Jet Propulsion Lab – California Institute of Technology

Open House 2016 was great! Very thankful they let us insignificant folk into their world of knowledge for free. Great event for kids. My 6yr old enjoyed it. Everyone happily answers any questions you may have and truly makes it a good experience.
Was hesitant to attend even with required tickets at hand because of prior online reviews of their open house being too crowded and unorganized but experienced the opposite and was sad so much more time is needed for this event. Thank you!

I may be a tad bit biased because my hubby works here. but JPL is a great fun educational place to visit. When they have open houses you really should go if you love any kind of space/​scienec

Over 15,000 people reportedly came to JPL last weekend… and it could not have been better organized, providing for an overall wonderful experience to immerse into actual NASA technologies and facilities.
I attended last Saturday for Explore JPL weekend (6÷4−6÷5÷2016) and the free open house was a truly special chance to see actual NASA technologies, including rovers and hardware that had actually been on Mars. We even get free JPL reusable shopping bags as we walked in!
The experience was one of the best organized events I have ever attended in my life. Even with so many people there, we were able to experience nearly everything we wanted to see in less than 3 hours. Also, as a non-​engineer/​scientist, I was worried I wouldn’t understand much of it, but they really made things understandable so that even children could enjoy it, especially since there were always JPL personnel there to explain and answer questions 1-​on-​1.
We saw/​visited:
1) Space Flight Operations Facility (Mission Control): they call this «the center of the universe» because this is where ALL space communications, data, pictures go through! The very enthusiastic guide even gave us stickers saying «I have been to the center of the universe.» Really cool to see inside this room which provides 24-​hour global communications with spacecraft throughout our solar system.
2) Mars Exploration: at first this seemed like it was just for kids until we realized there were a bunch of real moving rovers and even the Curiosity Rover to see!
3) Spacecraft Fabrication Facility: we didn’t want to spent half our trip in line for the assembly facility but this was a cool close second as we could see hardware that has actually been sent up to Mars and feel the parts in our hands (note: aluminum is the most popular medium, although they do use titanium as well). Lots of 3-​D printing in action here!
4) Alien Worlds: more of a museum exhibit (versus seeing real, hands-​on NASA stuff) but still good, especially seeing the starshades (see my photo)
We didn’t have time to watch any of the handful of short films or do the photo booth (sniff) but that’s alright since we only had 3 hours and things were packing up around 3:30, 30 minutes before official closing. I definitely wished we were able to get morning tickets because you are allowed to stay as long as you want and we easily could’ve enjoyed a whole 8 hours there.
There were a ton of food vendors on site offering hot dogs, fried chicken, etc as well as a tented gift shop area that was easily and quick to navigate.
JPL previously did an annual open house where it was a madhouse with endless lines, but this time they had a ticketing system where people logged onto the JPL website months ago to get timed tickets on Saturday or Sunday. We had 1PM Sunday tickets. Our visit was a self guided tour around the JPL campus with over a dozen areas, facilities and exhibits to visit. There were crowds but nothing too insane except for the 45 – 60 minute line at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, the most popular attraction there.
It was organized so well with helpful staff at every corner. Driving on the nearby freeway to get there, there were electronic Caltrans signs directing us. There were multiple officers at the entrance to guide us in and direct us where to park (parking was free and plentiful and easy) so that cars moved in smoothly. There were plenty of staff to check us in and inspect bags when we entered. Once we were inside, there was always someone around to ask directional questions. At each exhibit, there were multiple experts to answer technical questions about the technologies you were seeing. When we were waiting in line for one exhibit, there was even a staff member with a robotic hand walking down the line to entertain you by letting you play with the hand. There was a person at the most popular facility telling us how long the line wait would be. There were lots of shaded tents and drink vendors (with very reasonable prices) on this hot and sunny 90-​degree-​F day.
I really hope they do another one again. We were all first-​timers and I would love to return especially since the Open House was so well organized.

