The California Science Center is a world-renowned educational resource and a favorite destination for families, offering interactive exhibits and educational programs based on scientific research. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, within the historic Exposition Park, the Science Center is open to the public seven days a week, 362 days a year, with free admission to its three main exhibition areas. These exhibition areas include:

• “World of Life”, which explores the similarities between all forms of life, from single-celled bacteria to humans made up of 100 trillion cells;
• “Creative World”, examining how humans use technology to meet their transportation, communication, and infrastructure needs;
• “Ecosystems”, an unprecedented fusion of over 200 species of plants and animals, and interactive exhibits within 11 immersive environments. Additionally, the museum showcases displays on flight and space exploration, including its crown jewel: the Space Shuttle Endeavour, one of the last three remaining shuttles and the only one of these national treasures housed on the West Coast.

History of the California Science Center

Also known as the California Science Center, this state agency and museum is the largest interactive science center on the West Coast. It represents a public-private partnership between the State of California and the California Science Center Foundation and is overseen by the California Natural Resources Agency, which also manages the California African American Museum.

Founded in 1951 as the "California Museum of Science and Industry," the museum was restructured and renamed the "California Science Center" in 1998. Every year, it hosts the California State Science Fair, celebrating scientific excellence among students throughout California.

The museum's history dates back even further to the first California State Exhibition building, which opened in Exposition Park in 1912, on a site that had hosted an agricultural fair from 1872 to 1910. The brick and terracotta building, designed by state architect William D. Coates, Jr. and state engineer N. Ellery, displayed agricultural resources and industrial products from across the state, including ranching, fishing and hunting, coal and gold mining, oil production, timber, and some of the state's recreational attractions. After World War II, the building began to feature exhibits on the state's science and technology sectors.

It wasn't until 1951 that the fair was transformed into the "California Museum of Science and Industry." The State Exhibition Building was renamed the Howard F. Ahmanson Building in honor of the museum's major donor and trustee. The interactive exhibits covered topics like agriculture, transportation, electricity, energy, industries, and minerals.

In 1961, the museum opened a new science wing with the exhibit “Mathematica: A World of Numbers… and Beyond,” sponsored by IBM and designed by Charles and Ray Eames to visually demonstrate fundamental mathematical concepts. The original exhibit closed in 1998 but remains on display at the New York Hall of Science.

The museum's journey continued in the 1980s. In preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the museum added new exhibits on earthquakes, economics, and an IMAX theater. The opening and closing ceremonies of the games were held at the adjacent Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The California Aerospace Museum opened in 1984, adjacent to and operated by the California Museum of Science and Industry, in conjunction with the Summer Olympics. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the museum showcased the state's leadership in the aerospace industry, with a hangar-like space displaying aircraft, spacecraft, and artifacts. The building, now known as the Air and Space Gallery, closed in 2011.

In 1988, the museum's leadership began developing a three-phase, 25-year master plan to transform the institution from a science museum into a science education center, under the name California Science Center. The construction, designed by Portland Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, led to the demolition of the original Howard F. Ahmanson Building, preserving only the north façade of the Science Center. The new facility opened to the public in 1998 under its current name, the California Science Center.

Permanent and Temporary Exhibits at the California Science Center

The California Science Center offers a wide variety of permanent and temporary exhibits that combine education and entertainment and are suitable for visitors of all ages.

Ecosystems

This exhibit spans two floors, covering a total of 45,000 square feet, and features display zones with live animals and aquariums that showcase life and adaptation across various ecosystems, including rivers, deserts, polar regions, deep seas, oceans, islands, and urban areas. The highlight is a 188,000-gallon kelp tank, home to over 1,500 live fish, kelp, and other marine life, with an acrylic tunnel allowing visitors to feel immersed in the underwater world.

Fire! Science & Safety

Inside a building called Casa Del Fuego, this exhibition highlights the importance of fire safety and raises awareness about what to do in case of a fire. It was developed in collaboration with the Children's Burn Foundation.

World of Life

An incredibly fascinating exhibit that examines life processes and the similarities between microscopic organisms and humans. It even features a titan arum flower on loan from the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens! Additionally, it hosts BodyWorks, a 15-minute program with Tess, a 50-foot-tall animatronic human body simulator, and her animated friend Walt, who demonstrate how homeostasis works.

Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center

The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is an upcoming expansion of the California Science Center, currently under development. It will feature three multi-level galleries, spread across four floors, and will cover over 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. The building will also host special exhibits and events.

Space Collection

The California Science Center boasts an extensive collection of historic artifacts related to space and air exploration. Among the highlights are extraordinary pieces such as the Apollo Command Module from the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the Gemini 11 capsule flown by Pete Conrad and Richard F. Gordon Jr. in 1966, and the Mercury-Redstone 2 capsule that carried Ham, the first great ape in space (1961).

In the aerospace section, you can also admire other notable artifacts, including a Lockheed A-12 Oxcart, serial number 60-6927 "Titanium Goose," and a replica of the Bell X-1 (a prop from the film The Right Stuff).

How to Get to the California Science Center

As previously mentioned, the California Science Center is located at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you can take a taxi, rental car, or ride-sharing service to reach the center, which is about a 30-minute drive.

If you're already in the area and have a rental car, simply take the I-105 E and then the I-110 N to the Exposition Blvd exit. Follow Exposition Blvd to Exposition Park Drive, and you'll arrive at your destination.

By public transportation, you can take the Metro Expo Line to the Expo Park/USC station, which is right across from the California Science Center. Alternatively, you can take an Amtrak or Metrolink train to Los Angeles Union Station, then transfer to the Metro Red or Purple Line to the 7th St/Metro Center station. From there, take the Expo Line directly to the Expo Park/USC station and arrive at the California Science Center.