and Legends Rocket Garden, a collection of real and replica rocket ships so cool you’ll have to see to believe. This is the place for a truly out of this world vacation stop.
2
The Salk Institute, La Jolla California
Tags: Indoor – Outdoor – Year Round – Science – Engineering – Math
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla California is a world-famous research institute that opened its doors in 1963 under the watchful eye of Jonas Salk, the guy credited with developing the first safe and effective polio vaccine. The Salk Institute has been described as one of the most significant architectural sites in the United States and has garnered accolades for its design and preservation. Take in an astonishingly beautiful view while you wander amid this architectural marvel, surrounded by some of the greatest scientific minds in the world.
3
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Tags: Outdoor – Science – Year Round – Seasonal Elements – All Ages
Get a look at the power of nature and inspire your inner geologist! Make your way to Wyoming, USA and take in the world’s first National Park, complete with erupting geysers, roaming wildlife, and the artistry of thermophiles. Within Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
4
CERN, Geneva (France-Switzerland Border)
Tags: Indoor – Science – Tech – Engineering – Math
CERN is the science getaway of your dreams. The European Council for Nuclear Research was founded in 1954 in an effort to promote scientific collaboration between the countries of Europe. Home to the large Hadron collider, CERN houses many permanent exhibits on the science of nuclear physics and employs many in-house experts to explain them all.
5
The Montana Dinosaur Trail
Tags: Indoor – Outdoor – Science – All Ages – Year Round
For the most intrepid of travelers — what’s better than one dinosaur museum? Fourteen! That’s right, the beautiful, fossil-filled state of Montana has arranged fourteen of its best dinosaur-themed museums, parks, and attractions into one titanosaur-size road trip.
6
The Galapagos Islands
Tags: Outdoor – Science – Year-round
As amazing as you think the Galápagos Islands will be, they routinely exceed expectations. It’s a place where lizards swim, birds walk, and humans — for once — don’t take center stage. Totally unknown to the world until 1535, the unparalleled biodiversity of these remote islands now attracts over 100,000 visitors each year. See what inspired the theories of Charles Darwin for yourself!
Want to talk STEM?
Tweet us @applerubber on Twitter!