Came here for their open house and it was the first year they used the timed ticket system. MUCH EASIER to handle than the mess last year when it was just an open invitation. That was a nightmare.
There was a loooooong line but it moved very quickly and we were inside before we knew it. PLENTY TO SEE and do and learn, of course.
I uploaded about 30 pictures and that only covered maybe a fifth of everything that was there. Movies, exhibits, plenty of information posted up and handed out, and so much more.
I don’t really know how to summarize my visit to JPL except to say that the timed ticket system WORKS and it works well, so don’t let the negative reviews from 2015 deter you because they don’t do it that way anymore.
If you want to reserve your tickets, be aware that they will «sell» out FAST. Though the tickets are free, you need to log on and reserve your time. This year, the tickets were sold out in less than two hours and the website crashed. It is a very popular event so don’t think you can wait on this once a year, two day event.
So, my review is essentially a list of tips.
1. Line moves fast
2. Event and parking are free
3. Reserve your tickets IMMEDIATELY when they become available
4. Don’t be put off by the negative reviews from 2015
Have fun!

I came here recently for their Explore JPL event. After last year’s fiasco, I wasn’t sure how this year would be. However, I was pleasantly surprised!
We pulled into the parking lot around 8:45 and there were only a handful of cars in the lot. Lines were short, not crowded at all and fast/​easy to navigate around the JPL campus.
We were able to see lots of replicas and get a deeper understanding of how they discover new planets. Great for kids /​family day out.
Only caveat is most of it was pretty high level, so check out their lecture series if you want something more in depth!

I know it’s free, and i know its educational and I know it sounded cool to be at the Center of the Universe.
But really, I think this might be cool for family as this event was super crowded and frankly kind of boring for people that arn’t so interested into these nerdy NASA stuff.
Sorry, i must sound ridiculous for all you science lovers. but man — i was bored and sleepy!

This review is for the JPL Open House that was held June 4 – 5, 2016
On Saturday, I remembered someone posted the JPL information on Facebook. I check out the Eventbrite site, and there were still 50+ tickets available, so I selected the 11:30 slot on Sunday. The tickets are free, but you need to get your tickets online before going to the event.
The event was fairly organized, even down to the parking (which was free). When you approached the entrance, the staff checked your bag like they do at any sporting or theme park event. Strollers and Wheel chairs were allowed.
As you walked through the gate, the JPL staff handed you a reusable black JPL tote bag and a map. I thought the JPL Open House was a guided tour where they lead you on a 2 hour walk, sort of like they do on a university campus. Not the case! It was like going to any convention or fan fest, where you decide where you want to go. Pair it up with the «Explore JPL» web app, and you can figure out which attractions had the shortest line.
The lines were actually shorter than posted. One line was supposed to be 60 minutes, but when I clocked it, it was only 29 minutes.
Highlights of my visit include:
— Space flight operations facility. This is where Mission Control is at, and we’ve seen this on TV. At the end of the tour you get the «I’ve been to the center of the universe» sticker.
— The view of the clean room at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility Highbay.1. That’s where they finalized Juno before launching it to Jupiter.
— Getting an infrared photo of us, using MDL’s QWIP camera
— And taking a break with Bill Nye, the Science Guy’s video «Why With Nye».
The event was over at 4:00, and I would say we completed about 70% of the event. I didn’t know that there was so much to see and do. There was not a shortage of food or drinks, and as they hired plenty of vendors to serve up a variety of food, including the tantalizing Kettle Corn.
Thumbs up! I would recommend arriving early (I think the first appointment is 8:30 am?) and see as much as you can. It’s not JUST for the nerds or science enthusiasts. Even a liberal arts person like me got a lot out of it, and had a great time learning.

I’m so glad JPL has these open houses. It’s a great time to take the family to nerd out. Rovers, satellites, jumbo 3-​D printers, and Bill Nye! The best part is it was totally free.

