UFOlogy: Close Encounters at the Cradle
UFOlogy: Close Encounters at the Cradle — featuring STEM activities, guest speakers, an E.T. family movie screening, and an evening drone show.
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The Tedesco Brothers will be speaking about Technology and Scientific Observation in UFO Research.
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The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) will discuss Investigating Unexplained Aerial Observations.
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Astronomy on Tap NYC will host two talks discussing habitable worlds and the scientific search for life beyond Earth.
Things to do at UFOlogy:
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Alien Dance Party
Museum Parking Lot, 8 pm
Join our live DJ outdoors for music, dancing, and an out-of-this-world celebration under the night sky before the evening drone show finale.
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AOS Solar Telescope Viewing
Museum Parking Lot, 3-7 pm
Take a safe look at the Sun through special solar telescopes from the Amateur Observers’ Society of New York and learn more about astronomy and space observation.
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Behind the Drones with Grizzly Entertainment
Jet Gallery, 12 pm, 4 pm
Meet the team behind UFOlogy’s nighttime drone show and discover how synchronized drones create large-scale aerial displays.
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Build Your Own UFO Diver
Jet Age Gallery, 12–8 pm
Build your own Cartesian UFO Diver and test how pressure and buoyancy help it float, dive, and land.
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Create A Mylar Parachute
World War II Carrier Deck, 12-8 pm
Create a parachute for a tiny extraterrestrial and test your landing skills in this hands-on launch challenge.
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Design A Flying Saucer
Dream of Wings Gallery, 12-8 pm
Blast off into an out-of-this-world adventure as you design and build your own flying saucer.
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Educator-Led Activity: Name That Gas! Spectroscopy
LEM Classroom, Space Gallery. Every hour on the half hour, 12:30 - 7:30pm
Learn how scientists identify different gases by their unique colors and light patterns to study planets, stars, and objects in space.
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Educator-Led Comet Building
World War I Classroom, every hour on the hour, 12-7 pm
Watch our educator create a simulated comet using dry ice, then launch your own mini film canister rockets powered by dry ice and Alka Seltzer.
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Educator-Led Lecture - America’s Top-Secret Black Jets
Drone Zone - Museum Atrium 2 pm, 6 pm
Learn about advanced military aircraft, stealth technology, and aerospace innovations that changed aviation history.
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Face Painting
Atrium, 12-8 pm
Add some out-of-this-world fun to your UFOlogy experience with themed face painting for cosmic explorers of all ages. $5 add-on with paid museum admission.
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Flying Drone Demo
Hempstead Plains Tent, 12-8 pm
Watch drones soar, hover, and maneuver as you learn how emerging aviation technology is shaping the skies around us.
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Make Your Own Slime
LEM Room, every hour on the hour, 12-7 pm
Create and take home your own slime while exploring strange substances inspired by mysterious UFO encounters.
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Meet the Tedesco Brothers’ Nightcrawler Team
Museum Atrium, 2-7 pm
See cameras, sensors, and observation equipment used to explore and investigate unusual activity in the sky.
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Portable Planetarium
Golden Age Gallery, 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm
Step inside our portable planetarium and explore stars, planets, satellites, and the night sky above Long Island. Presented by That Planetarium Guy.
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Step Inside the Nassau Library System Techmobile
Outside the Museum, 3-7 pm
Visit this state-of-the-art library on wheels for free Wi-Fi, device charging, and access to digital library resources, including ebooks and streaming content.
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The Classic 'Operation' board game' but with Aliens!
LEM Room - Space Gallery, 12-8 pm
Perform a fun alien autopsy just like the classic board game 'Operation.'
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UFO Hovercraft Demonstrations
Museum Atrium, 3-7 pm
Discover how hovercraft glide above the ground using air pressure and engineering technology.
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UFO Sling Shot
Junior Jet Club, 12-8 pm
Launch mysterious flying objects into the air, then investigate and identify them to turn your UFO into an IFO — an Identified Flying Object!
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An E.T. Family Movie Night
Join us at 6:30 pm for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Steven Spielberg’s beloved sci-fi classic about a young boy and an extraordinary visitor from beyond the stars. Enjoy the film inside the theater before the evening drone show finale.
*Limited seating available.
Grand Finale 300-Drone Light Show!
Join us outside for our grand finale drone show at 9:00 pm
Visit the Museum Store
Whether IN-PERSON or ONLINE, the Museum Store has everything you need to inspire your inner astronomer and explore the universe with space-themed books, toys, and gifts.
UFOlogy Admission
Adult $25, Child/Senior* $20, Family Four Pack $75
BUY TICKETS NOW
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530
Questions? Call Reservations (Mon-Fri, 10-4) at 516-572-4066
Or use the Contact Form here!
*Children ages 2-12, Senior Citizens 62+, Military Personnel, Volunteer Firemen & Non-Ambulatory Visitors
