First Friday: School Lunch Unboxed
Join us this first Friday for a special treat! To pair with our new exhibition, Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray, we will be exploring the surprising history of school lunch. How do we decide what goes on the menu and how do we get it there? Have you ever thought about the history behind your favorite lunch box or trusty thermos?
Interact with our handling collections to learn about how we keep food safe and accessible to children, locally and internationally. Try your hand at making the best sandwich in our school lunch-themed card games while enjoying some snacks you may have wished you had on your lunch tray. Our library will be showcasing some of our rare books paired with a fun craft using images from our digital collections!
About First Fridays
Spark your curiosity while exploring the exhibits after hours! First Fridays bring together a myriad of activities covering everyday science, historical oddities, and everything in between. Grab your friends, and kick off an evening of discovery, surprise, and a little nerdy fun.
First Fridays at the Institute are always free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a 10% discount to National Mechanics restaurant.
Featured image: Detail of “Every Child Needs a Good School Lunch” poster, Works Progress Administration Oklahoma Art Project, 1944. Courtesy University of North Texas Digital Library.
More events
Fall 2025 Meeting of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry
Invited speakers will present on topics ranging from medieval medicine to modern climate science.
School Lunch Tour
This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.
Stories of Science: Spooky Science
Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!