Utrecht Science Week, the city's festival of research, innovation, health and sustainability, reaches its final day on Sunday 4 October. The closing event is the kind of thing a resident can simply turn up to: a free open day at Utrecht Science Park with no registration required.

What is on offer on Sunday

According to Utrecht University's event page, the open day runs from 10:00 to 17:00 in the Minnaert and Koningsberger buildings at Utrecht Science Park. It is part of the national Weekend van de Wetenschap (Weekend of Science), and the university and UMC Utrecht organise the Utrecht programme. Entry is free, and visitors can walk in without signing up.

The programme is aimed at families and children of all ages. The university lists hands-on activities including extracting DNA from strawberries, examining dinosaur teeth, solving puzzles with virtual-reality headsets, growing crystals and deciphering historical manuscripts. A related university page also mentions mini-lectures, workshops, experiments, a giant "democracy mikado" game and a virtual trip to the North Pole. Utrecht Science Week warns that some events are held in Dutch, while the university's page for this open day does not specify the activities' language. Non-Dutch speakers may want to check with organisers before travelling.

The open day also belongs to the university's Lustrum 2026 celebrations, themed "Connect. Create change". The university says it works with city partners so that children who might not otherwise come across research can meet it.

The wider week

Utrecht Science Park describes Utrecht Science Week as a festival that this year ran from 25 September to 4 October, in its sixth edition. The park says the programme includes more than 50 speakers and 30 events across more than 25 locations. It lists lectures, panel discussions, knowledge fairs and guided tours, with a focus on life sciences, health and sustainability.

Earlier highlights included an opening keynote on 25 September by Utrecht University toxicology professor Juliette Legler about research into the effects of environmental chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting substances and microplastics, on health and ecosystems. According to the water research institute KWR, which took part, a "Water Dialogue" on 30 September discussed the future of water and the role science can play. The Betweter Festival, an art-and-science evening at Tivoli Vredenburg where visitors take part in live experiments, opened the week, according to Utrecht Science Park.

Utrecht Science Park lists Utrecht University, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and UMC Utrecht among the programme's contributing partners, alongside several other institutions and companies.

What to know before going

The Utrecht University page does not say how many visitors to expect or whether any activities have age limits or capacity caps. The event takes place in the Minnaert and Koningsberger buildings. The full programme and any last-minute changes are on the national Weekend van de Wetenschap website and the Utrecht Science Park programme page.