Visitors got a double dose of Arizona State University's Night of the Open Door fun this weekend as the free open-house event took place on the aviation- and robotic-heavy Polytechnic campus in Mesa and the globally minded Thunderbird campus in Glendale.
High-flying fun at Polytechnic campus
At ASU's Polytechnic campus on Friday, trolleys carried families around the grounds, where they got to experience a range of flight simulators, learned about cars being built or modified in the labs, climbed walls with robotics, explored physics and chemistry lessons and put themselves inside giant bubbles.
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Lily Krzeminski tries to get the most penne pasta on her spaghetti at the Minute to Win It event during Night of the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus in Mesa on Friday evening.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Twenty-two-month-old Jackson Boydston reaches to touch an airplane propeller with his father, Jacob. Jackson's mother works as the assistant to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on the Tempe campus, and last year the family attended the Night of the Open Door event on that campus.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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Kate Nieckarz, 11, celebrates a correct answer to a question about algae in the Polytechnic campus' Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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Travis Daniel celebrates a completed line of his typewriter story at the ASU Now "Earn Your Press Badge" activity Friday evening at the Polytechnic campus. Daniel and his friends were intrigued by the vintage machines, and upon learning that the spools were often difficult to find, they brainstormed about 3-D printing new spools for antique typewriters.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Cousins Isabel Ladesma, 14, and Esteban Ladesma, 12, pose for a photo after playing a game of life-size checkers. Esteban's sister, Anjelica Miller (left), is coming to ASU next year to study business, and she brought them to the Night of the Open Door to get a taste of the university.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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Kat Peterson, a senior studying applied biological sciences, shows a girl the Sparky painting she drew on her face. Peterson is one of the few ASU Army ROTC members based on Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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Bryce LeCheminant, 6, looks up with despair during a push-up contest led by the ASU Army ROTC.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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CBS 5 reporter Derek Staahl tries out professor Sangram Redkar's "spider suit" during Night of the Open Door at Polytechnic campus on Friday evening. Many of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering's robotics labs are based at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Doctoral student Nguyen Pham demonstrates a soft robotic arm to kids during Night of the Open Door at Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Annah Cloud and her father, Ben Cloud, blow up a balloon using vinegar and baking soda Friday evening at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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College of Integrative Arts and Sciences Dean Duane Roen (center right) greets Barbie the albino Colombian boa constrictor during Night of the Open Door on Friday. Roen is also vice provost of the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Spencer England (right), a junior professional flight major, shows a propeller to Andrew Zausmer and his 10-year-old son, Jett. Zausmer brought his son to the event to "steer him in the right direction," and they also attended the Night of the Open Door at the Downtown Phoenix campus two weeks prior because of its STEM events.
Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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Saniya Alawi and her father Hussein Alawi try their hands at a popsicle-stick catapult during Night of the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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The Amazing Stevie balloon artist gives Aidan Rodriguez a hug during Night of the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus Friday evening.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Hailey Canonic (left) and her sister Adalynn compete to get the most dice on their popsicle stick during Night of the Open Door at Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Liana Hawman is all astonishment as Chris Patterson, a junior in elementary education in STEM, creates a giant bubble around her on Friday evening at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Amber Tian tries her hand at throwing a football at the ROTC booth during Night of the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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People Who Could Fly plays at the food court during Night of the Open Door at the Polytechnic campus Friday evening.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
Explore the world at Thunderbird
On Saturday, the rain didn't stop the fun as activities moved under cover at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Visitors got to try on clothes from different cultures, watched dances from around the world, learned about different countries, explored map activities and more.
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The Zajas family makes their way through the rain for the Night of the Open Door at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Anna Zajas tries to pick a place on the map during Night of the Open Door at the Thunderbird campus on Saturday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Bluidson Cardenas of Peru leaves his handprint along with others during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Thunderbird student Anisha Saini marks her home country of India on a fingerprint map during Night of the Open Door on Saturday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Isabelle Yang tries her hand at launching a foam noodle for a prize on Saturday afternoon in Glendale.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Rita Choque of Peru tries to throw a foam noodle for a prize during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Jessenia Soucy (left) watches her cup wall tumble during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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MA Thunderbird student Pena Gao shows visitors how to play "Igo," a Japanese name although the game originated in ancient China.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Jenny Yang and her son, Morgan, play "Igo" on Saturday during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Thunderbird students paint Chinese calligraphy characters for visitors during Night of the Open Door at the Thunderbird campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Thunderbird MGM student Kavita Barmar draws henna on visitors during Night of the Open Door on Saturday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Andrea Manini of Peru tries out a Vietnamese dress during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Denise Rascon tries on a hijab at the Middle Eastern booth during Night of the Open Door at the Thunderbird campus Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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De Marti Ceoil play music from Phoenix sister city Ennis, Ireland, during Night of the Open Door on Saturday in Glendale.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Thunderbird students Sneha Pherwani (left) and Sushant Ahuja pose for photos during Night of the Open Door on Saturday.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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MA student Nancy Shereni of Zimbabwe dances with the Latin American Business Culture Club during Night of the Open Door at Thunderbird.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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Young Zara Sego gives Sparky a big hug during Night of the Open Door Saturday afternoon at the Thunderbird campus.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
Check out the Downtown Phoenix campus' Night of the Open Door event on Feb. 3 here and the West campus' event on Feb. 11 here.
If you missed the fun, don't worry: There is one more free Night of the Open Door event this month, 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Tempe campus.
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 and enter to win a gift package. Tickets also function as an express pass to collect the free glow wand and event programs at the registration booths once on campus.
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: Kate LeCheminant, 10, completes a pull-up with the help of an ASU Army ROTC member in front of the Memorial Union at the Polytechnic campus' Night of the Open Door on Friday. Photo by Anya Magnuson/ASU Now
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