The science museum is a great place to spend the day learning and having fun with the whole family. 

The museum has great fixed exhibits like Creative World and Ecosystems and special temporary exhibits like Journey to Space. Special exhibits usually require a ticket you can purchase at the ticket booth.

Along with the exhibits, the museum has a large format Imax theater that showcases films with scientific themes. Some are shown in amazing vivid 3D.

The best attraction at the museum nowadays is the Endeavour final resting place. You have to go through Ecosystems to get the Endeavour display. The first time I entered this hall I was surprised at the spaceship’s huge size. It dwarfs the throngs of people gazing up at it. 

On the walls surrounding Endeavour, you can experience a space station module, a space shuttle engine and many photos and videos of the shuttle missions. 

Before you get to Endeavour you have to pass through Ecosystems. It is worth lingering here for a while so you can experience Earth’s Forest, River, Island and Extreme zones.  You can also zoom in onto the L.A. zone for more intimate details about our own environment. 

 And don’t forget to visit Creative World. This is a place for the whole family to interact and create. You build structure and see the effect of earthquakes on your creation. Or you can see how the wind lifts the wings on an airplane in wind tunnel. How about making some model car move with the power of solar energy or finding the perfect angle for a sailboat in the wind?

A great area for younger kids is the Discovery Room where they can play with hands-on toys and experiments or use preloaded iPads with educational games. They can also visit the Air and Space area and pretend to be astronauts piloting the Endeavour. 

During my visit I watched the Journey to Space Imax 3D movie. It felt to me like I was in the space shuttle and then visiting the space station. The view of our Earth from above is breathtaking. 

On your way out visit the ExploraStore where you can find the perfect souvenir for inquiring minds. You can find kits, model spaceships, rock collections and much more.

Plan your visit and learn more about the center at the official website here: www.californiasciencecenter.org.

The Science Center is located next to the University of Southern California (USC) at Exposition Park. Admission is free unless you want to watch an Imax movie or visit one of the special Exhibits. 

Imax movies tickets are $8.50 and the Journey to Space exhibit is $6.50.

You can avoid traffic and parking fees by riding the metrolink expo line which takes you directly to exposition park – a few step away from the museum.

California Science Center

www.californiasciencecenter.org