California Science Center

The California Science Center, named by Forbes.com as the most popular museum destination in Southern California, has received more than 18 million visitors since opening in February 1998. The Science Center provides a rare model for science learning by combining exhibits with an on-site Science Center School and Amgen Center for Science Learning as well as a teacher professional development program. An admission-free venue, the Science Center offers permanent and changing exhibits and related educational programming through several galleries spanning more than 400,000 sq. feet. World of Life, probes the commonalities of the living world, from the single-celled bacterium to the 100-trillion-celled human being; Creative World examines the ways people employ technology to meet their needs for transportation, communication and structures. The SKETCH Foundation Air and Space Gallery combines items owned by the Science Center and a stunning array of items on loan from the Smithsonian Institution to introduce visitors to the aerospace industry and to the exploration of the stars and the planets. In March of 2010, the Science Center opened Ecosystems. The major expansion nearly doubles the amount of exhibition space at the Science Center and features an unprecedented blend of live plants and animals, and hands-on science exhibits in 11 immersive environments—unique among science centers in the United States. From walking through a living kelp forest to experimenting on a polar ice wall, explorers investigate some of the Earth's most fascinating ecosystems. Guests experience exciting and innovative exhibits, including a 188,000-gallon kelp tank populated with live kelp, fish and other marine life; a desert flash flood; and a special gallery dedicated to the urban ecology of Los Angeles. Ecosystems occupies 45,000 square feet and features nearly 400 species of plants and animals. The experience empowers explorers with the science knowledge to become better stewards of the environment. The Science Center also features a non-profit, educationally focused IMAX Theater with a capacity to create images of exceptional clarity and impact through the use of the largest film frame in the motion picture industry.