Tickets for the planetarium shows cannot be purchased online or in advance. They must be purchased…read moreabout 30-45 mins before each show starts. Usually the lines are long if you try to purchase the tickets near the front entrance. But there are a few kiosks and other box offices available inside the observatory. Kiosks are the easiest way to purchase the tickets and avoid the frustratingly long lines. It is advised to go inside the planetarium at least 20 mins before the show starts. For some shows, the entrance to the planetarium is from the West terrace. On a cold night, it can get very chilly and the lines and wait times could be long. So, make sure to wear warm clothing. Coming to the planetarium shows, I viewed the 'Signs of life' and 'Centered in the universe'. Both of them are well made, perfectly timed and very informative. I enjoyed them thoroughly.

first of all, the ticket line was way too long, I had o wait under the sun forever just to buy them…read moreand honestly that already killed my vibe. On top of that, parking was $10 per hour -- I mean, come on, that's crazy. I was already a little in a bad mood, so maybe that didn't help, but still they should really fix how they do the ticket distribution. It felt super disorganized. Now, the good part, the dome is beautiful, the projections look amazing, and the whole vibe inside is actually pretty cool. But I just couldn't fully enjoy it with all the stress before the show.

It was great except I would rather go when it's not spring break, too crowded. Overall it was good.read more

I love the observatory! I come here almost every day to…read morerelax and enjoy the views! It's an educational exercise;)

We had an amazing time at the Museum! This was our first time to a natural history museum and we're…read moreblown away. I do t know what I was expecting, but it genuinely surpassed it. Ever exhibit we walked thru was well staged, informative and captivating. You definitely need more than one day to go thru each exhibit and show/movie. I will say, I felt like the butterfly exhibit was overhyped. But they were really cool to look at.

We visited for our anniversary this year! The museum is much larger than I anticipated. We ended up…read morespending a whole three hours here! There is so much to see and learn about. I like how the museum feels like an "open map" in the sense of being able to start anywhere. Be sure to move around each specimen because there are things to read from all angles. I always appreciate a museum that acknowledges their dark past and explains how they move forward with better knowledge and understanding. Most of this is found in the mammal halls. Great place to take anybody with a passion for the natural world and it's history

We visited the California Science Center for their Mummies of the World exhibition, which runs…read morethrough September 7 (2026). Pictures were allowed, just no flash photography. The docents were very kind and eager to answer any questions we might have had. It was incredible and I highly recommend visiting before exhibiting is taken off from display. I posted a lot of pictures but trust me, this is something you have to see in person to truly appreciate it.

Perfect "Oooo Ahhhh" Spot for Kids - Science Magic for School Trips & Family Days!…read more Put on my kid hat for this one -- if you're taking little ones (or even bigger kids) on a school trip or family outing, the California Science Center in LA is an absolute winner. It's full of hands-on exhibits that spark that big "oooo ahhhh" reaction and sneak in real learning without feeling like school. From ecosystems and living kelp forests to interactive science zones, space stuff, and whatever special exhibit is on (right now it's Mummies of the World -- super cool for curious minds), there are tons of intellectual learning points wrapped in pure fun. Kids light up pushing buttons, experimenting, and discovering how things work. It's designed perfectly for young learners and school groups. As an adult walking in, it might not be your first-choice cup of tea if you're looking for something more sophisticated -- a lot of it is geared toward children and families. But if you're there for the kids, you'll still enjoy watching their excitement and maybe even learn a thing or two yourself. Highly recommend for families with little ones or any school trip. The wonder and "aha!" moments make it worth the visit.

We made a last minute reservation for Sunday 4/26 with our membership. Morning slots were sold out…read moreso we got 12pm. We arrived a little before 1pm. Today they had two special events: 1) meet a mermaid, and 2) party in paradise (Guam dancers). Today was particularly busy with Ronald McDonald House run from 9-11am and free admission for those who participated. Love that Kidspace has themed events to keep families coming! Lots of beautiful themed decorations in the front entrance and right as you walk through. We went straight to the reading area to get in line for meet the mermaid. We waited about 15 minutes. The mermaid was very friendly and played the part well. There were lots of Kidspace photographers. Next we went to the 1:30pm "party in paradise" performance at the outdoor amphitheater. My girls' (almost 5 & 7yo) favorite is the craft room. Today's activity was still the paper butterfly cutouts (we came on 3/30). They could spend the whole visit in the craft room! Los Trompos is also another favorite! Other favorites we didn't get to today: muddy boots farm, blue ocean area, arts/crafts up at the top of the hill, tricycles, climbing structures (2 indoor, 1 outdoor). My youngest really wanted to do the pressurized water bottle experiment. It wasn't working properly today, but a little boy showed us the trick. Tip: press low, high, AND bottom row buttons all at the same time. Watch the stick rise, the water fill up, then shoot up! Shout out to Events Director, Michael, who is always friendly and helpful! Thank you for saying hi!

You HAVE to check their event calendar RIGHT before going because they are closed random days…read more.. i've driven over there multiple times only to find that they're closed so what I decided to do was put their event calendar in mine and marked the days that they would be closed and the days that they have toddler Tuesday... Well, it turns out they change their calendar and don't put out any announcement about it and so what I marked down is now incorrect . It's really frustrating. I wish they would send out an update when they decide to change their calendar or maybe just not put out the calendar so far in advance if they're going to change it.. All that being said, this place is great. We come here all the time. I started taking my baby when she was eight months old and I found out about their baby room, which is an amazing developmentally appropriate spot for babies to grow. They have carpet which is essential for babies learning to crawl. If you have a 0-12 month old DO not skip out on this! It's the absolute best part of KS IMO. Now that my child is almost 2. She loves the whole place... Her favorite is the stream... Make sure you bring an extra set of clothes and a towel because your kids will get wet! It's great that they change up their theme so often and that they bring in new items to play with all the time... We particularly love the clay table for the spring and I love the sensory bins on toddler Tuesday. Toddler Tuesday is absolutely wonderful. People always ask how it's different.- well, they set up the art room for toddlers so instead of having crafts where you may have to use scissors don't have something similar like painting ice... They also have sensory bins set up for them as well as some fun activities like sidewalk chalk. There are less older kids there which makes the toddlers have more freedom to roam about.

