Discovery Cube Orange County facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | December 17, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
| Visitors | 525,000 (2012) |
The Discovery Cube Orange County is an exciting science museum located in Santa Ana, California. It was once known as the Discovery Science Center. This museum is packed with over 100 hands-on science exhibits. They are all designed to spark your natural curiosity about how the world works! The building itself is quite famous. It has a giant ten-story solar array cube that stands tall over Interstate 5. This makes it a real landmark you can easily spot.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The idea for the Discovery Cube started way back in 1984. Two groups, the Exploratory Learning Center and the Experience Center, joined forces. They wanted to teach kids about life in Orange County in the 1900s. They also dreamed of creating a top-notch science center.
In 1989, leaders in the county showed their support for the project. Before the main building was constructed, a smaller "beta" version called Launch Pad opened. It was located in South Coast Plaza. The current museum building opened its doors on December 17, 1998. It was built in what used to be a Bekins Van Lines storage building. From 1996 to 2000, Mark Walhimer helped design and set up all the cool exhibits. In 2008, the Center became part of the Smithsonian Affiliations program. This means it's connected to the famous Smithsonian museums!
Growing Bigger and Better
On September 29, 2012, the museum announced plans to expand. The first part of this expansion opened on June 11, 2015. It added a huge new Discovery Pavilion. It also included a lot of remodeled space.
Future plans for the museum are even more exciting! They include a Life Sciences Hall. There will also be a Courtyard of Learning and Living. An Environmental Pavilion and an IMAX theater are also planned. Plus, they want to build an eco-friendly parking area.
Discovery Cube Los Angeles
The Discovery Cube also partnered with the City of Los Angeles. They took over and now run the former Children's Museum of Los Angeles. This new location is at Hansen Dam in the San Fernando Valley. The city helped with money in April 2012. The center got federal funding in January 2013. This helped them finish building and start creating exhibits. The satellite museum opened on November 13, 2014. It is called Discovery Cube Los Angeles.
Exploring the Exhibits
The Discovery Cube is divided into several fun areas. Each area focuses on a different science topic. You can explore the Science of Hockey, Dino Quest, and the Rocket Lab. There's also Air & Space, Eco Challenge, Dynamic Earth, and the Quake Zone. The Showcase Gallery features special exhibits that change over time.
Some of the popular exhibits include:
- Dino Quest: This interactive exhibit opened in 2006. It lets you explore the world of dinosaurs. You can even see life-size dinosaurs!
- Science of Hockey: Opened in 2009, this exhibit shows you the science behind ice hockey. You can learn about physics and motion. The Anaheim Ducks team helped create this cool exhibit.
