Families, Get Ready!
The Exploration Expo Returns to Piedmont Park for the Ultimate Science Celebration
Metro Atlanta families and beyond, mark your calendars and pack your curiosity because the Exploration Expo, the grand finale of the Atlanta Science Festival, is heading back home to Piedmont Park on Saturday, March 21st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. And yes, it is completely FREE! How cool is that? Free family fun the entire family should enjoy.
If you have never been, imagine the entire park transformed into one giant, joyful, hands‑on science playground. If you have been, you already know: this is the kind of event kids talk about with great passion for months, and parents secretly love that passion just as much!
This year’s Expo is bigger, bolder, and bursting with more ways for families to explore, build, experiment, and discover together.
🔬 A Science Wonderland for Every Age
More than 100 interactive booths will fill Piedmont Park, each one inviting kids (and grown‑ups!) to jump in and try something new. Families can:
- Peek at their own cells under a microscope
- Build a working lung model
- Guide robots through obstacle courses
- Explore lasers and circuits
- Touch a real human brain (yes, really!)
- Meet reptiles, amphibians, and the scientists who study them
- Look inside a jet engine
Every booth is designed to spark wonder and use the imagination beyond belief. Whether your child is a budding engineer, a nature lover, a future doctor, or simply a kid who loves to ask “why?”, this is the event for them.
🧭 Six Zones of Hands‑On Fun
The Expo is organized into six themed Zones, each packed with activities bringing science to life:
- Encounter Zone — Explore the human body, brain science, funky fluids, and the mysteries of our internal clocks. Oh my!
- Discover Zone — Dive into forensics, farming, amphibians, and the tech behind everyday life. Get into it!
- Invent Zone — Meet makers, tinker with circuits, explore insect societies, and learn how innovation shapes our world. Embrace the creative side!
- Thrive Zone — See how plants grow without soil, learn about aviation, and get messy with slime and tech. Love nature!
- Curious Zone — Explore math in 3D, discover how scientists track birds, and get up close with big trucks and big ideas. Give way to your curiosity!
- STEAM Zone — Blend art and science with haiku, chemistry, cryptography bracelets, LEGO creations, and more. Bloom where you are planted!
Every Zone offers something different, and every stop is a chance for kids to learn through play.
🎉 Do Not Miss the Pink Ping Pong Big Bang
One of the most beloved Expo traditions returns right at 12 p.m.: the Pink Ping Pong Big Bang! Thousands of bright pink ping pong balls will launch into the sky in a joyful explosion of science and spectacle.
Families will gather in The Meadow to count down together. It’s a special moment you do not want to miss, trust and believe it is a special kind of fun.
🍔 Food, Drinks & Picnic‑Perfect Spaces
When all that exploring works up an appetite, there is plenty to choose from. Food and drink vendors will be set up throughout the park just like they were at the opening event! I strongly suggest bringing the following for a little added comfort:
- Picnic blankets
- Refillable water bottles
- Snacks or even full lunches
Complimentary water stations will be available, and tables are scattered throughout the Expo for easy breaks between adventures.
🌈 Why Atlanta Families Love the Exploration Expo
This event is a favorite for so many reasons:
- It’s free and accessible.
- It’s hands‑on, which means kids learn by doing.
- It’s outdoors, making it perfect for springtime fun.
- It’s inspiring, connecting kids with real scientists, creators, and innovators.
- It’s unforgettable, offering experiences you simply can’t get anywhere else.
Whether you stay for an hour or spend the whole day exploring, your family will leave buzzing with excitement and new discoveries.
📍 Event Details at a Glance
Atlanta Science Festival: Exploration Expo
📅 Saturday, March 21
⏰ 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
💲 Free
📍 Piedmont Park (Charles Allen Drive & 10th Street entrance)
For maps, exhibitor lists, and updates, visit AtlantaScienceFestival.org/expo.
- Dive into a full day of hands‑on science, big discoveries, and family fun at Atlanta’s biggest STEM celebration.
- From robots to reptiles, lasers to LEGO—your family’s next great adventure is waiting at the Exploration Expo.
- Join thousands of families for a free day of discovery, creativity, and STEM excitement in Piedmont Park.
- Experience science like never before with hands‑on activities, live experiments, and nonstop family fun.
