Home Indoor Fun The Most Fun (and Free) Hands-On Kids Museum in Los Angeles by Erin LemSeptember 11, 2012 Search more like this exposition parkscience centersciencediscovery roomage appropriatebudding scientistscost freefamily friendlyfield tripsfun activitieshands onhands on activitieshow tomust see Advertisement Trending Now News Disney+’s Prices Are Increasing—Unless You Want to Watch Ads Food & Drink General Mills Is Bringing Back 4 Classic Sugar Cereals That Your Mom Never Let You Eat Viral & Trending Cat Sneaks into Family Car & Joins Their Road Trip, Becomes Instant Celebrity Viral & Trending Weatherman Discovers His Map Is a Touchscreen and His Reaction Is So Pure Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’ Advertisement Located in the heart of downtown’s historic Exposition Park, the California Science Center is the largest hands-on science museum on the West Coast. It’s the perfect way to help your budding scientist get her hands dirty, while sparing your floor and kitchen counters. With three floors of beautiful exhibit space, an Imax theater, rotating special galleries, and the fantastic themed Discovery Rooms, everyone is sure to learn something. But don’t worry, they’ll be having so much fun, they probably won’t even notice it.The best times to plan a California Science Center trip are in the middle of the week, Tuesday-Thursday. Try coming after lunch, around 1:00 pm during the school year, because by then all of the field trip groups will have left. Also, check the Coliseum and Exposition Park’s schedules for any special events before heading out. Getting There The Science Center is located downtown in Exposition Park. Parking in the structure is $10, and there are not many other options for convenient, safe parking in the area. To reach the parking structure, turn west into Exposition Park on 39th Street from Figueroa and follow the signs. Public Transportation is also available, check www.Metro.net for details.What to See The new Ecosystems exhibit is a great first stop. Showing how life thrives under all different types of ecological conditions, along your way you will encounter a chilly ice wall, a desert heat lamp, and a huge underwater paradise. Try to time your visit to the ocean room to correspond with one of the daily dive shows, where kids can ask scuba divers in the tank all kinds of interesting questions. If you are there with kiddos under 5, be sure to check out the Ecosystems Discovery Room, a fun interactive playroom that illustrates how even our homes are mini ecosystems.The World of Life exhibit is another must see. Make sure to catch the Body Works Show with Tess, a 50-foot body simulator. Tess explains, in age appropriate terms, how the human body works. The show is a lot of fun, but maybe a little overwhelming for little ones under 2.If you have an aspiring astronaut in your midst make sure you set aside some time to visit the Air and Space exhibit in the Science Court. Here you can learn about the science of flight and take a peek inside some of the Apollo space capsules.If you are visiting with munchkins under 5, each exhibit space has a Discovery Room full of fun, hands-on activities and projects. If you are visiting with some more mature junior scientists, try to catch a movie on the seven-story Imax movie screen. Movies change monthly and tickets and show times are available online at Imax Movie Times.Where to Eat There are several places to enjoy a bite during your visit: McDonald’s, a familiar fast food option, and the Rose Garden Cafe, a cafeteria-style eatery, are on the first floor of the Science Center. The Rose Garden Cafe also has a Taco Bell Express and a Starbucks coffee bar. Restaurants feature indoor and outdoor patio seating, overlooking the beautiful historic Exposition Park rose garden. If you are up for a bit more adventure make your way over to Little Tokyo for lunch. For tips and fun things to do, see and especially eat while you are there, check out Little Tokyo: Fun Activities, Culture and Cuisine for Los Angeles Kids. How to Dress The museum consists of mostly indoor spaces, but it is adjacent to the beautiful Exposition Park Rose Garden. Bring a light sweater so you can be sure to take a stroll through the historic garden.Bathrooms There is a family friendly bathroom near the elevator on the second floor.Strollers While there are elevators, the stairs are a much easier option for navigating the Science Center. If you can go without, give it a shot. Plus, there is so much to reach out and touch; your tiny scientist will not be a happy passenger for long.Cost Free. Wait, did I read that correctly? Yep, Free. Imax tickets must be purchased and occasionally there is a small charge for special gallery exhibits, but the permanent exhibits are open to the public. A donation, however, is always appreciated.California Science Center 700 Exposition Park Drive Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) SCIENCE Online: californiasciencecenter.org— Kate Woodruff Felton photo courtesy of and copyrighted by Tracie Spence Photography Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this exposition parkscience centersciencediscovery roomage appropriatebudding scientistscost freefamily friendlyfield tripsfun activitieshands onhands on activitieshow tomust see Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! Enter your email and zip code below for a chance to win a Mastercard Gift Card. We’ll pick one winner per month through August 31, 2022 – 5 lucky winners in all! email zip_code campaign_name Enter Now! I agree to the official rules and to receive email communications from Tinybeans. By providing my email address, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible. Accepting the use of cookies enables important site functionality including personalization and analytics. Accept Decline Create an account to save this content on Tinybeans Choose how you would like to sign up. Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Continue with Email By signing up, you agree to Tinybeans Terms of Service and acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Privacy Policy. Sign in to your Tinybeans account Don’t have any account? Create an account here. Forgot your password? Reset it here. Sign In or Continue with Apple Continue with Facebook Continue with Google Personalized recommendations Tinybeans uses personal information to share useful recommendations and ideas for your family. This may include your previous activity, family profile and your hometown. Tinybeans keeps your data safe and does not sell personal information to any third party. Learn more about your privacy and location choices. Close
Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’