Wednesday, February 11, 2026
International Day of Women and Girls in Science is a day dedicated to promoting full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
All day long, Milwaukee Public Museum is celebrating the amazing stories and accomplishments of women in science—from ancient pioneers in the field to present-day trailblazers—and inspiring the next generation of female leaders in STEM.
Planetarium Program
Showtimes: 10:30 a.m., 12;10 p.m., 1:50 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
Stellar Women in Astronomy
Playing February 11 only, this dynamic 20-minute Planetarium program spotlights the women who’ve transformed our understanding of the universe—from Hypatia’s ancient wisdom to Caroline Herschel’s comets, Maria Mitchell’s stars, and Henrietta Leavitt’s galaxies to modern pioneers like Katherine Johnson, Vera Rubin, Jocelyn Bell, and Katie Bouman.
Education Stations
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Museum educators will be on the exhibit floors to engage visitors in hands-on learning opportunities about:
Mary Anning: Paleontologist Extraordinaire
Learn about Mary Anning, 19th-century fossilist, geologist, and paleontologist. Dig through her famous finds to unearth your paleontology skills!
Zelia Nuttal: Archive Adventurer
Discover the life of Mexican-American archaeologist and anthropologist Zelia Nuttall, and through her work, immerse yourself in the world of ancient Mexican civilizations.
Science on Tap
6:30-8 p.m.
"Seeing Black Holes" by Dr. Lia Medeiros, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Join us onsite or online as Dr. Lia Medeiros discusses how telescopes all over the world came together to take the first-ever image of a black hole and how she used this image to test Einstein's theory of gravity. Dr. Medeiros will also discuss her new machine-learning algorithm that created the highest-resolution image of a black hole to date.