Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada

Such an amazing place to visit with a field trip, a community sponsored event, or a private event. Paul and Jenny do a fantastic job acting as your mission commanders in the space craft and at Mars mission control. It covers so many Next Gen standards, and my students absolutely loved it. One of my sixth grade boys upon entering the ship through the air lock announced «This is the most awesome field trip ever!»
IMPORTANT NOTE: This program isn’t just for elementary middle school kids. High school and college kids come to experience as well as private adult groups. We are so lucky to have the Challenger Learning Center in our area. There are a few throughout the country carrying on the mission of space exploration that both the Challenger and Columbia crews lost their lives fulfilling. It totally is an inspiration to our next generation of astronaunts. They have a facebook page NevadaChallenger. They share all of the community events and have a large display at the Harrah’s Automobile Museum.

Great Scott! This is a fantastic space educational, group-​oriented, community-​funded, reservation-​required venue.
Paul and Jenny McFarlane in spaceman blue jumpsuits gave each arrival a warm greeting and split up the touring and questions (even knowing quite a bit of misc questions like solar sunrises and astronaut training –having been to actual space camps) with other workers in blue uniform-​shirts/​vests.
We came due to a pre-​opening tour and special film announced on a school flier. (I’m very tempted to recruit my own group of 20+/- friends to run a mission with!!) They have mainly been focused on educational programs through schools with their portable dome or trailer, but with this location can offer an even broader offering of space experiences!
Took a bit to find:
Located at the Sparks High School campus in (one of many brick buildings) building N7 (look on the doors) on the back/​East side of campus. Closest parking is if you park near or under the solar panels next to the modular buildings. They have a banner above their entry door with a side-​rear view of the football stadium.
Inside:
The small foyer has stairs leading up to a classroom area and a short hallway before turning the corner into the «Mission Command station» area (lots of computer terminals that simulate the real space station control you see in movies). A connecting room is where the «Space station» is that has various areas like med bay, air lock/​containment, pilot control, etc. There is also a mobile unit (I saw it at the Balloon Races last year) that hosts feature presentations including interactive flight/​air races/​space trips (and more I’m sure). I also spied two techy ‘Easter eggs’ like a Star Trek intercomm (that makes true-​to-​series sounds) and Hal 9000-​like A.I. unit (which I’m told interacts like Siri). A back open multi-​purpose area with folding chairs and tables is where they showed a Nasa feature film (not Imax, go to the theater or planetarium if want that show) on a big screen TV and did a small Q&A session. It also has a spacesuit stand-​in for kicks and picture posterity. There is only one unisex old-​school (literally) bathroom complete with flashing flourescent light (it’s the type you have to turn it off then on again to get it to stop but we all know it’s not worth the effort and you could be done and out by the time get it right).
While not the newest or high-​techist looking place they did a great deal under a tight opening budget and I am excited to have a program like this here!
Highly endorse!
Various classes and modules can be found on their website.