Homecoming

September 20, 2025
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
UBC Vancouver - Multiple locations
Dinosaur exhibits, free museum and garden admission, $4 day-long parking and hands-on genomics fun. Take a bite out of science at UBC Homecoming this September!
Visit the Pacific Museum of Earth and journey through 4.5 billion years of Earth's evolution. Take part in minigames, giveaways and a scavenger hunt in the Earth Sciences Building atrium. See an art mosaic and visit a specimen showcase booth. Visit two new exhibits: Origins and Close to Home.
Vancouver’s natural history museum at UBC features over two million specimens, including a massive 26 metre blue whale skeleton. Explore six collections spanning tetrapods, marine invertebrates, fossils, plants, bugs and fish. A documentary about the blue whale skeleton will play in our theatre throughout the day at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm.
Experience a real lab! Free pre-registration required. In the morning, Michael Smith Laboratories will have its microscopes out for a fully hands-on experience exploring pond samples. Great sessions for young kids at 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 and 12:00. In the afternoon participate in activities recommended for older children that will allow you to take home a sample of your own DNA. One session at 1:00 pm.
Explore the Garden with a one-hour walking tour with trained staff, volunteers and students and discover the wonders of plants, biodiversity, and the stories behind the Garden and our collection.
Tours at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm limited to 20 people per tour. The Garden is also open for self-guided walking tours/no registration required.
Discover the wonders of creating colour on cloth using leaves and flowers, with a focus on native plants. This introductory class will explore colour opportunities with a tour of UBC Botanical Garden, and work hands-on with four different plants. Participants will have the opportunity to dye and eco-print socks and a handkerchief to take home. Pre-registration required. Capacity: 15 people.
Visit one of the most traditional Japanese stroll gardens and houses outside of Japan. The garden welcomes visitors to a space of tranquility, introspection and quiet contemplation.
Learn more about traditional Japanese Garden design on a one-hour walking tour with trained staff. Tours at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Pre-registration required.
We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.
Learn more: Musqueam First Nation