Varsity Force
OpportunitiesDC · NoVA · MD
Future Paths
Community Resources & Things to Do · Library labs and studios · Showing 24 of 39 resources
Loudoun County
Brambleton Library makerspace & soundproof Recording Studio (LCPL)
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces; a library card is not required, and trained staff provide assistance.
Cost
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces ; Children’s events include LEGO Creators at Ashburn, Builders Free Play at Middleburg, Puzzles and Games at Brambleton, and Little Artists at Lovettsville.
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Anne Arundel County
Busch Annapolis Library Makerspace & Memory Lab (AACPL)
Busch Annapolis Library Makerspace
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 11 and up
Baltimore County
Catonsville Branch Recording Studio (BCPL)
The Catonsville Branch has a free recording studio for recording songs, podcasts, and spoken-word pieces. Each studio has a soundproofed recording space and a mixing space.
Cost
The Catonsville Branch has a free recording studio for recording songs, podcasts, and spoken-word pieces. Each studio has a soundproofed recording space and a mixing space.
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Prince George's County
DREAM Lab, Fairmount Heights Branch (PGCMLS)
DREAM Lab at the Fairmount Heights Branch offers new and emerging technologies, tools, guidance, and reservations for technology-based projects
Best fit
kids
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Charles County
Drop the Mic Recording Studio, P.D. Brown Memorial Branch (CCPL)
Drop the Mic Recording Studio at the P.D. Brown Memorial Branch is a free, full-scale professional recording studio with a sound booth, microphones, recording equipment, and mixing equipment
Cost
Drop the Mic Recording Studio at the P.D. Brown Memorial Branch is a free, full-scale professional recording studio with a sound booth, microphones, recording equipment, and mixing equipment ; The recording studio is available to all users, uses 30-minute reservation increments, has no meeting-room fees, and requires an adult to accompany children age 11 and younger
Best fit
kids, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Baltimore
Earl Teen Center & Teen Creation Station, Central Library (Enoch Pratt)
Teen Creation Station, a makerspace for teens in grades 6–12 at the Earl Teen Center, Central Library, offering workshops and one-on-one creative assistance
Cost
Studio use is free ; Free SAT preparation is offered through Peterson’s Test Prep
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Fairfax County
FCPL Maker Labs (Herndon Fortnightly, Pohick 'The POD', Sherwood 'TechLab')
FCPL has three Maker Labs: Maker Lab @ Herndon Fortnightly Library, Maker Lab @ Pohick Regional Library (The POD), and Maker Lab @ Sherwood Regional Library (The TechLab)
Cost
Everything in the FCPL Maker Labs is free
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 12 and up
Fairfax County
FCPL Memory Depots (six DIY digitization stations)
Memory Depot equipment includes Epson Scan 2 software for the Epson Expression 12000XL scanner and Elgato Video Capture software for VHS digitization
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Howard County
Glenwood Makerspace (HCLS)
Glenwood Makerspace, where teens designed objects for 3D printing
Best fit
teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Loudoun County
Gum Spring Library makerspace (LCPL)
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces; a library card is not required, and trained staff provide assistance.
Cost
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces
Best fit
teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Fredericksburg
IdeaSpace: Making+Media (CRRL, Fredericksburg)
IdeaSpace: Making+Media is CRRL’s makerspace, located at 1616 Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg
Cost
IdeaSpace access and training are provided at no charge to the community
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
St. Mary's County
Leonardtown Library Makerspace & Memory Lab (St. Mary's County Library)
Leonardtown Library Makerspace, with a Cricut Maker, button maker, Cricut Mug Press, 3D pens, Memory Lab, and sewing machines
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 12 and up
Part of
Anne Arundel County
Odenton Library Creation Station & Memory Lab (AACPL)
Odenton Library Creation Station, a space enhanced for makerspace activities
Best fit
kids, teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Baltimore County
Preservation Station digitization lab, Reisterstown Branch (BCPL)
Preservation Station is a free do-it-yourself digitization lab at the Reisterstown Branch for digitizing films, tapes, and photos.
Cost
Preservation Station is a free do-it-yourself digitization lab at the Reisterstown Branch for digitizing films, tapes, and photos.
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Loudoun County
Rust Library makerspace & A.V. Symington Teen Center (LCPL)
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces; a library card is not required, and trained staff provide assistance.
