A lab was developed for use in an undergraduate honors and majors general chemistry laboratory to introduce students to optics, spectroscopy, and the underlying principles of quantum mechanics. This lab includes four mini-experiments exploring total internal reflection, the tunneling of light, spectra of sparklers and colored candles, and emission spectra of gases. These mini-experiments were of a mixture of styles, from open-ended inquiry, to more traditional cookbook experiments, and were chosen to echo current graduate research. In the accompanying lecture, students were given an overview of quantum mechanics and a primer on what type of information can be gleaned from a spectrum. (Contains 2 figures.)