Discovery Science Center
The answer is…  Discovery Science Center Probably not… But your kids will want to stay longer and learn more at the Science Center in Santa Ana, California. This learning museum caters to kids… KIDS OF ALL AGES - and that means adults will have a lot of fun too! You will find fun activities, learning exhibits, and a kid friendly environment for toddlers and teenagers. The Discovery Science Center is also an Orange County landmark in the middle of Santa Ana. Have you driven through the “Orange Crush” and seen the huge square Cube building floating above the freeway skyline? You are looking at over 550 black solar panel grids that line up the side of the Cube… They cover the side of the Cube that receives the most light.  “The Cube” Solar Panels The Discovery Cube offers one example of the potential for learning opportunities when you visit the Discovery Science Center. Many more kid friendly activities are scattered throughout the 2 story building as well as the Dino Quest Yard located directly outside of the first floor. Every floor and every learning station contains many hands on learning experiences for kids of all ages to explore. Over 120 interactive exhibits to be exact! The best part about the exploration is that your child will learn the science behind each station as they play and interact with it! Below you will find a sampling of what the Discovery Science Center has to offer. If we listed everything you could see or do… It would take the fun out of you going for yourself!!
Return to TOP Cloud Ring Each station and exhibit provides an opportunity to learn about Earth and the functions of nature. You will learn about Hurricanes, Tornados, Viscosity and Cloud Rings to name a few. Sounds a little intimidating to think you could learn more about the forces of nature? Not really… The Discovery Science Center does an amazing job at bringing the “fun” into learning! All you have to do is show up and have fun!  Hurricane Box Try it yourself!! Stand inside of the control box and before you know it the winds start racing by you at hurricane force! This is a typical example of interactive fun! You step inside of the box and the next thing you know high winds start to roar and you hear thunder crashing. The winds speed up and the noises become louder! It gets real loud… Most people end up covering their ears!!  Sun Stage The audience can sit comfortably on benches and aren’t required to stay for the entire session. If a show is in progress, it is okay to sit down in the middle and catch the end of the show. This area is wheelchair and stroller friendly! In fact the entire Discovery Science Center is wheelchair and stroller friendly… the exhibits are spaced well apart from each other and allow for easy navigation.  Electronic Fingerpainting The Discovery Science Center has learning activities for your toddlers and kids under 5 years old. The Kids Station is located on the second floor and offers many hands on games and interactive play.  Learning Submarine Kids can dress up, explore the submarine as “captain”, or play in the green screen activity area. Parents are welcome to participate in activities or observe from the sidelines.  Kid’s Dig Site Dino Quest is probably one of the most exciting and interactive exhibits. There are moving dinosaurs and interactive electronic exhibits in the Dino Pit. It’s a place where you can be a research assistant to archeologists around the world!! You can solve mysteries by answering questions on your research mission or even become a Dino Tracker.  Argentinosaurus Dinosaur First, you will see a huge dinosaur in front of you. Second, when you look up you will see a huge network of black cross beams and grids. You are looking directly inside of the Cube! The life-size dinosaur is an Argentinosaurus, a 2 story interactive hands-on exhibit. You can climb inside of the dinosaur and learn how the inner workings of body systems function. Listen to the sounds of a heart beating and learn more about blood flow in the body!  Triceratops You will also see a small Triceratops that moves like it is alive! It looks like it could have been a baby or at the least a scaled down version of an adult. After all, an adult Triceratops can reach up to 10 feet tall and 30 feet long!  Fossil Dig Imagine digging in your back yard and finding bones from a Triceratops!! Several boxes can be found full of prehistoric fossils. It’s basically an architectural dig full of fossils for you to explore! The fossils are laid out in the boxes just as if you were digging them out yourself. It gives kids a great idea of how the bones are found and uncovered in the earth. Renewable energy… That is what the Discovery Science Center is all about. Since 1998, the famous “Discovery Cube” has provided solar energy to the Science Center. It does this through its now over 550 solar panels that form ONE side of the cube. Why was the Cube built?? It goes all the way back to science of course! And to the perfect 3D geometrical shapes found in nature. The only representation of a geometrical shape that didn’t exist was the Cube.  Standing Inside and Looking The Sphere had been built at Disneyworld. The Pyramid had been built at the Louvre, the Luxor in Las Vegas and Cal. State University, Long Beach basketball arena. Why is the Cube so special?? It’s one of a kind! No other example of the Cube structure exists… Except at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California. You could say that it took roughly 6 weeks to build, put together, transport and install on site. That’s fast!! The best part of the Cube is that any excess energy that is produced and not consumed is sent directly back into the power grid for local consumer use. That’s incredible! If you want to get a super cool look at the Cube, then step outside of the Discovery Science Center and into the entrance of Dino Quest. Look straight up and you can see the solar panels up close and personal! You will definitely recognize the Cube at night too! There are neon lights on the Cube that light up … reminding you it’s there and telling you “Don’t forget to come back and visit!” The Discovery Science Center is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
 Endeavor Shuttle You should consider membership to the Discovery Science Center as you can get FREE Admission with your membership. And you support the non-profit organization that makes the Discovery Science Center possible! Basic family membership includes 2 adults and 2 children, free admission, discounts with science store purchases and many other perks including discounts on Summer Camp! Ask at the counter the next time you visit the Science Center! One of the cool things offered at the Discovery Science Center is they offer Summer Camp!! Summer Camp sessions are offered for kids ages 5 through 13 and can be a few hours long or all day long. Extended days, from 2:30 pm until 5:00 pm, are available during some sessions for an additional fee. Kids can go on discovery tours, explorations, animal safaris, robotics camp and many other fun filled and exciting adventures. The most important thing to remember is the Summer Camps fill up FAST… sign up early!! If you are a Discovery Science Center member you can get a discount!! Midnight Madness Camp Ins are perfect for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Church Groups. It just takes a minimum of eight kids and one chaperone per eight kids to qualify for a Camp In!  They are held Friday’s and activities start at 7:00 pm. It’s recommended that you show up at 6:45 pm and already have eaten dinner as only a nighttime snack will be served. Different activities will be held all night long and kids can participate in over 100 of the exhibits! A continental breakfast will be served Saturday morning and Midnight Madness ends that morning at 9:00 am. The Discovery Science Center is a 59,000 square foot kid’s museum that opened in 1998. Parents used to have to travel with kids to other cities and destinations for a learning museum experience… When the Discovery Science Center opened… that all changed! There was finally a local museum with things to do for kids. This hands-on museum catered to kids and the learning experience they could gain by having fun at the same time – what a concept! Many fun activities await kids of all ages. There are even special sections for toddlers and kids under 5. Many programs are available from Assembly Programs, “Science on the Go”, After School Programs, the Star Lab, and Water Education Programs…. To only name a few!! With all of these programs available you can imagine how busy the Discovery Science Center can be! If you know what school day you are going to visit, call ahead to find out the school touring schedule. Tips for the Discovery Science Center
The important thing is to have fun and interact with your kids. Make their learning experience a fun one! You might even learn a thing or two!!
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