UW Biology Presents: Biology Open House

Saturday, May 16th, 2026

10 AM - 2 PM

UW Life Sciences Building

3747 W Stevens Wy NE

Fun activities for all ages!

Please save the date - Saturday, May 16th, 2026 - because we are hosting a day of science and invite you to join us! This event is free of cost, and families and science enthusiasts of all ages are welcome. The UW Department of Biology is a large, collaborative, and integrative department – meaning our research and teaching spans from cellular and molecular biology to global climate change to paleontology to plant biology. Our department is among the largest undergraduate degree programs at the UW and is a vital STEM pipeline for the state of Washington. Come learn about the exciting things our department is doing from experts in their fields! Our UW Biology Greenhouse will also be open for visitors!
 
At our open house, you’ll have the opportunity to explore topics such as:

• How have penguins adapted to survive climate change?
• How is neuron fate decided during development?
• Why are mosquitoes attracted to us?
• Do plants really “defend” themselves against insect predators?
• How does the brain really work?
• Does the Greenhouse really have a stinky corpse plant and when will it bloom next?

You'll also be able to touch invertebrates, brains, fossils...and more! 

---

Open House Map

B1 – Greenhouse

Plant-Pollinator Interactions*
Ruby Red Plants
Plant Sale

1st Floor

Penguins, Whales, and more!*
Invertebrate Touch Tanks*
Octopus and Bee Behavior*
Fossils and Burke Museum*
Human Brains (105)
DNA Isolation (105)
Biological Clock (106)
Bats (108)*
Neuroscience (110)*
Kids Zone (110)*

2nd Floor (201)

Elephant Identification
Wildlife Forensics

3rd Floor

Hummingbirds (301)

4th Floor “Bug Room” (401)

Mosquitos*
Caterpillars*
Bees*

5th Floor

Meet Your Microbiome (501)*
The Cell’s Skeleton (502)

* Appropriate for children under 6 years old
 

---

SUPPORT UW BIOLOGY!

Help keep our science going! Events like this are made possible by the support we receive from our generous donors and supporters. Please consider making a gift to the Friends of Biology Fund, which provides flexible resources to allow us to host future open houses, meet emerging needs, enrich student experiences, and seize new opportunities for research and innovation.

---

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Want to learn more about our department and be in the know for upcoming events like this? Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter!

---

Wondering what our Biology Open House is like? Take a look at our 2025 Open House:

The Department of Biology hosted its first Open House on Saturday, May 17, 2025. We welcomed over 250 guests into the Life Sciences Building for a day of science! Each floor of LSB was occupied by different UW Biology labs and offered an insider’s peek into the fascinating research our department is working on. Science enthusiasts of all ages were able to enjoy learning about a range of topics: from bees, mosquitoes, butterflies and the plants they pollinate; all types of animals, including penguins, aquatic invertebrates, otters, bats, and more; down to the microscopic cells of our bodies. There was science for everyone to enjoy!

Thank you to our wonderful Biology community (our faculty members, the undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs in their labs, our Greenhouse staff, and community volunteers) who made this event a massive success.