Visiting PALM

Ready to visit PALM? We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Location

Address: 4085 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

We’re located in the Commerce Building, right next to the fire station, in downtown Fairfax.

Getting Here

🚗 Free 60-minute visitor parking is available in the lot behind the Commerce Building.

🚲 The bike lane on University Drive is easy to access from the Fairfax City Bike Trail that follows Daniels Run just east of downtown. There’s a bike rack in the pass-through under the building and another one behind it. [Fairfax City Bike Map]

🚌 The bus stop in front of the building is served by the 29K MetroBus, both the Green and Gold CUE buses, and the Mason to Metro shuttle.

Finding the Lab

We’re on the 4th floor. To get to the lab, enter the building through the small, glass-walled lobby that you can see from the pass-through under the building. Take either the elevator (directly in front of you) or the stairs (to the left of the elevator) up to the 4th floor. PALM is located directly in front of the elevator, or to your right as you exit the stairwell. Look for a decal on the window, and knock if no one is there to meet you!

What to expect

Visits to PALM have three parts. First, you’ll be greeted, and you and your child will spend a little time in our waiting area: you’ll fill out a little paperwork, and your child will get a chance to play for a few minutes. Then, the study will be explained in detail and you’ll participate. This usually involves your child watching a short video or playing a game, and we do our best to make it fun! During the last part of the visit, your child will get to pick out a children’s book to take home, and there may be a little bit of additional paperwork to fill out. You’ll have chances to ask questions before and after the study.