October 7th is Manufacturing Day, where thousands of manufacturers on the Manufacturing Institute's rosters will open their doors to the public, to show you what they make and how. While the event is primarily geared towards recruiting new workers, the free visits also serve as educational experiences for everyone from school-age children to adults. If you're a working industrial designer with kids, here you have a perfect opportunity to show them the fabrication facilities tied to your field.

While October 7th marks the start of the month-long event, some manufacturers are jumping the gun and offering tours as early as today. You can find a complete list of participating manufacturers, and/or search by geography, here.

Here's a taste of what Manufacturing Day offered last year in just the state of New York (which contains over 15,000 manufacturers):

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