Celebrate Maryland Day on April 25, 2026
The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences will host 45 events.
Explore our world of innovation and learning on Maryland Day! Maryland Day is an opportunity for prospective students and community members to learn more about the University of Maryland—and find out how the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences is reimagining teaching and learning to prepare the next generation of scientific leaders for success.
Unlock a world of learning, discovery and exploration, with hundreds of family-friendly festivities including exhibits, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, performances, cross-campus tours, lectures, petting zoos and athletic events.
Maryland Day will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission and parking are free—see this campus map. Join CMNS on Science & Tech Way for the 45 events listed below!
Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering
Computer Science Prospective Student Workshop
Learn more about the computer science major from academic advisers with an opportunity for a Q&A session with current students. Fifty-minute workshops will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Computing Catalyst Open House – Lobby
Learn how the organization supports computing majors through mentoring, professional development and community-building programs and conducts K-12 outreach in the local community.
Computing Catalyst K-12 Summer Academy Showcase
Students present innovative projects showcasing the skills they’ve gained in the program. Explore hands-on projects, celebrate their achievements and learn about summer camp opportunities. Open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Demos of Multisensory AI – Room 2207
Try smart glasses, step into an audio-visual virtual world and feel high-tech touch sensors. Explore how computers learn from sight, sound and touch.
Mokhtarzada Hatchery – Room 0198
Discover student innovation at The Hatchery! Meet UMD's next generation of entrepreneurs, explore their ventures and learn how we're turning big ideas into real businesses.
Robotics in Action – Plaza
Meet Testudog, a fully 3D-printed robotic dog designed by Robotics@Maryland students. See innovative technology up close and learn how robotics shapes the future of creativity and design.
Technica 101 – Lobby
Learn about the world’s largest hackathon celebrating underrepresented genders, its impact and ways for college and high school students to get involved, with swag raffles every hour.
VR Terp Reality – Room 0116
Dive into a virtual playground built by XR Club members. Experience mind-bending VR games, test out wearable tech and explore immersive art installations. It’s hands-on fun for everyone.
Chemistry Building
Build a Molecule With Legos – Front Lawn
Learn about atoms and molecules using Lego bricks.
Dry Ice Bubbles – Front Lawn
Catch a bubble made from dry ice.
Elephant Toothpaste – Front Lawn
Watch an hourly demonstration of an exothermic reaction.
Moon Sand – Front Lawn
Experience the calming, sensory play of soft and moldable sand.
Red Cabbage Juice Indicator – Front Lawn
Experiment with red cabbage juice, a natural indicator, and use it to test the pH of different solutions.
Rain in a Jar – Front Lawn
Learn how clouds produce rain with this experiment involving water, shaving cream and food dye.
Slime! – Front Lawn
Come play with a gooey, squishy substance made from glue, shaving cream, eye contact solution and food dye.
UV-Activated Slime – Front Lawn
Play with slime that changes color in the presence of UV light.
Geology Building
Be a Volcanologist – Front Lawn
Learn about the inner workings of volcanoes and the forces that lead to their eruptions. Do you have what it takes to be a volcanologist? Test your skills by learning to identify crystals in samples of pumice and ash from an explosive eruption of Cerro Machin in Colombia.
Earthquake Cycles – Front Lawn
Learn about tectonic plate movement and earthquake cycles; observe a shake table that simulates ground motion; design an earthquake-safe structure and test whether it can survive an earthquake; and learn about albedo and measuring surface temperatures.
Komatiites Reveal Earth's Early Exuberance – Front Lawn
Pick up rocks that were once the hottest lavas on Earth-komatiites and learn how these rare and mysterious rocks record the secrets of the prolonged and extremely violent early history of the Earth, and the history of the Earth’s interior.
Meteorites and Meteorwrongs – Front Lawn
Only four meteorites have been found in Maryland. Can you tell the difference between Earth and space rocks? Find out how.
Minerals and the Earth: The Stuff of Life – Room 2118
See and touch pieces of a planet's insides. These minerals, rocks and gems are the raw materials of life.