Cost
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces
Best fit
kids, teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Loudoun County
Sterling Library makerspace: sound booth & Glowforge (LCPL)
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces; a library card is not required, and trained staff provide assistance.
Cost
LCPL has four makerspaces at Brambleton, Gum Spring, Rust, and Sterling libraries. They are free, hands-on spaces
Best fit
teens
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Washington
The Labs at DC Public Library (MLK Memorial Library): Fab Lab, Studio Lab, Memory Lab, Tool Library
The Labs at DC Public Library, including the Labs at MLK Library, offers free creative space for learning, making, and collaboration
Cost
The Labs at DC Public Library, including the Labs at MLK Library, offers free creative space for learning, making, and collaboration
Best fit
teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 13 and up
Part of
Arlington County
The Shop at Arlington Central Library
The Shop is Arlington Public Library’s makerspace at Central Library, 2nd floor, 1015 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201. Open Lab supports personal and collaborative projects, feedback, experimentation, and staff assistance; active library card, completed Maker User Agreement, and age 9+ are required
Cost
The Shop offers free programs in sewing techniques, 3D-printing projects, social crafting, and introductions to the Silhouette Cameo Cutter and Glowforge Laser Cutter ; consumables cost $0.05 per gram and resin printing costs $0.15 per mL ; The Shop has a Silhouette CAMEO 3 vinyl cutter and vinyl heat press. Adhesive vinyl costs $0.50 per sheet and heat-transfer vinyl costs $0.75 per sheet
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 9 and up
Part of
Calvert County
Twin Beaches Branch Makerspace, Sound Booth & Memory Lab (Calvert Library)
Calvert Library’s Makerspace is a digital design and fabrication center focused on education and idea incubation, located at Twin Beaches Branch
Cost
Makerspace, Memory Lab and Booth use is free; consumable materials (3D filament, vinyl, etc.) are charged
Best fit
kids, teens, ya
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 8 and up
Part of
Baltimore County
BCPL STREAM Vehicle (mobile makerspace)
The STREAM Vehicle brings makerspace activities and technologies to youth and families, including Cricut, a heat press, fiber arts, coding, music creation, gaming, virtual reality, and traditional arts and crafts.
Best fit
kids, teens, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Prince William County
Bull Run Library Makerspace (PWPL)
Bull Run Library Makerspace, designed for patrons age 13 and older; children age 12 and younger require direct parent or guardian supervision
Cost
Free -- no charge to use makerspace equipment or materials; 3D filament provided.
Best fit
teens, ya, families
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 13 and up
Manassas
Central Library Makerspace Studio 8601
PWPL's first makerspace lab: 3D printers, Cricut machines, laser cutters, sewing/embroidery machines, loom, VR headsets, AV recording equipment, scanners/media conversion, art and textile supplies, coding toys. PWPL's first makerspace lab: 3D printers, Cricut machines, laser cutters, sewing/embroidery machines, loom, VR headsets, AV recording equipment, scanners/media conversion, art and textile supplies, coding toys. Sublimation/vacuum-forming not confirmed on pages sonar saw.
Cost
No charge; staff print submitted 3D designs free.
Best fit
teens, ya, kids
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 12 and up
What's here
- 3D printers
- Glowforge laser cutter
- Cricut
- sewing and embroidery machines
- loom
- VR headsets
- AV recording
- scanners/media conversion
- coding toys
Prince William County
Central Library Studio 8601, Whisper Room & RELIC Digital Preservation Lab (PWPL)
Central Library’s Studio 8601, Prince William Public Libraries’ first Makerspace Lab, with machines, tools, technology, art supplies, textiles, jewelry-crafting supplies, and tech and coding toys
Cost
staff operate the printers and print submitted designs free of charge ; RELIC’s Digital Preservation Lab at Central Library provides free-to-use equipment for digitizing and sharing family photos, slides, Super 8 reels, and other cherished media
Best fit
Students
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.
Ages
Ages 12 and up
Woodbridge
Chinn Park Library (closed for renovation)
Original research noted a planned Chinn Park makerspace and Teen Center; sonar found the branch closed for renovation and no makerspace listed. Original research noted a planned Chinn Park makerspace and Teen Center; sonar found the branch closed for renovation and no makerspace listed.
Cost
Free.
Best fit
teens, kids
Before you go
Open year-round. Check hours on the official site before travelling.