US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide - (Page 17)

Science Central L See the world in a new way at the California Science Center. BY JOSH JENISCH ast October, as the space shuttle Endeavour made its 68-hour journey along LA thoroughfares, an entire city made way for the history-making orbiter. ENDEAVOUR PHOTO BY LEROY HAMILTON The massive spacecraft - headed toward a new permanent residence at the California Science Center - looked oddly dislocated, like Gulliver lost in a vast Lilliputian metropolis. Power lines were taken down, stoplights relocated, trafﬁc diverted, and 1.5 million people came out to see the shuttle reach its new home. And what a home it is. The Samuel Oschin Pavilion at the Science Center shows off the shuttle to glorious effect. Numerous displays highlight Endeavour's storied history, while others reveal the groundbreaking technology that made the shuttle program possible. But the centerpiece of the exhibit, naturally, is Endeavour herself. Visitors can walk all the way around the orbiter, and even get close enough to inspect her heat tiles and massive main engines. Endeavour is only one of many impressive exhibits at the Science Center. The museum is home to other historically signiﬁcant aircraft, including an A-12 Blackbird and a 1902 Wright Glider, which is a fullscale replica of the plane in which the Wright brothers ﬁrst achieved controlled ﬂight. The Ecosystems exhibit takes visitors on an interactive exploration of the connection between organisms and their environments, while World of Life explains how the 100 trillion cells in the human body work in harmony. The museum's seven-story IMAX Theater, meanwhile, is the largest in all of Los Angeles. The Science Center campus is family friendly, with hands-on exhibits that will entertain restless toddlers and jaded teenagers alike. Most astonishingly, aside from the IMAX Theater and select traveling exhibits, admission is free. So there's no excuse not to visit and experience the thrill of discovery for yourself. California Science Center 700 Exposition Park Drive Los Angeles, CA 323.724.3623 californiascience center.org Exit Metro Expo Line at Expo Park/USC station. See map on page 101; more details at metro.net. From left: the Science Center entrance; Endeavour in its new home discoverLosAngeles.com 17 http://www.californiasciencecenter.org http://www.californiasciencecenter.org http://www.metro.net http://www.metro.net http://www.discoverLosAngeles.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide

US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide
Contents
Culture Thrives in the City of Angels
Art, Dance, History, Music, Theater: Downtown LA Has it All
Bask in Surrounding Glory
For More Inspiration, Go West
Discover the Next Stage
Rest Assured

US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide