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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge is a federally funded research and development center managed by Cal Tech on behalf of NASA. At JPL, they design and build unmanned spacecraft that NASA launches to explore the farthest reaches of our solar system, from the Ranger missions that first went to the moon to Voyagar 1 and 2 to the rovers that roam the surface of Mars. As one guide put it, they build robots and send them to cool places. I think that description is pretty apt.
JPL’s Visitor Day Tour brings you on campus for a roughly 2-hour experience where you’ll watch a short film on exploring the solar system, learn how JPL became a part of NASA, check out exhibits and scale-model replicas at the onsite visitor’s center, and get to peek in at the Space Flight Operations Center. My favorite part is the visit to the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, where you’ll watch from a second story perch as JPL staff work on building projects in real time. And yes, it’s all free to experience!
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The tour itself is awesome, but there are some limitations in terms of scheduling. Tours only take place on a handful of weekdays per month, and advance reservations tend to fill up extremely quickly. Plus, you’ll have to book well in advance. For example, the July 2025 tours open for reservation starting today (Monday, May 5) beginning at 9 a.m. If you can’t snag a reservation this morning, make sure to check back to the tour info page frequently, or sign up for email updates. If you’re able to attend, it’ll be well worth it, I promise!
Who Might Enjoy This?
- Space geeks.
- Your child is an aspiring engineer or astronaut.
- The middle of your week is wide open.
When: Select weekdays every month, with tours usually beginning at either 9:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Tour reservations must be made several months in advance. Make sure to bring appropriate I.D.
Where: 4800 Oak Grove Drive La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
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