California Science Center

California Science Center. . , From Inner Spaces To Outer Space , The nation was celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Wright Brothers' powered flight when the State Exposition Building first opened in Exposition Park in 1913 , a place that would become an informal hall of fame to the principles of science and flight. , The elegant Beaux Arts design of the Exposition Building has been preserved through the restoration of the 1913 north wall near the Rose Garden. , After World War II, the State Exposition Building was converted into the California Museum of Science and Industry, now redesigned and renamed the California Science Center. , Today’s California Science Center features modern science and technology with interactive displays from “Creative World,” with its earthquake simulator and hands-on exhibits, to “World of Life” with Tess, the 50-foot woman who demonstrates homeostasis. , The nearby Air and Space Gallery, formerly the Aerospace Hall, uses everything from a 19th century bat-wing glider to a hands-on wind tunnel to convey the sense of flight. Even the building, designed in 1984 by renowned architect Frank Gehry, feels like it is in motion: a steel ball sits atop it like a ball bearing ready to roll, and an F-104 supersonic Starfighter angles out from the façade. , From The Soil Into Space , But the Exposition Building and the land around it had already played an important by local role. This acreage was devoted to speed even before the age of flight, hosting 19th century auto and horse races. In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes showed up for the grand opening of Agricultural Park. Back then, earthbound marvels , exotic fruits and vegetables and innovative farm equipment , drew the curious. , Just as agriculture was the region's big draw in the 19th century, movies are now, and the complex of six buildings includes the Imax theatre, which has the largest movie screen in Los Angeles , and that's saying a lot. , Soldiers, Stars And Science Classes , The historic 1914 red brick National Guard Armory headquartered the 160th Infantry regiment, which was trained to act during civil disorders such as riots, and pitch in during natural disasters. , In the 1960s, the Guard moved out and part of the building was used to display a collection of aerospace artifacts , among them a replica of the first Mercury space capsule, which preceded the arrival of the real Mercury capsule displayed in the Air and Space Gallery. , The space was useful for more than space-age objects: In 1990, luminaries like Muhammed Ali and Gregory Peck were among the entertainment, political and business leaders who filled the old Armory to welcome South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela on his U.S. tour. , In 2004, following an extensive renovation, the Armory found new life as the Wallis Annenberg Building for Science Learning and Innovation, housing the Science Center's education programs and part of the Dr. Theodore T. Alexander, Jr. Science Center School. The building still retains some of the Armory's original features, like spiral staircases and the social hall, reworked as a meeting space. , The 2004 Science Center School is a partnership between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the California Science Center. It teaches students a rich curriculum of science, math and technology. Its architect, Thom Mayne, described the school's newer structure as a "non-building" for its unobtrusive, low-slung design built into the ground , a pronounced contrast with the Gehry-designed Air and Space Gallery at the opposite end.