I guess it’s unfair for me cuz it’s my hubster works their 20-​plus years. Actually everything here is so very interesting it’s baffling. I hope my friends get a good tour of the place I’ve been there many a Time. Enjoy yourselves

I’ve missed this event several years in a row but I finally got lucky and scored some last minute tickets to this year’s open house event.
From what I understand 2016 was the first year that JPL used a timed ticket system and while there may have been some hiccups in administering tickets, I thought it worked amazingly well for curbing massive crowds. We didn’t have any issues with lines or crowds. The longest line we waited in was 30 minutes for a movie showing, obviously they don’t allow new people into a movie that has already begun.
We didnt realize Open House ended at 4pm so the assigned time we chose was a little later in the afternoon, not allowing us a whole lot of time to explore all the exhibits but we were thoroughly impressed with everything we did see and the entire JPL staff was incredibly knowledgable and easily explained the information being presented.
I believe JPL offers tours throughout the year so if you get a chance, check it out and don’t miss mission control! We will definitely be returning to see the rest of the campus.

It’s the very cool place on the earth, and you can expect a lot science and technology here. Bring enough water and be prepared for long waiting lines.

Attended their annual open house event on Sunday this year and boy o boy it was crowded.
Exiting off the 210 east at 9am, there was already a long line of cars getting off the freeway. It took us about 45 minutes to exit the fwy and park. I dropped off my friend so she could get in line while I went and parked.
Everything was very organized from the parking, security check points, and the exhibits. We were able to see a few exhibits, but not all because of the excruciating long lines and hot sun. It was pretty cool to see the mission control room, models, robotics, and very knowledgeable staff explaining things they were working on.
There were plenty of food vendors selling food and drinks. There were also plenty of restrooms on hand and porta potties when nature called. First aid was also on hand for any mishaps like texting, walking, and spraining an ankle. Yeah, that was me. Thanks for wrapping my ankle up!
First and last time attending this open house. There was way too many people to be able to fully enjoy it, but I’m glad I got a chance to go. Definitely recommended for kids and adults that really enjoy outer space, astronauts, and all things nasa-​related.

Utterly amazing.
What some people do when they go to work in the morning, and what problems they solve collectively blows my mind.
This job is a badge of honor for the ones who work here.
Amazing.
Everyone should visit and get a clue on what 5000 NASA employees do every day !

Lines were long sometimes even longer than the lines at Disneyland. But it was cool to see all the space equipment up close.

I’m sure seeing the many exhibits and movies about space exploration would have been wonderful during the open house that JPL offers one weekend per year. Unless you arrive very early, I doubt your experience will be a good one.
We saw the line of cars on the freeway to get to JPL — absolutely huge. I thought, «no big deal, we’ll just park a bit away and walk in». Big mistake! After 2 miles of walking, there was a huge mass of people in line to get inside. It took about ½ hour to get into JPL, and finally once inside, there were so many people that it was difficult to see most of the exhibits. The lines for movie presentations bordered on a 2 hour wait. It made the experience a very unpleasant one.
Although it is a nice thing that they offer every year, I will, under no circumstances, ever return for an open house.

This review is for the open house event. It was an amazing!!! Been wanting to come to this place for a very long time. After I heard about the open house event I finally got a chance.
They had all the exhibits open, the Mars rovers we’re set up outside, they let you see the factory, they had Food vendors everywhere.
Getting here was insane! I left Glendora at 8:10 and didn’t get in the parking lot till 9:30 I believe. If you ever go to the open house even leave very early, bring water, relax, and plan to stay the day since the lines do get very long.
It was nice that they had plenty of exhibits where they had movies about nasa and jpl.
It was very hot so it was nice there was air.
There’s not much to say. If you love nasa, and you love to learn this is a great place to go. I felt they had the event well organized for 70k people going.

Great place to visit with your family. But they lose 3 stars for completely disorganized open house this past weekend… And some of staff seem to talk about funding, funding, funding the whole time. Staff was helpful all times though.
It seems JPL intentionally only does 2 open days per year to keep the demand up so that would be a selling point to get more funds… I saw a few hundred security guys and many fire fighters just driving around aimlessly and showing off their access to the area. Why the hell are we spending so many tax dollars for fire and security? I can understand some are required but not the numbers I saw. They had glow on their faces which I assume is because of the overtime $$ they are seeing in their dreams.

So I finally went to my first JPL Open House after all these years. The circumstances weren’t exactly ideal for an event with tens of thousands of visitors. First of all, we are having some pretty strange weather in Los Angeles at the moment. The weekend of Open House, the temperature was unbearably HOT, HOT, HOT! People were fainting (saw a few ambulances throughout the morning) and super sweaty (thank goodness, not many were stinky). Second of all, USA vs. Mexico soccer game was taking place at the Rose Bowl just a couple miles away from JPL so there were even MORE cars pouring into Pasadena than usual. Oh, and did I mention there was also an art walk in Pasadena on Saturday too?! Yup, lots of traffic… I thought I was being clever by parking «near» the East Entrance, but as it turns out… they weren’t allowing people to walk through that entrance this year.
So the morning was also irritating since not only did I walk about half a mile to an entrance that wasn’t open, but now I had to trek on a trail that was adjacent to the JPL campus, walk PAST where people were lining up, loop back around, and finally got the opportunity to line up. Yeah… so whatever «early bird» advantage I had disappeared. By the time I lined up at 8:45, there were probably 1,000+ people in line. The event was set to start at 9AM and all I saw was a lot of chaos on Day 1. There were plenty of opportunities for people to cut in line since they didn’t do a good job of roping off certain walkways or setting up cones or markers for people to follow.
There was a simple security bag check procedure and then my family and I were set loose onto campus, map in hand. Oh yeah, they also passed out 1 free JPL shopping bag per family. Anyway, I tried to make a beeline to the Spacecraft Assembly building and lucky I did, because soon after I came out from the building (the attraction itself was a total dud), I heard that they had to cut the line off since it got too long too quickly. OMG! They had to shut it down for an hour and a half before letting anyone line up again. I wandered around trying to find shade anywhere (hiding behind a tall person, under a canopy, holding up my map for shade… anything…it was already 80+ degrees by 9:30AM). It seemed like everyone was scowling and just not enjoying the opportunity to visit the «Center of the Universe»!! I don’t blame them though since the sea of people plus the heat made for a really uncomfortable and tiring experience.
So why am I still giving JPL 4 stars on Unilocal?Well, because I knew I could do better on Day 2 and planned ahead. I showed up early and it paid off. The line to get into the parking lot was slow-​ish, but I still got a really good spot on the first floor. The first 400 or so people in line were let in EARLY on Day 2… yes, we were sent to the auditorium to watch a short film (bonus: narration was done by Han Solo… yup, Harrison Ford). By the time we left the auditorium, it was only 8:45AM so we dashed toward the cooler, bigger Spacecraft Assembly building and barely had to wait a couple minutes to get inside. By the time I came out 5 minutes later, the line was at least 200 people deep. Wow, that was fast.
The organization on Day 2 seemed better. I noticed that security did set up cones that snaked the line around the parking area/​walkway. I noticed that the volunteers/​employees were better informed of the operations and were better at answering questions visitors had. I got to see a lot more on Day 2 than I did on Day 1 and I stayed about the same amount of time.
Would I come back again? Absolutely! We are so lucky to live so close to JPL. So many people travel across the country… the world to come to this event. No lie… there were people visiting from East Coast, France, Taiwan, etc. Who doesn’t love space and rockets? NOBODY, that’s who!
Thank you, JPL, for dealing with the crazy masses and for letting us live out our nerdy fantasies once a year.

Once a year the JPL opens house to the public. Although the place opens at 9. Get here at 7. You’ll be waiting in line but it’s worth it.
You get to learn so much through videos, talks, posters and more. There are interactive exhibits which makes Science accessible to kids and those who generally aren’t as interested.
Today is October 11^th, it’s 90 degrees and hundreds upon hundreds of people are waiting in lines outside just to see the labs.
It’s the first time people have been allowed into many of the rooms, so the experience is unique.
Parking is in lots and there is lots!
Bring water, food trucks are abundant, but you need cash.
Good for people of all ages.

