On the First Friday of each month, the museum reopens in the evening, usually with a themed program available in the atrium. On July 5 from 5:30 – 8 p.m., hands-on activities and videos related to the moon will be presented throughout the building in honor of the Apollo 11 50th anniversary. See a Google Moon recreation of the first moon landing and a documentary produced by NASA for Apollo's 40th anniversary.  Pick up information sheets full of lunar trivia and color the moon with any shade you like.  Come early to get one of a very limited number of 3D-printed Lunar Command Modules.  If the sky is clear, the observatory will be open briefly from 8:30 p.m. until the museum closes. 

The featured attraction on the July 5 First Friday will be a preview presentation from the partnership with New Mexico PBS. 8 Days: To the Moon and Back seamlessly blends mission audio featuring conversations among Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins with new footage, NASA archive, and stunning CGI to recreate the first moon landing. This special program will be presented continuously in the museum’s STEM Lecture Hall starting at 5:45 p.m. and will not be seen again until its PBS broadcast on July 17 at 8 p.m. on KNME, broadcast channel 5.1.

Admission will be only $5 for the museum. Fractal experiences in the planetarium will be the normal charge of adults $10, seniors $7, children $5. At 6:30 p.m., the DynaTheater will present a special 2D showing of Superpower Dogs for an additional $5 per person. This movie describes the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world’s most amazing dogs.