NSF NCAR Mesa Laboratory Visitor Center
About
Free Atmospheric Science Lab Above Boulder
The NSF NCAR Mesa Laboratory sits on a 530-acre Table Mesa site designed by I.M. Pei in 1967. The Visitor Center offers free hands-on atmospheric and climate science exhibits, plus access to OSMP trails extending into Boulder County Open Space behind the building.
What Kids Can Do
Interactive exhibits cover weather, climate, sun, and supercomputing - kids feel tornado winds, watch cloud formation in a chamber, and play with weather forecasting tools. Outdoor sculpture trail and short loop trails (Walter Orr Roberts Weather Trail) wind through the mesa with Flatirons views. Custom school field trips and homeschool sessions bookable - all free. Junior Ranger-style scavenger hunts at the front desk [marked: occasional facility closures for research - check scied.ucar.edu before visiting].
What's Included
Free admission, free parking, free school field trips, free tours. Mesa Lab Cafe open weekdays. Public tours scheduled regularly.
Experience
Plan 1.5-2.5 hours including exhibits plus short outdoor trail. Mix of indoor exhibits and outdoor sculpture/nature walks. Stroller-friendly throughout. About 3 miles south of downtown Boulder. Open M-F 8-5, Sat-Sun 9-4.