First and last time time I’ll ever go to this event. Once on oak grove, there was staff guiding us to parking off site. Little did we know know it is a treacherous 45 min nature hike to the entrance of the JPL open house. Never mind the fact that the staff saw we had a stroller with my 1.5yr old daughter and my 4 year old son, he still lead us to the «nature hike» which is required to reach the JPL open house. This nature hike has no accommodations for strollers.
On our way to the entrance, I witnessed approximately 3 people get rescued by paramedics due to the heat and horrible path for hiking to the JPL open house entrance.
Once inside we saw the MARS rover which was cool. Then we tried to stand in line for other exhibits… 2 hour wait! I then planned to have my two teenage boys go on their own and then my wife and I can watch the 2 younger kids. That didn’t work… weather is too hot, way too crowded, unhelpful staff that didn’t even know where the restrooms were, no security inside the event, only outside. We left after only being inside for 30−45min… Most frustrating event I have ever attended.

I’ve been coming to the Open Houses for almost 15 years and am amazed how current technology has advanced since my first visit. In the early visits, a bus would carry us from each exhibit because the hills were pretty steep. Now there are no buses because the crowds are so huge and budget so tight. It was here where I fist saw the use of cryogenics to produce an anti-​gravity effect. I’ve also seen robotics, space movement of heavy NASA Gear and saw the infra-​red photo of my face. If you are into selfie photos, there is a studio that will take your photo with a backdrop and can also put you in front of a green screen. Pretty amazing stuff happens here and is all due to NASA. Because of the cutbacks, there are not many free stuff anymore, but the technology is still there. 3-​dimensional photography, clean labs for computer and metal fabrication and a whole lot of high-​bays for fully loaded testing of satellite and payloads. It’s nice to see the Federal dollars used locally, and keep the Space industry strong in California.

Amazing open house. Traffic, parking, lines are incredibly long but well worth it if you are interested in science, technology, & aerospace!

Today was the second day of the JPL Open House (9:00am to 4:00pm). We woke up early, went to breakfast in Pasadena, and we’re waiting in line on the 210 freeway by 8:30 am. TWO HOURS later (yes, that’s correct… two hours!) we finally made it to the Oak Grove/​Betkshire exit… only to find it closed by CHP!!! So sad! According to the JPL website, this open house had unprecedented attendance, and the parking lot was full by 9:10 am. Needless to say, we went home very disappointed!!!

Finally went to JPL Open House. Crazy hot out, lines were long but it was very well organized. The red shirts were very helpful.
Made me feel like a little kid again. Mission Control was magical. Spacecraft fabrication and spacecraft assembly were too cool. The space exhibits were phenomenal.
Food prices were the lowest I’ve seen at a public event. $ 6 for a hot dog and a bag of potato chips, $ 3 for soda, $ 1 for water!
Definitely glad I went, even though it was in the 90s and was very crowded. Had a great time.

Space. The final frontier. Formerly the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, it’s now the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Part of NASA is this division, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It’s the federal government but they work closely with the California Institute of Technology (aka CalTech). Once a year here, the facility has an open house for visitors where they set out materials, equipment, videos, actual rocket scientists and films.
More than 20,000 people come here on the weekend to see the stuff that gets us into space and drives the stuff that’s already in space. Voyager? JPL’s project. The Mars rovers? JPL projects. Cassini? JPL. Yep, all of those things came from smart people who worked here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
That weekend of open house was this weekend, October 10 and 11. It is a very well orchestrated invasion of people into what is otherwise a secure government installation. It’s not designed for this sort of crowd, but they figure it out. Security, traffic direction, port-​a-​potties and food vendors abound.
You won’t have to go far to find a place to buy a snack and drink (or bring your own), lines for some of the bathrooms can get long.
GET HERE EARLY. It opens at 9:00 AM. I suggest that you be parking your car just after 8:00 AM. Have a plan of what you want to see and see it. And plan to leave early because after about 11:00 AM, the waits to see some of the facilities get over an hour long. And nobody got time fo dat. At that point, it’s like Disneyland but without a fast pass. That’s when I left. You’ll be pointed out the back entrance that climbs a hill and through a residential neighborhood so plan accordingly.
Super interesting, tons of fun to see this stuff. Absolutely a once in a lifetime experience.

