California Science Center- revisited and yes it’s free!



If you grew up in Southern California, you might recall the commercials for the Museum of Science and Industry. I have fond memories of visiting with my family as a child. Well time has been very kind to the museum and it’s now called the California Science Center. I’ve been meaning to visit with the kids for quite some time now and was finally able to make the trip this weekend. We packed a bag Saturday afternoon and headed off for a visit to the Science Center.

The Science is Center is located in Exposition Park and is the West Coast’s largest hands on science center. It boasts 3 floors, which holds 4 permanent exhibits and a special exhibit gallery which showcases popular exhibits from museums around the world. The four permanent exhibits are The Creative World Exhibit, The World of Life Exhibit, Air and Space Exhibit and the Science court.
The first exhibit we toured was The Creative World , which showcases advances humans have made in communication, architecture and transportation. My kids loved the exhibit. My daughter was fascinated with the communication section of the exhibit. The second and final exhibit we toured was the World of Life exhibit. My kids were in heaven. They did not want to budge from the gallery. They loved the the Life Source gallery which featured a chicken hatchery.

The absolute highlight of the trip for them was a visit to the Discovery Room. If you have kids under 5 this is probably where you will spend most of your time. Your children will be able to see frogs, spiders, crabs, turtles, birds and snakes close up. There is a fantastic toddler area. My son Michael who is only a year old was entertained for at least an hour. We had planned to visit the Air and Space Exhibit but we ran out of time. If you are planning a visit make sure you allow for plenty of time.

I can’t tell you enough how much we all loved the museum. I would arrive early to make the best of your visit. I would visit the second floor first and explore The Creative World Exhibit and The World of Life exhibit. I would then stop to have lunch at either McDonald’s or Taco Bell Express, which are located on the first floor of the museum. After lunch I would head out to explore the third floor and the Air and Space Wing. We will be heading out to explore the Air and Space exhibit next weekend and I can’t wait to share our experience with you. Trust me your family will love this place.

California Science Center – Exposition Park, 700 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037
The California Science Center is open daily from 10am to 5pm- closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Admission to the Science Center’s permanent exhibit galleries is FREE!!
Parking is $8 per car- cash only!

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