It's sad that this planetarium was closed for renovations and then Covid happened and ever since…read more2020 they never re-opened. When you go to their website it says "temporarily closed" however being closed for going on 6 years does not seem like it's temporary - which is unfortunate!

Found this on Yelp and so happy to have gone tonight! I've gone to the planetarium at Mt. SAC, but…read moreit's really far to me now in Long Beach. This is close and convenient to the 22. The show we went to tonight was really cool and interesting. Patricia Sullivan hosted and she was fun, welcoming and made things easy to understand. Loved seeing the constellations projected onto the planetarium dome and then there was an awesome presentation about the solar system afterward. I'll definitely be back! I only gave four stars because I was hoping/looking forward to a Night Sky Live that was included in the program notes, but it didn't happen. I would also love to look through telescopes, so not sure if that's a different program altogether.

We did the private tour of the observatory, and let me tell you it was so worth it. I booked the…read moreprivate tour as an anniversary gift for my husband, he's a physicist and I knew this would be right up his alley. The tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable about the observatory. The tour takes you through several parts of the observatory with experts at each stopping point. As someone who isn't into physics, I can honestly say I actually had a blast. There's also a small cafe that serves sandwiches and soups that was also really good. The observatory and cafe are open only during part of the year, so definitely check out their site for the hours.

This is a must visit for all Angelenos and tourists and anyone interested in matters earthly and…read moreuniversal. We did the 2+ hour docent tour, worth every penny. Everyone here is a volunteer (docents, scientists, and all) so they rely on donations and purchases of merch and all the really special events they plan. You need to get a $5 daily pass to park in the lot since it's a national forest. Easy to get at the Cosmic Cafe upon arrival. Sign up online for their newsletter so you can be in the know of some very cool happenings at the observatory.

I highly recommend their live night telescope viewing…read more Jim, their resident Astronomer is the best. He knows more about astronomy, interplanetary science, and the solar system than it should be legal to know. Plus he is a nice guy who is willing to share his knowledge. Jim also used to build propulsion rockets for the Space Shuttle flights. I learned so much from his 2 hour seminar and hands on viewing. I may even go out and buy a telescope now he got me so excited. Parking was easy and free at the meters on Pico after 6 PM. The Planetarium is on the 2nd Floor of the John Drescher building. After the class where he points out what you are going to see, everyone walks outside together to the viewing area where his associates set up multiple telescopes. Wear walking shoes, dress warm, eyeglasses or no-glasses are fine for viewing, bring cash only for the event, and have a coffee before coming. Because when you sit in those comfortable theater seats, recline back to see the dome, and he turns off all the lights...I don't know about you...

This is a small, low-key planetarium show led by a passionate, knowledgeable, engaging, and funny…read moreamateur astronomer, Jim. Jim's enthusiasm for space exploration and astronomy is infectious and you leave the planetarium show with a renewed sense of wonder at all the mysteries right above us. Street parking is really easy to find the night of the show and sometimes volunteers bring their own telescopes for night sky viewing. I've seen some really incredible things at the night sky viewings: sunlight slowly filling the craters on the moon, the rings of saturn, a double star-system, and the "star nursery" in the Orion Nebula. Whenever I leave the show, I feel like I was in on some special secret. Oh, and if you can't tell by the address, this is at Santa Monica College

Looking for something fun to do over the weekend? Admission to the Broad is free and Parking is…read more$19. Accessible by the metro, a stroll the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Living in Los Angeles, it's kind of rare to feel like a tourist in your own city. The Broad is a stunning gallery that has amazing pieces on display! We definitely booked tickets for Takashi Murakami and decided to double up on the Infinity Room. It was so fun and please do not sleep on the gift shop. The Takashi pins are nice gifts!

5.8.26 Tickets are…read morerecommended and can be reserved on their website, though walk-ins are accepted. Options include General Admission or General Admission with access to the Infinity Mirrored Room (reservations for this open the last Wednesday of each month). I mistakenly booked only General Admission and was disappointed to find that the Infinity Room was fully booked at my time slot. General admission includes access to the museum's third-floor galleries. I typically gravitate toward art museums over history or science museums, and this one delivered. The collection features primarily paintings, along with several portraits and sculptures--engaging and thought-provoking throughout. There is a parking garage located beneath the museum. Rates are $19 for the first three hours with museum validation, $7 for each additional 15 minutes, with a $29 daily maximum. There's also a $19 flat rate after 5 pm on weeknights and all day on weekends.

Absolutely loved this place. We came here for a homeschool field trip. There were two parts to the…read morefield trip. The viewing of the informational star session in the dome. The second part the kids and parents build mini rockets. Then they launched the rockets into the air and tried to catch them. The staff was so nice and helpful. They answered all of our questions and took their time with out groups. So much fun for the entire family.

We attended with our homeschool group and it was an amazing experience! Our host, Alex, was great…read morewith the kids! We built our rockets and then they got to launch it and try and catch it. Super fun and exciting for the kids. The planetarium show was great too. I've only ever seen the Griffith Observatory show and this was on par with that show without the drive or the high price. This is a lesser known gem and if your on the fence do not hesitate to check it out!