California Science Center facts for kids
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| Established | 1951 (as California Museum of Science and Industry) 1998 (as California Science Center) |
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| Location | Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Type | Science museum |
| Accreditation | AAM, ASTC, AZA |
| Visitors | 1,694,000 (2022) |
| Public transit access |   Expo Park/USC |
The California Science Center is a super cool museum in Los Angeles, California. It's located in Exposition Park, right next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This center is known as the biggest hands-on science museum on the West Coast!
It's a special place that works with both the State of California and a private group called the California Science Center Foundation. The museum first opened in 1951 as the "California Museum of Science and Industry." Then, in 1998, it got a big makeover and was renamed the "California Science Center." Every year, it hosts the California State Science Fair.
You can visit the main exhibits for free, like the amazing Space Shuttle Endeavour. There are also other cool aircraft and spacecraft to see. Some special exhibits, movies in the IMAX theater, and activities like a climbing wall cost money.
Contents
History of the Science Center
The California Science Center has a long and interesting history. It started out as a place to show off California's resources and industries.
Early Days: State Exhibition
The museum's story began in 1912. That's when the first California State Exhibition building opened in Exposition Park. This area used to be a fairground for farming from 1872 to 1910. The building showed off things like farming, fishing, mining, and lumber from all over California. After World War II, it also started showing exhibits about science and technology.
California Museum of Science and Industry
In 1951, the exhibition became the "California Museum of Science and Industry." It was named the Howard F. Ahmanson Building after a generous donor. This museum had lots of hands-on exhibits. You could learn about farming, transportation, electricity, and different industries.
In 1961, a new science area opened. It featured "Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond." This exhibit was designed by famous designers Charles and Ray Eames. It helped people understand math ideas like how planets move and different shapes. This original exhibit is now at the New York Hall of Science. A "Hall of Health" was added in 1968.
Changes in the 1980s
Before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the museum added new exhibits. These included displays about earthquakes and how the economy works. A big IMAX theater was also added. The Olympics opening and closing ceremonies were held right next to the museum.
The California African American Museum was also started in 1981. It was first inside the Science and Industry museum. Later, in 1984, it moved into its own building nearby.
Closing for a New Beginning
In 1994, a big earthquake damaged the museum building. Because of this, the California Museum of Science and Industry closed in 1996. It was getting ready for a brand new facility!
California Aerospace Museum
In 1984, the "California Aerospace Museum" also opened. It was next to the main museum and focused on California's role in aviation and space. This building was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. It had a huge space like an airplane hangar. Inside, you could see aircraft and space vehicles. This building closed in 2011.
Becoming the California Science Center
In 1988, the museum decided to make a big change. They planned to become a science education center over 25 years. This new center would be called the California Science Center. The old museum building closed in 1996 for construction. The new design kept the front of the old building. But most of the original building was taken down. When the first part of the new center was finished, it officially became the California Science Center. It opened to the public in 1998.
Phase I: The Grand Opening
The new California Science Center opened with many exciting features:
- Science Plaza: This area outside the main entrance has exhibits about aircraft and science ideas.
- Exhibits Inside:
- World of Life: This area explores how living things work.
- Creative World: This section shows how technology helps with transportation and buildings. It even has a virtual reality sports game and an earthquake simulator!
- Special Exhibits gallery: This room hosts changing exhibits. Past shows included Titanic artifacts and the Human Body exhibit.
- ExploraStore: A shop filled with cool science toys and educational items.
- A brand new seven-story IMAX theater.
Phase II: New Discoveries
The amazing Ecosystems exhibit opened in 2010. It lets visitors experience different natural environments. Other changes included:
- The historic Wallis Annenberg Building was updated. It became a "Building for Science Learning and Innovation" in 2004. This building has the Amgen Center for Science Learning. It also houses the K-5 Science Center School, a public magnet school.
- The SKETCH Foundation Gallery opened in 2002. It's a temporary gallery with interactive exhibits. It displays items on loan from NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.
- The Air and Space Gallery (the old California Aerospace Museum) closed in 2011. Its displays moved into the main Science Center.
