Aggie Athletics: Gymnastics
Ages 12 and Under, Lottery Tours at 12:00pm & 1:00pm; capacity 60 each tour
Experience UC Davis Gymnastics! Meet and work with members of the gymnastics team and coaching staff. Jump into the foam pit, walk down the beam, swing on the bars, and tumble across the floor. Tours at 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm. Lottery Notification Required.
Arboretum/Facilities Management
Ages 6-12, Open House, 9:00am-11:00am
Head over to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery from 9:00am-11:00am for a variety of fun
activities, including seed planting, rock painting, scrapbooking, and more! Capture special memories with your children by printing out photos at our photo station. This event offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature and create unforgettable experiences.
Arboretum/Facilities Management
Ages 6-12, Lottery Tour, 10:00am, capacity 30
Don't miss the chance to try for an exclusive lottery tour of the Peter Shields Oak Grove at 10:00am. This tour, designed for children ages 6-12, allows you to explore the beauty of our collection up close and learn about the unique features of our trees. We can't wait to see you there! Lottery Notification Required.
Bohart Museum of Entomology
All Ages, Open House, 9:00am - 12:00pm and 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Curious about who studies insects and arachnids and why? Visit the Bohart Museum of Entomology, part of the Department of Entomology and Nematology! TOC participants are welcome to come by to explore the displays and hold live insects. The Bohart Museum will have open hours for TOCS from 9:00am-12:00pm AND 1:00pm-4:30pm.
Botanical Conservatory
All Ages, Open House, 10:00am-4:00pm
Form and function of plants from the world’s deserts, tropical forests, and carnivorous habitats are emphasized along with plant interactions with insects and other organisms. Location: Botanical Conservatory Headhouse at North end of Conservatory (middle greenhouse) North of Storer Hall. Open House from 10:00am-4:00pm.
Bicycle Maintenance Workshop
Ages 10+, Open House, 10:00am-11:00am
Calling all bike enthusiasts ages 10 and up! Join us for a fun, hands-on Bike Maintenance Workshop where you'll learn to pump tires, check brakes, and care for chains—everything you need to keep your ride smooth and safe. Bring your bike (if you’d like), your curiosity, and get ready to roll! See you on Hutchison Field, across the bike path from Transportation Services. Open House from 10:00am-11:00am.
California Raptor Center
Ages 6+, Open House, 9:00am-4:00pm
The California Raptor Center is open for self-guided tours from 9:00am-4:00pm. https://crc.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/
The Center's non-releasable raptors are on the outdoor tour route, with informative placards at each exhibit describing the bird, its backstory, and the natural history of its species. The small on-site museum is open as well with viewable taxidermy and interactive raptor-related activities. There is no charge for parking. Please keep self-guided tour groups to 6 people or fewer to minimize stress to the birds.
Campus Recreation Swim
All Ages, Open House, 12:00pm-2:45pm
On April 24th, the UC Davis Rec Pool is participating in Take Our Children to Work Day by
offering Rec Swimming activities from 12pm-2:45pm. All ages are permitted! Come take a dip in the Rec Pool (3-5ft), an attached 12ft diving well with a 1m diving board (children must pass a 25m swim test to swim in the diving well), and a sand volleyball court! Whether you’re a competitive swimmer or a little tentative in the water, there’s fun for everyone at the Recreation Pool.
*Please keep in mind that children must meet at least one of the following requirements to swim at the Rec Pool*
-swim within arms reach of a supervising adult
-wear a Coast Guard approved lifejacket (no water wings or puddle jumpers permitted)
-pass a 25m swim test conducted and supervised by an Aquatics Staff member
*By passing the swim test, children are welcome to swim in any part of the pool unaccompanied*
The Rec Pool is so excited to see you all at Take Our Children to Work Day! We will have women's, men's, and inclusive locker rooms available for your use. You are welcome to bring drinks, snacks, and small pool toys. The only flotation device permitted are life jackets. No glass containers permitted.
By entering the Rec Pool facility, you agree to abide by posted rules as well as rules enforced by Aquatics Staff.
