SLAC Public Tour, July 24, 2026 at 10:30 am

Our SLAC tour guides will show you around the 2-mile-long linear accelerator, and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser. Tour stops may vary depending on availability.

SLAC public tours last approximately 90 minutes and will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Orientation Theater in SUSB, located across from the main SLAC entrance. Tours are open to visitors 12 years of age and above. Minors 12-17 years old must be accompanied by an adult. The main gate will open for site entry at 10:00 a.m. Tour participants must depart from SUSB by 12:30 pm. Once the tour is over, you may look around SUSB but you are not permitted to visit other areas of the lab after the tour has concluded.

During registration, visitors are required to review and agree to assume certain risks of participating in the tour, which are specified in a waiver for your signature. Waivers for permitted children over 12 years old must be signed by a parent or guardian. Please use your full name to register and to sign the waiver.

Registration is limited to two tickets per person. If you are trying to reserve two tickets, make sure both participants register with their full names and details, and sign their own initials. Ensure that the names on the tickets are inputted accurately. Do not register multiple tickets under one name. Each ticket must have the correct name of the attendee joining the tour. If you need to make updates or changes to the ticket names, make the changes in Eventbrite as early as possible. Changes to the ticket names will not be allowed after July 22, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Important: Attendees who are age 18 or older are required to present a valid government ID (REAL ID, passport, or acceptable alternative) for site entry. See SLAC VUE Center website for details. In addition, 2 days before the tour, you will receive an automated email with a QR code from the SLAC email [email protected]. Please present this QR code (on phone or printed) along with your ID for site entry. Check your spam or junk folders if you didn’t see the email with the QR code. Be prepared to present both the QR code and a valid ID at the main gate for site entry. Failure to present these items will result in being turned away at the main gate and missing the tour.

In order for SLAC to provide a safe environment for the public and our employees, no handbags or backpacks larger than 12"x6"x12" will be allowed. Please leave your bags and backpacks at home. Exceptions to this policy will be made for all medically necessary items after proper inspection from SLAC-badged staff.

The tour involves walking and climbing stairs; if you require assistance or have accessibility concerns, please let us know in advance at [email protected].

In some cases, SLAC may need to cancel the tour. You will be notified of the cancellation as soon as possible using the email address you provided on your registration.

Our values – excellence, integrity, collaboration, creativity, respect –- inspire us to the highest standards of conduct and foster a respectful workplace that are essential to everything we do. Disrespectful or bullying conduct by anyone entering SLAC will not be tolerated.

Please follow these requirements to join the tour:

• Bring a valid government-issued photo ID (REAL ID driver's license, passport or acceptable alternative). See SLAC VUE Center website for details. Attendees who are age 18 or older who do not provide a valid ID will be denied site entry and miss the tour.
• Show (on your phone or printed) the SLAC issued QR code that you received via email from [email protected]. The name on the QR code must match the attendee’s valid ID.
• Each ticket from Eventbrite must have the correct name of the attendee joining the tour. If you need to make updates/changes to the ticket names, do so in Eventbrite as early as possible.
• Wear closed-toed shoes
• No bags or backpacks larger than 12"x6"x12" are allowed.

Click here for more information on public tours. We look forward to hosting you at SLAC!