The Polytechnic campus started off this year's Open Door — four free open houses through the end of February — on Friday, welcoming crowds of visitors and giving them the chance to peek into Arizona State University's learning spaces.
Families launched paper rockets, experimented with chemistry and physics, tried out flight simulators, got to know a few robots, and even had a chance to create Rube Goldberg machines.
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Tristan Brown launches her straw rocket during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Ryan James Sterry and his daughter, Jenna, try their hand at the "Minute to Win It" challenge of tossing pencils and catching them during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Felix Aledo (second from left) and volunteer Angelica Bosquez (right) exclaim as his straw bridge collapses under its weight during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Children from the Vietnamese Revival Church exclaim after their success in popping a balloon with their Rube Goldberg machine in the STEAM lab during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Annabeth Shown learns how to fill a balloon with gas in the "Fun with Chemistry" room during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Jan. 26.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Robotics engineering junior Curtis Sparks shows Ariana Kirk (left) and Alexis Kirk how to control a soft robotic arm on display in the Bio-Inspired Mechatronics Lab during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Jan. 26.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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A young visitor takes his turn on one of ASU's Aviation Program's flight simulators during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Mikayla Castillo, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, demonstrates how to get out of Sun Devil Racing's buggie in under five seconds at ASU's Open Door.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Friends Harrison Klinkhammer (left) and Lucian Breault exclaim as they play with an intertia apparatus in the "Fun with Physics" room during Open Door.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Kendrick Daniels makes his own monster at an activity celebrating the 200th anniversary of "Frankenstein" during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Jan. 26.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Cameron Smith, a senior studying robotics, sets up an Air Force Explosive Ordinance Robot for visitors to drive at Open Door on the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Dylan Perlman tries out a virtual-reality experience set in Thomas Edison's lab in Menlo Park during the Polytechnic campus Open Door event.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Bradley Row (right) launches a paper rocket Friday at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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The Strong family views a butterfly chrysalis in the biology departmant at Open Door at Poly.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Heather Sapp snaps a photo of Alex and Amber Chen with Sparky at ASU's Open Door on Friday.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Duke Raslavsky smiles as he plays the "Minecraft Hour of Code" during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Michael Nesbitt (right) and his son, Amir, leave a heat imprint on cardboard in a thermal camera room during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Sparky greets visitors at ASU's Open Door on the Polytechnic campus on Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Jack Ford looks at his reflection in the concave mirror in the "Fun with Physics" room Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Alan and his mother, Ana Hedberg, make their monster in a project celebrating the 200th anniversary of "Frankenstein" during Open Door.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Greg Moore holds up Cameron Moore as they play giant Jenga during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Sparky poses for a photo with Greyson (left) and Weston Nebeker during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Rose Landon tries out the flight simulator during Open Door on Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Victor Chiscar tries steering a stationary baja car during the Polytechnic campus Open Door.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Tristan Brown launches her straw rocket during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Friday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Ryan James Sterry and his daughter, Jenna, try their hand at the "Minute to Win It" challenge of tossing pencils and catching them during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Felix Aledo (second from left) and volunteer Angelica Bosquez (right) exclaim as his straw bridge collapses under its weight during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Children from the Vietnamese Revival Church exclaim after their success in popping a balloon with their Rube Goldberg machine in the STEAM lab during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Annabeth Shown learns how to fill a balloon with gas in the "Fun with Chemistry" room during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Jan. 26.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Robotics engineering junior Curtis Sparks shows Ariana Kirk (left) and Alexis Kirk how to control a soft robotic arm on display in the Bio-Inspired Mechatronics Lab during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus on Jan. 26.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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A young visitor takes his turn on one of ASU's Aviation Program's flight simulators during Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
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Mikayla Castillo, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, demonstrates how to get out of Sun Devil Racing's buggie in under five seconds at ASU's Open Door.
Photo by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now
If you missed the fun, don't worry: There are three more free Open Door events in February:
- Downtown Phoenix campus: 4–8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2
- West campus: 1–6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10
- Tempe campus: 1–6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24
Read more about what's in store at each campus here, including information on the free app that can help visitors map out the activities they want to visit. Get free tickets in advance online.
Video by Jordan Currier/ASU
Check ASU Now after each event for photo galleries and video, and follow along as our crew shows all the fun on Snapchat (search for username: ASUNow).
Top photo: Kambi Brady launches her paper rocket during the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Arizona, on Friday. Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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