For the first time in three years, one of Southern California’s most fascinating scientific landmarks is opening its doors to the public — and the price of admission is $0. Next month, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will welcome visitors back for Explore JPL, a rare two-day opportunity to step inside the laboratory behind some of humanity’s most ambitious missions to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and beyond.
The return of Explore JPL is notable not just because the laboratory is reopening its doors, but because opportunities to visit the campus in person have become increasingly rare. JPL’s previous public open house, held in April 2023, attracted thousands of visitors, while the 2026 event marks the first time the laboratory has welcomed the public for an open house in more than three years. The timing also comes as JPL marks its 90th anniversary, giving this year’s event a particularly unusual combination of access and history.
Come for the spacecraft, stay for the goosebumps
Explore JPL will take visitors through four themed areas: Missions That Changed the World, Moon to Mars, In Flight and Makerspace. Along the way, guests can see some of the laboratory’s most iconic facilities and get a closer look at the technology behind NASA’s robotic exploration.
One of the biggest highlights is the Space Flight Operations Facility, a National Historic Landmark where engineers communicate with spacecraft billions of miles away. Visitors can also explore the Spacecraft Assembly Facility and Machine Shop, see cutting-edge robotics research and get up close to full-scale models of the Perseverance Mars rover, Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. There’s even a chance to peek inside the Microdevices Laboratory, where miniature technologies are being developed for future space exploration and Earth science.
From Pasadena to the planets
JPL sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, but its reach extends dramatically farther. The Pasadena laboratory traces its origins to rocket research in 1936 and became part of NASA in 1958. Over the decades, it has played a role in missions including Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, the Mars Exploration Rover program, Perseverance and Europa Clipper.
This year’s event is especially notable because JPL is celebrating its 90th anniversary. For Angelenos who have ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what’s actually happening out there, this is about as close as you can get to the machinery behind the answer — without leaving Southern California.
- When: October 10–11, 2026
- Time: 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Where: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena
- Admission: Free, with advance tickets required
