Tahoe Paradise Yacht

On the Sierra Nevada College campus in the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, UC Davis Tahoe Science Center has interactive exhibits with hands-on activities that explore the science of the Lake Tahoe Basin – its geology, environmental issues, ecological challenges and more. Step aboard the 2/3-scale model of the UC Davis Research Vessel to learn how they investigate and monitor lake quality and clarity. Take a Green Tour of their state-of-the-art Platinum LEED–certified building to learn of its sustainable design, construction and landscaping. Be sure not to miss the highlight — the 15-minute, 3D movie Lake Tahoe in Depth in which you'll don a pair of 3-D glasses and take a virtual reality flight through the basin and under the surface of Lake Tahoe. Docent-led tours, group tours and field trips are available. The UC Davis Tahoe Science Center is recommended for adults and children ages 8 and older. It’s open afternoons Tuesday through Friday with tours beginning on the hour. With only five spaces in front of the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences building, parking can be tight. Another location, the Eriksson Education Center at UC Davis Tahoe City Field Station, is open in peak summer months with self-guided tours daily and docent-led tours on Saturdays. It features innovative exhibits on why Lake Tahoe is unique and how science and research are being used to restore and protect the lake for future generations.