If you have any questions about the Rec Pool facility, we would be happy to answer at the
following email: aquatics@campusrec.ucdavis.edu
Center for Equine Health
Ages 6+, Lottery Tours, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, capacity 20 each tour
Calling all horse crazy kids! The Center for Equine Health is the home of horse teaching, research, and outreach for the School of Veterinary Medicine. Join us to learn what it’s like to be an equine veterinarian, meet some of our amazing equine ambassadors, and find out why horses are such special animals! Lottery Notification Required.
Chemistry Show
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am
A mini version of the Chemistry club's annual Picnic Day Show. The Show consists of demonstrations that showcase chemistry as the science of change. Trust us, you'll be awestruck. The show will begin at 11am and last 30 minutes and will be located at the Chemistry Courtyard, inside the Chemistry building. Rain cancels the show.
Coffee House at Memorial Union
Ages 6+, Lottery Tours, 10:00am, 10:45am, 11:30am, 12:15pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 3:30pm, capacity 12 each tour
Don’t miss this opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of the largest restaurant on campus! See what goes into serving over 7,000 people a day and learn about the Coffee House’s unique history and how its student-driven food service model works. Staggered tours of the kitchen area will be followed by either build-your-own personal pizza for lunch (10am, 10:45am, 11:30am, 12:15pm and 1pm tours) OR a cookie decorating session for take-home treats (2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm and 3:30pm tours). Total experience approx. one hour long. Lottery Notification Required.
Crocker Nuclear Lab/Air Quality Research Center
All Ages, Open House, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Join the Crocker Nuclear lab for an exploration of particle physics and how they’re used to advance scientific endeavors. Particle production and acceleration will be demonstrated along with visuals of the diverse applications: radiation effects mimicking cosmic radiation, eye therapy treatments via proton beam, nuclear physics experiments, isotope production for medical applications, chemical profiling of historical artifacts with Proton-Induced X-ray Emission, and characterization of wildfire smoke using ion beam analysis. Find us in the Jungerman Hall lobby, across from the Bainer Hall lawn from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Visitors will receive a proton collimator while supplies last. More information can be found on our website, crocker.ucdavis.edu
DataLab: Data Science and Informatics
All Ages (coloring), Ages 6+ (AR), Open House, 9:00am-11:00am
Future scientists! Come explore how we use data science for research and teaching. Make mountains in our Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox and see what happens when it rains -- or a volcano explodes (ages 6+)! Learn about coding and coordinates as you draw and color alongside our team of data scientists (all ages). Visit us on the 3rd floor of Shields Library, near room 360. More information can be found on our website, datalab.ucdavis.edu.
DataLab: Data Science and Informatics
Ages 13+, Lottery Tours, 9:00am, 10:00am, capacity 15 each tour
Go on a virtual hike of a dynamic landscape in virtuality (VR) and talk with data scientists to learn how we’re developing this technology for research and teaching (ages 13+). Tours at 9:00am and 10:00am. Lottery Notification Required.
DVM: Anatomy Lab
Ages 10+, Open House, 9:00am-12:00pm
Have you ever wondered...How big is an Elephant Skull? How tall is an Ostrich? How big is a Galapagos Turtle Shell? Come by the Anatomy Department and get an up close and personal view of our collection of skeletons and other various specimens. Open house from 9:00am-12:00pm; Vet Med 3A, Room 1215
Engineering Student Design Center
All Ages, Open House, 10:00am-2:00pm
Future Engineers, Designers, and Creatives Unite! Have you ever seen a 3-D printer in action? We are sure these are the "droids" you are looking for. Who needs a Light Saber when you can cut with a Laser! Come check out our NEW Engineering Student Design Center in 1500 Bainer Hall (access from the East side of the Bainer North wing).
Open House from 10:00am-2:00pm.
Fire Station
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am-1:00pm
Join us for a tour of the UC Davis Fire Station #34, meet our Campus Firefighters and join in some activities that Firefighters do every day - like putting on turnouts and using a fire hose. You can even watch a Student Resident Firefighter use the station pole! Open House from 11:00am-1:00pm.
Goat Barn
Ages 4+, Lottery Tours, 10:00am, 11:00am, capacity 12 each tour
Bring your kids to meet our kids! Visit the Goat Barn for a goat milking demonstration, brief tour, and the chance to meet goat kids. Lottery Notification Required.
