Discovery Cube Orange County facts for kids
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| Established | December 17, 1998 |
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| Location | Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
| Visitors | 525,000 (2012) |
The Discovery Cube Orange County is a super fun science museum in Santa Ana, California. It used to be called the Discovery Science Center. This museum has over 100 hands-on exhibits. These exhibits are made to make kids curious about science. The building itself is pretty cool. It has a giant ten-story solar array cube. This cube stands out next to Interstate 5.
Discovering the Past
In 1984, two groups joined together. They wanted to create a great science center. Their goal was to teach kids about science. They also wanted to show what life was like in Orange County long ago.
Before the main building opened, a smaller version called Launch Pad operated. It was like a test run for the museum. The current museum opened on December 17, 1998. It was built in a building that used to be a storage depot. From 1996 to 2000, Mark Walhimer helped design and set up the exhibits. In 2008, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Affiliations program. This means it works with the famous Smithsonian museums.
In 2012, the museum announced plans to grow. The first part of this expansion opened in 2015. It added a big new Discovery Pavilion. There were also some remodeled spaces. Future plans include more exhibit halls. They also want to add an IMAX theater.
Discovery Cube Los Angeles
The Discovery Cube also has another location. It partnered with the City of Los Angeles. This new museum opened on November 13, 2014. It is called Discovery Cube Los Angeles. It is located at Hansen Dam.
Awesome Exhibits
The Discovery Cube has many cool themed areas. Each area focuses on different science topics. You can explore the Science of Hockey. There's also Dino Quest and the Rocket Lab. Other areas include Air & Space and Eco Challenge. You can also learn about Dynamic Earth and the Quake Zone.
- Dino Quest: This interactive exhibit opened in 2006. It lets you explore the world of dinosaurs. You can see life-size dinosaurs here.
- Science of Hockey: This exhibit opened in 2009. It shows the science behind ice hockey. The Anaheim Ducks team helped create it. You can learn about physics and motion.