In 2011, the California Science Center received the famous Space Shuttle Endeavour from NASA. In 2012, they built a temporary home for the Shuttle. It's called the "Samuel Oschin Pavilion." A new, permanent home for the Shuttle is being built. It will be called the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
Phase III: The Future of Space Exploration
Construction began in 2022 for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. This huge new addition will be 200,000 square feet. It will have 150 new exhibits!
- Exhibits in the new building:
- Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery: This will be the permanent home for the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It will be displayed standing tall, with its huge external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.
- Korean Air Aviation Gallery: This gallery will show off about 20 aircraft. It will include a Korean Air Boeing 747 airliner.
- Kent Kresa Space Gallery: Here, you can explore machines we build to explore space. This includes a 1975 Apollo Command Module and the Gemini 11 space capsule.
Permanent Exhibits
The California Science Center has many exciting permanent exhibits. They help you learn about life, technology, and space.
Ecosystems
This huge, two-story exhibit is 45,000 square feet. It has different zones with live animals and aquariums. You can learn how animals adapt to different ecosystems. These include rivers, deserts, polar regions, deep seas, and even cities. There's a giant 188,000-gallon kelp tank. It's filled with over 1,500 fish and other sea life. You can walk through an acrylic tunnel and feel surrounded by the ocean!
Creative World
This exhibit looks at how humans build things. It shows how we create structures and transportation. There's an earthquake simulator that shows how buildings are made safe. Other hands-on exhibits show how different building methods affect strength.
World of Life
This exhibit explores how living things work. It shows what makes all organisms similar. You can learn about food, body parts like the heart and brain, and your senses. It also covers how living things protect themselves and reproduce. There's even a display where you can watch chicks hatch! You can also see a giant "corpse flower" on loan from the Huntington Library. The BodyWorks Theater has a 50-foot robot human body named Tess. She and her animated friend Walt explain how your body stays balanced.
Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center
This is the upcoming big expansion of the California Science Center. It will have three large galleries across four floors. These galleries will cover over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. This new building will also host special exhibits and events.
Collection Highlights
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The Science Center has an amazing collection of real spacecraft and aircraft.
Spacecraft
- Mercury-Redstone 2 capsule: This capsule carried Ham, the first chimpanzee in space, in 1961.
- Gemini 11 capsule: This capsule was flown by astronauts Pete Conrad and Richard F. Gordon Jr. in 1966.
- Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Command Module: This was used in the 1975 mission where American and Soviet spacecraft linked up in space.
- SKETCH Foundation Gallery: This area has exhibits about our Solar System, space travel, and aviation. It displays historic aircraft, space vehicles, and telescopes.
- Space Shuttle Endeavour: This famous Shuttle is getting ready for its new permanent home. It will be displayed standing up tall with its fuel tank and rocket boosters.
Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8 jetliner
- Lockheed F-104D Starfighter
- Lockheed A-12 Oxcart: This two-seater trainer was nicknamed "Titanium Goose."
- Replica Bell X-1: This is a movie prop from The Right Stuff.
- 1902 Wright Glider replica
- 1929 Velie Monocoupe
- Northrop T-38 Talon Jet Trainer
- Northrop F-20 Tigershark
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet
Robotic Spacecraft
- Engineering prototype for Viking Lander
- Cassini-Huygens planetary probe (replica)
- Pioneer 10 planetary probe (replica)
- Mariner IV planetary probe (replica)
- Pioneer-Venus planetary probe (replica)
Visitors and Recognition
The California Science Center is very popular! In 2022, it had 1,694,000 visitors. This made it the 6th most-visited museum in the United States. It was also the most-visited science museum in the U.S.
The center is recognized by important groups. These include the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It's also part of the Smithsonian Affiliations program.
Gallery
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View of the entire building
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Entrance to California Science Center, with the IMAX Theater on the left
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IMAX Theater at the California Science Center
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Roof trusses above the third floor
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Roof above the third floor
See also
- List of most-visited museums in the United States
- List of works by Frank Gehry
- List of science centers
- List of aviation museums