Gorman Museum
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am-5:00pm
Olé Ham Nees: We Call Him Coyote
Harry Fonseca Works from the Shingle Springs Band Collection
The solo-exhibition features the artwork of Harry Fonseca (1946-2006), drawn from the Shingle Springs Band Collection. Embracing the lifework of this tribal citizen, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians acquired an important collection of works spanning his career. The exhibition considers multiple series and stylistic shifts from including his earliest pieces reflecting his Nisenan Maidu heritage and the Coyote series for which he is most recognized. Visit the museum's website (https://gormanmuseum.ucdavis.edu/) for more information about the art on view.
Located at 181 Old Davis Road, Open Hours from 12:00pm-5:00pm.
Linguistics
Ages 7-12, Lottery Tours, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, capacity 5 each tour
Participate in a real speech science experiment! Have you ever wondered how you’re able to understand speech? Or how your mouth and tongue coordinate to produce it? Come participate in a real speech science experiment. The appointment is for 45 minutes: the experiment will take about 5 minutes. After, you'll see a short presentation on our research and have time for kids (and adults!) to ask questions and get a tour of the lab. Participation in the experiment is voluntary; the study has been approved by the UC Davis Institutional Review Board (IRB) ethics committee.
For more information about consent, go to: https://phonlab.ucdavis.edu/child-consent-participate-experiment-volunteer.
Lottery Notification Required.
Manetti Shrem Museum
All Ages, Open House Art Activity, 10:00am-12:00pm
Sculpt and Spray at the Manetti Shrem Museum
Create a three-dimensional work and experiment with (water-based ink) spray techniques inspired by Ruby Neri’s larger-than-life, colorfully spray-glazed ceramics. Located in the Parker Art Studio from 10:00am-12:00pm.
All Ages, Open Museum Hours, 10:00am-5:00pm
See Ruby Neri: Taking the Deep Dive and the rest of our winter exhibitions. Visit the museum’s website for more information about art on view: https://manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu/current-exhibitions
And for more Art Spark activities: https://manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu/art-spark
Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology
Ages 6+, Lottery Tours, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, capacity 10 each tour
How do scientists’ study wild animals and conservation issues? Visit the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology and take a tour of the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology! Get a sneak peek at the research collections of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. You’ll see real specimens (study skins, fluid-preserved, eggs, nests, and skeletons) of species that occur around the world. 45 minute tours will start at 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, and 12:00pm. Lottery Notification Required.
Oiled Wildlife Care Network
All Ages, Open House, 10:00am-1:00pm
Come join us in the Vet Med 3B Lobby from 10:00am-1:00pm to learn more about the Oiled Wildlife Care Network: https://owcn.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/
We will be leading two interactive activity stations including a chance to learn all about southern sea otters (with the ability to touch real sea otter pelts) and an up-close look at feather structure (with the opportunity to test out the effects of water, soap, and oil on sample feathers). We may even have an interactive oiled wildlife related game or two for you to play!
One Health Institute
All Ages, Open House, 10:00am-1:00pm
Come join us in the Vet Med 3B Lobby to learn more about the different programs within the One Health Institute. Kids will get a chance to “travel” from one table to another and learn about exciting science through hands-on activities such as learning about how southern sea otters stay warm in cold waters, an up-close look at bird feather structure and how oil disrupts this structure, and helping take care of animals in disasters such as wildfires and floods. Additionally, discover how climate change impacts these ecosystems and what we can do to mitigate its effects. Engage in interactive sessions that highlight the importance of sustainability and conservation in protecting our planet for future generations. Open House from 10:00am-1:00pm
Police Department
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am-1:00pm
A tour of the Police Department starting with a special hello from our Chief of Police. We will visit our fingerprinting technician for your thumbprint that you can take home with you. An officer will be available on the tour for any questions and answers, and to show a patrol car with all of its gadgets. Open House from 11:00am-1:00pm
Rats in Research
Ages 8+, Lottery Tours, 2:00pm & 3:00pm, capacity 8 each tour
Working with rats is fun. They enjoy a nice massage while being handled. Rats have helped us study many diseases and treatments which have helped people and other animals live longer and healthier lives. Come to rat handling class to learn ways to work with rats that make them more comfortable and provide them with the best care we can so they can help us find cures and treatments for many diseases. 45 minute classes at 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Lottery Notification Required.
