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FermiLab 50th Anniversary Open House

September 23, 2017 @ 3:00pm - 9:00pm

Illinois Science Council

Come celebrate our 50th anniversary with us!

1967 marked the birth of Fermilab. That year the lab hired its first employees and began operations in Illinois.To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are offering numerous events for the public to enjoy, to find out more about our laboratory, and to learn about the research we do to advance humankind’s understanding of energy, matter, space and time. Fermilab has an exciting history of discovery and innovation and has made important contributions to the ultimate goal of understanding how the universe works. And we have ambitious plans for new research projects in the years ahead.The highlight of 2017 will be our big, free Open House on Saturday, Sept. 23. This free event will be a rare opportunity to see parts of the laboratory that are usually closed to the public. Tours, science demos, and other activities will be available for all ages. We’ll post more about the Open House and registration information in early August.

In the meantime, we welcome you to tour our laboratory, see our exhibits, take in a show, view our art gallery, enjoy the view from the 15th floor of Wilson Hall and ask a scientist about the universe. Our site is open to the public every day of the year, and we offer many education, arts and visitor programs for the public to enjoy.

Here are the main events we have planned for 2017:

Open House

Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017

10 a.m.-4 p.m.
FREE
  • Tour our experiments
  • See our accelerators
  • Enjoy hands-on science activities
  • Visit Wilson Hall, the prairie and technical facilities
  • Interact with scientists in Europe, South America and South Dakota
  • Say hi to a bison

Fermilab is located 45 miles west of Chicago

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Panel discussion: Fermilab and the New Frontiers of Physics

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 6 p.m.
The Chicago Council on Science and Technology hosts a discussion on the cutting-edge research at Fermilab. Fermilab COO Tim Meyer moderates a panel of three scientists to talk cosmology, accelerators and supercomputing. Q&A will follow. The free event is at Harold Washington Center.

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Lecture: Enrico Fermi: Architect of the Atomic Age

Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, 8 p.m.
University of Pennsylvania scientist Gino Segrè and writer Bettina Hoerlin discuss the incredible achievements of Fermilab’s namesake, Enrico Fermi, especially how he was shaped by history and how he, in turn, shaped history. Tickets are required.

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Open House

Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Take behind-the-scene tours of the major research facilities at Fermilab. The Open House is free. Check back in early August for a full schedule of events and to register.

Prairie Seed Harvest

Saturdays, Sept. 30 and Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Help restore tallgrass prairie at our seed harvest. This long-standing tradition complements the vision of founding director Robert Wilson to surround those working on the smallest pieces of nature with a natural laboratory. We’ll present on 50 native plant and animal species. Hot dog lunch is provided.

Lecture: Mars 2020 and the Importance of Planetary Protection

Friday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m.
Moogega Cooper of Jet Propulsion Laboratory discusses the NASA’s Mars 2020 rover mission, which is designed to investigate key question related to the habitability of Mars. She’ll describe planetary protection and why it is an important aspect of space exploration. Tickets are required.