The California Science Center

Since I spent time over in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles the other day, I ended up parking my car in the lot adjacent to the California Science Center. Living as I do, with Mr Know It All, I have intimate knowledge of the Science Center area. For many years we had a yearly membership and visited several times a year. It's been a few years since I have traveled over to it and the immediate area has changed a bit, but it was wonderful to see the redevelopment of the area. It is immediately south of the USC Campus and was neglected for many years. Being the Coliseum is adjacent to the Science Center, this was a real shame. 2 Olympics were hosted here, over the years and I remember the first time I brought my son over to see the Science Center, the Coliseum was boarded up with fencing around it. A sad situation that made me want to cry. It is still not in use often, but it seems to be better taken care of and the property around it is much better, due to the redevelopment. All good things in my book.
The Science Center:
It was originally a building all by itself, with a plane that hangs from the side of it. Back in the early 90's they began building a new home for the Center and used a wall of one of the Exposition buildings that overlook the Rose Garden, as it's anchor. That way, from the garden itself, it looks like it has always looked, but it is a totally new building and very beautiful. They also put in a state of the art IMAX Theater adjacent to it with a walkway out of the theater and into the Science Center. You do a spiral downward circling a beautiful fountain, with orbs above, suspended down from the ceiling. I can't explain it easy, but it's a beautiful walk.

The Science Center itself has a bike on a tight rope right there as you enter and my son loved to spend a few minutes riding it. The kids can't fall off, but they do ride right over the lower level. Maybe his first love of flying came from those bike rides. :-)
There is a huge human body exhibit called Tess, that teaches kids what we humans are made of and what homeostasis is. There is a communications exhibit, that helped my son understand some of what I deal with in my "Real Time" job. Satellites and earth stations and fiber optics, etc. He loved checking all that stuff out.
Back in the late 90's they redid the original Science building and made it strictly The Air and Space Gallery. California has a rich history of flight and it is shown off here. Mercury and Gemini Space Capsules and The Spirit of Saint Louis are all showcased. Exhibits explain the principles of flight and teach how to design things that fly. My son loved spending hours checking stuff out here. They only thing was, he got too old for it, too soon. So we only visited it maybe twice, before that window of young child closed. We were glad he got to it at all, cause we could see his interest, even then.

If you are ever in the area and have children in the under 13 age bracket, Exposition Park and The California Science Center are a great place to spend a few hours. Fun and learning, all in one. Oh and an SR71 Blackbird, too...