Attended the 2015 Open House. The staff of volunteers was very helpful, courteous and passionate about science. The many food tents were reasonably priced. Downside (s): HOT weather (not JPL’s fault) and the size of the crowd was overwhelming. We arrived an hour early and that was helpful for two hours would have been better.

Our first and probably the last time coming to JPL Open House… We have been checking the updates on their Facebook event page. They suggested to arrive no later than 9am, maybe 8:30am before they open. we got off Fwy210 (Arroyo) at 8am, continued to follow the GPS. Guess what? Big sign flashing «No Access to JPL. Parking Lot Closed». Now all the cars are making U-​turn! Traffic started to back up right around the off ramp. We then saw the small arrow sign to go to Oak Grove Dr. Bumper to Bumper… took us 40 minutes to get to the front gate. Two security checking the cars… slow down the traffic again. Then follow the traffic to go in the parking structure (2 parking structures on site). 10 minutes later… finally parked the car.
3 Entrance to go in. Two entrance on Parking Lot A. One entrance on Parking Lot B. When we drove pass the front gate, there are already hundreds and hundreds of people waiting in line. If you come early, it is true to get in JPL faster and find a parking spot quicker; HOWEVER, you still need to wait in line till 9am under the sun!!!
There are over 21 sites and 5 of them are movie screenings. Movie screenings sites’ lines are even longer because… AIR-​CONDITIONING! It is super hot today. Also, the movie screening line stops moving when the movie is playing. The staffs told us to check out other sites first then come back later. NO WAY~ the line would just get longer not shorter!
5 Stars
— Awesome idea to open to the public, super educational & informative!!!
— Many Information Booths on site, they give great direction where you want to go!
— Super knowledgeable JPL employees on site to answer all our questions!
— Many food vendors selling food & drinks! (feel like in the county fair?)
1 Star
— Since it is open invitation, no ticket or reservation needed. It is so hard to predict how many people are showing up. They can’t control the crowd.
— Since it is first come first serve, people are going there super early. However, they still need to wait on the side walk till 9am when they open the entrance. Either you stuck in traffic for hours or wait in line for hours.
— Once the parking lot is full, they close the gate. Many people are still trying to exit the freeway, they have no idea the gate is close. Waiting in the traffic for hours. When they get to the gate then they are forced to make a U-​turn to find their own parking. What a waste of time?
— The Open House Web App is such a smart idea. However, it is NOT accurate or updated!
— It is great that JPL found so many food vendors selling food and drinks but what’s the next issue… RESTROOM!!! I saw a line and asked the people, «what exhibit is this?» They said, «restroom line»! Really?
— After 3 hours there… it is time to leave. Guess what? No single sign/​direction where to exit? There are staffs inside the parking lot direct you to the parking spot. But after you leave the parking lot, you are totally on your own.
We are still glad we went at least once. But because of the unpredictable crowd and wait time, we will definitely pass next year.

Dear Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), I’m now your fan! I love everything that you showed me and was in awe of things that you built!!!
This place is 1 out of 10 NASA centers in the entire United States. The tour takes you to 4 specific places of JPL. First, they take you to the museum, then assembly room, the operation center (where the big time people wear the headsets and make sure that their missions go smoothly, yep! Just like in the movies), then lastly they take you to the full size replica of Curiosity rover. I’m not a science geek, but this tour made me put on my listening cap and focused eye because you don’t want to miss anything interesting and educational. The museum shows you the replica of the rovers that are currently on Mars and all Satelites that they built that are currently orbiting other planets or exploring the universe. This tour can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. Definitely worth coming back.

