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"After Dark" written in graphic text art."After Dark" written in graphic text art.

After Dark Series

Enjoy a lively evening of entertainment, science, and tinkering for the 21+ crowd!

After Dark is a monthly adults-only, after-hours event at the museum. Full of science and surprises, expect demonstrations, tastings, conversation and interactive play. Our galleries will be open for you, and we'll always have live music, cash bar, and bites for purchase by culinary specialists from around the city.

6pm–9:00pm
21+ only

Admission:
General Admission - $20
MIT ID holders - $10

Space is limited. Pre-registration strongly suggested.

Please note that backpacks and large bags are not permitted.


Color

Start August off with a splash (of color). Investigate the secrets of butterfly colors, check out polarized light mosaics, and make your own stained-glass window (minus the glass) to take home!

Look for the Shiny Objects with Tuft's Giulia Guidetti or explore how auroras form with the MIT Plasma Science & Fusion Center.

Local brews from Aeronaut and tasty rainbow (!!) dumplings from Mei Mei available for purchase.

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3D

Venture into the third dimension at our last After Dark of the summer. Join us for a night of drinks, eats, and music while catching a talk on rainbow holograms, checking out 3D printed wonders, and diving into brand new VR experiences.

Tasty treats from Lola's Pinoy Pastry and quality craft beer from Arlington Brewing Company available for purchase.

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Past Sessions

Bugs

Join us in July for a night filled with astro ants, Alaskan insects, and edible crickets. Catch a talk with Biologst Yukiko Yamashita on fruit flies and evolution, or enjoy an arthropod petting zoo. Then head over to our Maker Hub to build and race your own buzz bug.

Timeless pizza pies and delicious drinks from Johnny Pomodoro available for purchase.

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Speed

Join us in June as we take on the science of speed. Explore high-speed photography with MIT Professor J. Kim Vandiver; meet MIT students building and racing solar cars, autonomous boats, aircrafts, and rockets; and construct, decorate, and battle your own spinning top.

Zippy tunes by DJ Philip Tan, plus tasty eats from Mostly Pasta and Lola's Pinoy Pastry, and local brews from Remnant available for purchase.

Teeny/Tiny

Join us as we explore science and technology at the smallest of scales. Meet Professor Kevin Chen, Head of MIT’s Soft and Micro Robotics Laboratory, and get a close-up look at his insect-inspired (and sized!) research. Then, head over to our learning labs to manipulate magnetic fluids or shrink a microbe to take home.

Local brews from Lamplighter and tasty pizza pies from Za available for purchase.

Grow

Calling all nature lovers. Celebrate an early earth day at the Museum and discover the growing world all around us. Learn about fungi, local foraging techniques, musical mushroom modulation, and more. Prepare for spring with a letter-locked seed packet or create your own tiny terrarium, plus meet an MIT trained architect trying to answer the question, can we grow buildings?

Handrolls from Pagu and craft beers from Arlington Brewing Company available for purchase.

Threads

At our March After Dark, weave your way through an exploration of traditional textile techniques, emerging technologies, and everything in between. Artist talks by Chloe Bensahel and Ganit Goldstein; felt painting activities; smart textile demos; and more.

Delicious dumplings from Mei Mei and tasty brews from Aeronaut available for purchase.

Connections

Investigate the art and the science of connections at our February After Dark. Join us for Tutti—a participatory music-making experience, meet someone new while speed friending, team up with AI in our very first poetry contest, and get creative as you learn how to wire a circuit.

Small batch beer from Winter Hill Brewing and unique pies from Za available for purchase.