Mother’s Day Weekend at the VISTA Science Experience Center
On May 9–10, 2026, the campus around the VISTA Science Experience Center will turn into an open research zone. The focus is on hands-on participation, discovery, and trying out new things.
Important: Due to internal maintenance work, the VISTA Science Experience Center will be closed on both days. Instead, we invite you to enjoy a diverse outdoor program. As always, admission is free and no registration is required.

Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm
Outdoor program at the VISTA Science Experience Center
On Saturday, the entire program takes place directly in front of the VISTA Science Experience Center.
A wide range of interactive stations with hands-on experiments awaits you. Explore natural phenomena, test your senses, and get actively involved. Highlights include a cucumber piano, experiments with light and water, a plant labyrinth, and fascinating insights into the world of plant research. You can join at any time, move freely between stations, and explore everything at your own pace. No registration needed - just drop by!
Sunday, May 10 from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm
VISTA Science Experience Center & Redlingerhütte
On Sunday, we expand the program to include a second location. In front of the VISTA Science Experience Center, you can once again explore interactive stations and experiments. Additional hands-on activities are available at the Redlingerhütte.
Both locations are connected and invite you to actively explore the ISTA research campus and its surroundings. The Nature Explorer program can be experienced at both locations - either starting at the VISTA Science Experience Center or directly at the Redlingerhütte.
In the Nature Explorer program, you become a researcher yourself. You’ll use an “exhaustor,” a real scientific tool used in research, to discover small animals along the path between the VISTA Science Experience Center and the Redlingerhütte.
The process is simple and engaging: together with others, you search for small animals, carefully collect them, identify their group, and document your observations. Afterwards, all animals are safely released back where they were found.
The collected data is documented on-site and helps make the biodiversity around the VISTA Science Experience Center visible.



The program is free of charge.
No registration is required.
The program is suitable for children, families, and anyone curious.
You can join at any time.
Please wear appropriate clothing for a day outdoors.
We recommend bringing a snack, as the VISTA Coffee Lab will be closed during the weekend.
Visit the VISTA Science Experience Center
Experience a special weekend at the VISTA Center and discover how exciting research in the open air can be. Find more information to help plan your visit here.
VISTA Science Experience Center
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
Am Campus 1
3400 Klosterneuburg