Take a Learning Vacation in Washington

The Tri-Cities are known for sunshine and wine, but it’s also leading the way in STEM inspired travel. There are many STEM-based attractions where you can easily plan your trip with learning in mind. Explore an observatory to learn about black holes, become an archaeologist for the day and more ideas are featured below.

Visit the newly opened LIGO Hanford Exploration Center in Richland. Learn how the observatory is used to detect gravity waves that emanated from colliding black holes 1.3 billion light years from earth. Request a private tour or drop-in Tuesday thru Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy the interactive experience. There are also public tours on the second Saturday of every month.

Washington’s best kept secret, The Manhattan Project National Park offers guided tours that share the history and science and engineering that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, along with international implications that remain even today.

Catch a film on the 36-foot panoramic viewing dome at Washington’s largest planetarium, which lives at the Columbia Basin Community College and provides life-like, high-definition images and sound, using the most state-of-the-art projection system in the Pacific Northwest.

Become an archeologist for the day on a tour of the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site, an active mammoth bone dig site. Join the experts currently unearthing real-life fossils for a 90-minute exploration of the dig site, laboratory and key specimens found to date.  

For more information on amenities, lodging and a calendar of events visit visittricities.com here. Connect on Instagram (@TriCitiesWA) Twitter at @TriCitiesWA or Facebook here.