The Springfield Museums presents Olympic STEAM Quest, a dynamic, multi-day program celebrating the science, technology, engineering, and math behind cold-weather sports. From February 16–20, families are invited to experience the excitement of the Olympic Games through interactive challenges, creative design labs, and exhibitions that bring winter sports to life, all free with museum admission.
“We are excited to celebrate the spirit of the Olympics while featuring STEAM connections to the athletic events and cultural traditions,” says Larissa Murray, Director of Education. “Join us for playful learning experiences during this winter break!”
Featured Exhibitions
MathAlive! 2 the Xtreme
Discover the power of math through dozens of interactive stations. Ride in a live-action snowboard race, control a Mars rover, fend off cyber invaders inside a computer game, capture your image in a 360-degree freeze-motion video, and explore countless other hands-on experiences.
AstrOlympics: Winter!
Step into a universe of motion, speed, and discovery. Explore key physical concepts—such as speed, distance, time, mass, pressure, density, rotation, and acceleration—by comparing Olympic athletic feats, everyday experiences, and extreme cosmic phenomena.
Daily Activities
Spark!Lab, 10:30 am–4 pm
Design, test, and name your own sport, then help promote athletic safety by developing your own piece of protective sports gear.
Slip & Slide, 11 am–3 pm
Investigate how different materials interact with ice and test how various objects move across slippery surfaces.
Adapt-a-Sport, 11 am–3 pm
Explore how sports can be more accessible for everyone by designing adaptive equipment and reimagining traditional games.
Olympic Wreaths, 12–4 pm
Learn about the origins of the iconic Olympic wreath and create one of your own to take home.
SPECIAL EVENT – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16 ONLY
Book Fair with Olive Tree Books-n-Voices
Expand your home library with the help of Springfield’s independent, Black-owned bookstore.
MathAlive! was developed in collaboration with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NASA, MATHCOUNTS, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers. The exhibit is sponsored locally by bankESB and M&T Bank.
Spark!Lab is the flagship educational initiative of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
MassMutual is the season supporter of the Springfield Museums.