Moonquakes and Marsquakes – Front Lawn
Create your own "moonquakes" and discover how NASA and UMD are helping to prepare astronauts to explore rocky worlds. Learn about the tools that Apollo astronauts used on the surface of the moon and those we may send with astronauts headed there this decade.
Stone and Story: The Geology of Minecraft – Front Lawn
See and learn about the rocks and minerals present in the video game Minecraft and compare them to their real-life counterparts.
Water in the Earth – Front Lawn
How is water cycled beneath the Earth's surface? What impact does this have on us? Learn about how much water is present in different Earth materials, and participate in a water-related craft that you can take home.
Glenn L. Martin Hall
Ask an Astronomer – Front Lawn
Astronomy faculty and students answer your perplexing astronomy-related questions.
Bites and Bytes – Front Lawn
Learn how how microbes, nutrition and computers contribute to gut health. Enjoy activities related to the human microbiome and computational analyses of microbiome data.
Explore the Earth System With Scientists – Front Lawn
Explore our planet with Earth system scientists from UMD, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Visualize the impacts of climate change and aid decision-making for farmers, policymakers and community members. Enjoy Earth science-themed activities, including a virtual reality demonstration about lightning and flash-flood safety.
Fingerprinting the Universe – Front Lawn
Each person has a unique fingerprint. So does each chemical element in our bodies and the universe itself, encoded in light. Learn how astronomers study the skies using different wavelengths of light and how they decode the light to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Fun With Waves – Front Lawn
Take part in hands-on experiments demonstrating the fundamental principles of electromagnetic, acoustic and mechanical waves.
Looking Into the Cosmos – Front Lawn
Join the AstroTerps, the Terrapin Astronomy Society, to explore the familiar and not-so-familiar sights of the universe. How many can you identify?
Maryland's Weather and Climate – Front Lawn
Learn about Maryland's weather and how the materials we use to build cities make where we live hotter, and play with a tornado in a bottle.
Our Neighbor, NASA Goddard – Front Lawn
Learn about student opportunities, career pathways and workforce development at nearby NASA Goddard Flight Center. See examples of Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics and planetary science research, and how Goddard designs, builds, tests and operates spacecraft.
Puzzles and Brain Teasers – Front Lawn
Play with puzzles and other brain teasers brought to you by UMD's math wizards.
Solar Observing – Front Lawn
Take a safe look at the big, bright, yellow (or red, depending on the filter) ball in our sky through telescopes with Astronomy Observatory staff.
Hornbake Plaza
Maryland Wildlife Quest
Explore the wildlife of Maryland and contribute to a Chesapeake Bay and Appalachian Mountains mural.
Who’s That Scientist? ¿Quién es Ese(a) Científico(a)?
Play a game with UMD's chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science to learn about prominent Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists around the world and at UMD.
John S. Toll Physics Building
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream – Front Lawn
Bet you haven't had ice cream like this! This homemade specialty tastes great and is safe for all ages. Try it, while supplies last. Open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Physics Is Phun – Front Lawn
Students and faculty from the Department of Physics share fantastic demonstrations that explore and explain some of the amazing principles and concepts of the universe.
Radar Velocity – Front Lawn
Test your throwing ability at the Radar Velocity Detector Station. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kirwan Hall
Math Department's 150th Anniversary – Indoor
The Department of Mathematics' celebrations include a display of artifacts and opportunities to hear stories about its history.
Physical Sciences Complex
Move Like a Cell – Outdoor Atrium
Skin cells that move collectively are better at healing wounds, and immune cells that work together are better at detecting and eliminating infections. "Move like a cell" in games like follow the leader, while a camera tracks you, or check out a new acoustic levitation demonstration.
Smoke Cannons – Outdoor Atrium
Two cannons make for amazing motion when rings collide.
Think Quantum: Magnetic Levitation – Outdoor Atrium
See levitating superconductors, cooled by liquid nitrogen, zoom along a magnetic track.
Plant Sciences Building
Discover a Swamp – First Floor Hallway
See and capture small aquatic creatures common in nearby wetlands and learn about their behavior as they swim through water and climb on plants. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Insect Zoo – First Floor Hallway
Imagine tarantulas, exotic insects, scorpions, bees and millipedes longer than your hand for you to look at and touch—if you dare. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
