Fireworks Tour

What’s the difference between a firecracker and a rocket—and how do they work? Why have fireworks come to represent events as diverse as the Chinese New Year, Italian saint days, and the 4th of July?

Find out by taking a tour of our Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks exhibition, which explores the fascinating international history of fireworks: from the chemistry of how they go “boom,” the factory laborers who churn them out, and the pyrotechnicians who light the match, to the migrants and business leaders who made them famous, and the innovators lighting up a new future.

Drop-in tours are free and no reservations are necessary.

Featured image: Colored print of Japanese fireworks displays by the Hirayama Fireworks Company, from Pyrotechnics: The History and Art of Firework Making, 1922.