Residential Dining
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am-2:00pm
Have lunch like a student! TOC participants are invited to have lunch at one of the Dining Halls—they’re not like they used to be; they resemble a really cool food court now. Special for TOC day, kids up to age 12 can get a $2.00 lunch. The coupon will be available HERE by Friday, April 18th. You can present either a printed coupon or show the coupon from your phone at the check stand for the discount. Lunch is from 11:00am–2:00pm at all three dining rooms – Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto. The menu features all you care to eat soup and salad bar, grill items, entrees, and desserts.
Sheep Barn
All Ages, Lottery Tours, 10:00am & 11:00am, capacity 25 each tour
Come and tour both of our sheep barns, learn how we operate and how we are involved with not only the Animal Science Department but with other entities on campus. We will end the tour in the lambing barn, where you can visit with the spring born baby lambs. Lottery Notification Required.
SheepMowers
All Ages, Open House, 9:00am-2:30pm
Come visit the UC Davis Sheepmowers and enjoy many activities, including watercolor painting, sheepmower coloring sheets, and decorate some cardstock cutouts. There will be plenty of photo opportunities, costumed sheep and be-peep characters, and an interactice "heat map" where you can use stamps to depict where sheep are congregating at different times during the day. The Sheepmowers will be on the grassy mound area near the Silo in front of Bainer Hall from 9:00am-2:30pm.
Tiny World of Microscopes
Ages 6+, Open House, 9:00am-12:00pm
Come see what a scientist sees when they peer into the eyepieces of a microscope. Look at microscopic organisms that swim around on the slide with a compound microscope. Admire the detailed surfaces of insects, plants, and everyday items with a stereo microscope. Microscope Services staff and assistants will be available to discuss the different types of rental microscopes that we offer for teaching, research, and clinical applications.
Come find us inside the campus Scientific Store at 650 La Rue Rd, south of the Tercero Residence Halls and Visitor Parking Lot 47.
We’ll have an assortment of specimens to look at, including live insects! Visitors are welcome to bring items from home to look at up-close. Open House from 9:00am-12:00pm.
Unitrans
Ages 5+, Lottery Tour, 12:00pm, capacity 40
Tour the Unitrans Maintenance Facility and go for a ride on one of the busses! See how those great London buses make the University GO! 12:00pm. Lottery Notification Required.
University Airport
All Ages, Open House, 11:00am-1:00pm
Did you know UC Davis has an airport? We’re the only campus in the University of California system with one! Come explore the University Airport in West Campus, where visitors of all ages can tour our facilities, get up close with airplanes, and chat with pilots about the exciting world of aviation! Open House from 11:00am-1:00pm
University Credit Union
All Ages, Open House, 9:00am-2:00pm
Stop by for some credit union financial tips as well as some goodies to take home. We are located on the 2nd floor of the Memorial Union. Open House from 9:00am-2:00pm.
Veterinary Genetics Lab
Ages 8+, Lottery Experiments, 10:00am & 11:00am, capacity 12 each time slot
Are you interested in genetics? Have you ever wondered what DNA looks like? Come talk to the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory team to learn about animal genetics and how genetic testing can improve animal health. After a short discussion, you will get a chance to isolate and look at DNA from strawberries! Sessions will be held at 10:00am and 11:00am. Lottery Notification Required.
Vet Med: Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology
Ages 7+, Lottery Tours, 10:00am & 11:00am, capacity 15 each tour
Come meet Chonk the Axolotl! Discover these amazing and adorable animals that you may have seen in Pokémon and Minecraft and learn about how they are helping researchers understand stem cells and regeneration. Spend some time creating your own axolotl art and crafts to take home. Lottery Notification Required.
Vet Med Teaching Hospital
Ages 10+, Lottery Tours, 11:00am (x2), capacity 12 each tour
The tour of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital includes both the small and large
animal clinics and will give you an opportunity to see the workings of an animal hospital. You won’t see many animals, however, because they are being treated for an illness. Tours last an average of one and a half hours, and two tours are offered at 11:00am. Lottery Notification Required.
Youth Program
All Ages, Open House, 3:00pm
Join Youth Programs in making sensory bottles at 3:00pm in the Rec Pool Courtyard, located near parking lot 30. We recommend children wear appropriate clothing for crafting.