FORT WORTH, Texas - Marylandian -- For many people, Mensa exists mostly as cultural shorthand — somewhere between gifted-program mythology and a Lisa Simpson punchline. In reality, the high-IQ society is a sprawling member community built around curiosity, conversation, and shared interests. Experience Mensa, part of American Mensa's 2026 Annual Gathering, aims to give prospective members a firsthand look inside that world.

The July 3 program combines the Mensa Admission Test with an immersive introduction to the organization's flagship event at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel and Fort Worth Convention Center.

Participants will begin the day with the official Mensa Admission Test before diving into the controlled chaos of the Annual Gathering itself: hundreds of board games and tournaments in the Games Room, spirited debates, spontaneous conversations, and seminars on everything from quantum mechanics and meteorite hunting to Leonard Nimoy, D.B. Cooper, and cryptography.

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The $99 registration fee includes testing, lunch, event access, and American Mensa membership through the end of the year for participants who qualify.

"People often know Mensa by reputation, but being in the middle of an Annual Gathering gives a much clearer sense of what the organization actually is," said Tamesha Logan, Executive Director of American Mensa. "It's smart, yes, but it's also social, funny, collaborative, and far broader than most people expect."

The Annual Gathering draws Mensa members from across the country for five days of lectures, competitions, games, performances, discussions, and social events spanning science, technology, history, entertainment, language, puzzles, and pop culture.

Registration information and additional details are available at ag.us.mensa.org/experience-mensa/.

About American Mensa: American Mensa is an organization open to anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted standardized intelligence test. Mensa has about 45,000 members in the United States and more than 140,000 members globally. For more information about American Mensa, visit americanmensa.org.