AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin will open its doors to an expected 50,000 students, teachers, prospective Longhorns and their families for Explore UT, the biggest open house in Texas. Attendees can choose from more than 400 free workshops and experiments that showcase the best scholarship and research at UT. The day culminates with attendees coming together to form a giant map of Texas for the class photo.
WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
WHERE: University of Texas at Austin campus
WHO MAY ATTEND: The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
PARKING: Most UT Austin parking is open and free Saturday, including many of the university’s 10 parking garages. More details
A limited number of temporary parking permits are available for media. Please contact Ellie Breed for more information.
BACKGROUND: Held annually, Explore UT is a campus-wide day of live shows, experiments, hands-on workshops and tours that showcase the state’s flagship research university and the importance of higher education in Texas. The event offers programs across all fields of study, including multiple information sessions to give prospective Longhorns a taste of life as a student on the Forty Acres. Events are offered in six areas of interest:
- Arts, Design and Media
- Business, Culture and Education
- Engineering
- Longhorn Life
- Public Service
- Science
A full schedule of events is available on the Explore UT website.
A Few Highlights:
Virtual Diagnosis: A 3-D Tour of the Body
Take a tour through the human body while observing the cutting-edge dissection of a virtual cadaver.
Gold E. Locks Mock Trial
Examine the evidence as Law students perform in a mock trial with Gold E. Locks, a well-known storybook figure, as the defendant. The Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones will preside, and children in the courtroom will be selected to serve as the jurors.
March with the Longhorn Band
Experience the thrill of marching with the Longhorn Band. Follow a rehearsal on the Joe Jamail Field in DKR – Texas Memorial Stadium. Participants will march to the Tower for the Explore UT class photo. Enter via the Loading Dock on San Jacinto Boulevard.
Chemistry Circus
Get a bang out of this exciting, loud and interactive demonstration of chemistry experiments performed by David Laude and David Vanden Bout. Tickets are required and available two hours in advance at the Norman Hackerman Building 24th Street Patio.
Fun with Fire and the Physics of Music
Join us for a demonstration of our world-famous Ruben’s Tube, a standing wave “flame tube,” to learn about the physics of acoustical standing waves and musical harmonics.
Oval Office Replica
Step into a replica of the Oval Office and learn about the Johnson family in the exhibits at the LBJ Presidential Library.
View from Above: Autonomous Drones in Action
Located in the outdoor aerial robotics arena, you can watch autonomous drones in action and learn more about the bird’s-eye view drones provide for a multitude of purposes.
Tower Tours
Participants can enjoy a free half-hour tour to the top of the UT Tower. Reserve tickets in advance at 512-475-6636 (required) and arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour. Vacancies will be filled five minutes before the tour begins. Limit of 10 tickets for large groups.
Warrior Chorus Austin 2020 – The Past is Now for All Soldiers
Veterans of Warrior Chorus Austin, whose service tours range from pre-Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, will convey the realities of their times as service members by exploring ancient Greek texts and performing their stories.