JPL is awesome! The tours take you from the reception and video about JPL history and space exploration to the museum, spacecraft building area, operations center, and then out to the visitors center again.
The thing is that they really seem open about what they are up to with NASA and CalTech. They build all sorts of robotic platforms to explore the solar system and beyond, including Mars and a mission to Jupiter.
Before going on the tour I had no idea how big the facility is. Turns out it is waaaay bigger than Disneyland. The amount of work and manpower going into space exploration is phenomenal. I was totally blown away and my support for NASA and the space missions they execute is renewed and reinvigorated after this trip.
Tours are available to everyone and I really recommend all people that pay taxes come take a look at money well spent.

I’m glad I came by for the free open house at JPL. I’ve been wanting to go to this for awhile. One word you have to have, patience. Please understand, you’ll be waiting in lots of long lines and traffic to find a parking spot. Just have patience! I really feel that despite the large crowds, JPL did a great job organizing the place even though everyone had to wait in lines. It was cool that they let us into the control room! Highlight of the trip!

This is a review for the «Visitor Day Tour»
For something that you have to get tickets for 6 months in advance, the tour was very disappointing.
You only get to see 2 functional areas: the Space Flight Operations Facility and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility. Those are cool, but that takes only about 10 minutes. The rest of the 2.5 hours is slideshows, videos, and bathroom breaks. I was expecting so much more. It would be 3 – 4 stars if they’d cut 2 hours off the tour. I was bored.
If you are looking for a better science-​related tour, try the Mount Wilson Observatory.

GOT MY FILL OF GEEKISM!
BACKGROUND:
JPL grew up with the Space Age and helped bring it into being. It is a place where science, technology, and engineering intermix in unique ways: to produce iconic robotic space explorers sent to every corner of the solar system, to peer deep into the Milky Way galaxy and beyond, and to keep a watchful eye on our home planet. Analyzing the data pouring back from these machine emissaries, scientists around the world continue to discover how the universe, the solar system, and life formed and evolved.
ESSENTIALS:
Patience
comfy walking shoes
Sunscreen
Hat (optional)
Camera
Fluids, preferably water
STATS:
Open House held once a year
9 a. m to 4.p.m
Free parking
Free to enter event
EXPERIENCE:
I’ve wanted to attend JPL’s Open House event for several years, but it never panned out. Finally this year everything worked in favor of attending. Although there are four different entrances to JPL, getting onto campus and parked is a challenge. Arrive early and have patience.
Getting into the event fairly organized, peeps checking bags, while others pass out JPL recyclable and reusable bags and stickers. Once checked in, you are on your own to roam the campus, check out exhibits for both children and adults or the children in the adult.
In addition, there are several movies ranging from five minutes to 25 minutes. Be prepared to test your patience, lines can be over an hour long. The upside to the long lines is the education one gains from the presentations. Good ROI, for me.
The brain power on campus blows my mind, in the best way possible. JPL’s open house is not something that can be done in a couple of hours, unless there are only a couple things visitors would like to see. If that’s the case check out their website and review their program before heading over. I’m already planning to spend the whole weekend on campus to take in all the knowledge and experience they have to offer.

we visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory this past Monday. It is located at the end of oak grove Avenue past La Canada high school. You have to pass a security checkpoint in order to park your car. No pets are allowed to sit inside your car beyond the checkpoint.
There are four tour guides that lead a group of about 40 to 50 people. The tour starts inside an auditorium where you watch a 15 minute video. You get to visit sites such as the museum, robot assembly lab, and a Mission control room. Be aware that the tour involves some climbing of stairs.
You’re allowed to take photos of all tour destinations. It was so interesting to see the Mars rover curiosity and other space robot expeditions. JPL is funded by Nasa but run by CalTech employees.
We learned so much about one of our most important California NASA sites! :) if you like robotics, you should definitely check this place out!
Be sure to sign up for a public tour date online, it’s free!
Tip: there’s an open house coming up in October. No need for prior reservation, open to the public. Enjoy! :)