The California Science Center (sometimes spelled California ScienCenter) is a state agency

California executive branch

The California executive branch of the state of California includes many agencies including those listed below.-Governor:Agencies under the direction of a secretary that report directly to the Governor are cabinet-level agencies, to which other agencies are subordinate to:*Governor**Office of the...

 and museum located in Exposition Park

Exposition Park (Los Angeles)

Exposition Park is located in University Park, Los Angeles, California, across the street from the University of Southern California. Exposition Park houses the following:* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum* Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena...

, Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Billed as the West Coast's largest hands-on science center, the California ScienCenter is a public-private partnership

Public-private partnership

Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...

 between the State and the California Science Center Foundation. The museum is also an affiliate in the Smithsonian Affiliations program.

Formerly known as the California Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum was remodeled in 1998 as the California Science Center. Currently it consists of the IMAX

IMAX

IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...

 Theater, the Sketch Foundation Gallery - Air and Space Exhibits (formerly Aerospace Hall) and the Science Center itself - including the March 2010 opening of the Ecosystems exhibition wing.

The California Science Center hosts the California State Science Fair

California State Science Fair

The California State Science Fair is a science fair held annually at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.The fair is fed by 28 regional science fairs, each of which is allocated a number of projects based on prior history of producing winning entries.The allocation in 2009 was 908...

 annually.

Once decommissioning of the orbiter is complete, the center will receive the Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...

.

Partial list of vehicles on display as of June 2010

Aircraft:

• Douglas DC-8 jetliner
• Lockheed F-104D Starfighter
  F-104 Starfighter
  The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
  
  
• Lockheed A-12 Blackbird Oxcart two-seater trainer Serial Number 60-6927
• Replica Bell X-1
  Bell X-1
  The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948...
  
   (movie prop from The Right Stuff)
• 1929 Velie Monocoupe
• Northrop T-38 Talon Jet Trainer
• Northrop F-20 Tigershark

Manned Spacecraft:

• Capsule for Mercury-Redstone 2
  Mercury-Redstone 2
  Mercury-Redstone 2 was an American space mission, launched at 16:55 UTC on January 31, 1961 from LC-5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mercury spacecraft No...
  
   which carried Ham the Chimp
  Ham the Chimp
  Ham , also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first chimpanzee launched into outer space in the American space program...
  
   into space
• Capsule for Gemini 11
  Gemini 11
  Gemini 11 was the ninth manned spaceflight mission of NASA's Project Gemini, which flew from September 12 to 15, 1966. It was the 17th manned American flight and the 25th spaceflight to that time . Astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. and Richard F. Gordon, Jr...
  
  
• Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
  Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
  -Backup crew:-Crew notes:Jack Swigert had originally been assigned as the command module pilot for the ASTP prime crew, but prior to the official announcement he was removed as punishment for his involvement in the Apollo 15 postage stamp scandal.-Soyuz crew:...
  
   Command Module

Robotic Spacecraft:

• Engineering prototype for Viking Lander
• Cassini-Huygens planetary probe
• Pioneer 10 planetary probe
• Mariner IV planetary probe
• Pioneer-Venus planetary probe

Transformation

In 1993, the Museum decided on a long-term renovation and transformation of its role from a science museum to a science education facility. This new facility would be known as the California Science Center. The master plan for this facility would be executed in three phases:

Phase I

• Redesign of the main building (Howard F. Ahmanson building).
• Science Plaza - Exhibits outside the main entrance.
  • World of Life - Explores the science of life in five galleries.
  • Creative World - Highlights technology in transportation, communications and structures. Features include a virtual reality exhibit where you can play sports using virtual reality, an earthquake simulator and other exhibits.
  • Special Exhibits gallery - Exhibits in this room have included a Titanic exhibit, a magic exhibit, a toy exhibit, and the widely known human body exhibit.
  • ExploraStore - Store specializing in scientific and educational items.
• IMAX theater - Seven-story IMAX screen, largest in Los Angeles.
• Phase I was completed and opened in 1998.

Phase II

• New parking structure with surrounding gardens.
• Renovate the historic Armory building into the new Science Center School and Amgen Center for Science Learning.
• Air and Space Gallery renovation.
• Ecosystems.

See also

• Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond
  Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond
  Mathematica: A World of Numbers…and Beyond is an interactive exhibition originally at the California Museum of Science and Industry. Duplicates have since been made, and they have been moved to other institutes.-History:...
  
  
• California State and Consumer Services Agency
  California State and Consumer Services Agency
  The California State and Consumer Services Agency is a state cabinet-level agency of the executive branch of the U.S. state of California. The current secretary of the SCSA is former Assembly Member Anna Caballero. Caballero, appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, replaced Governor Arnold...
  
  

External links

• California ScienCenter - Main website
• usc.edu Brief story about the California Museum of Science and Industry
• CMSI Remembering the California Museum of Science & Industry
• EHDD Architecture Phase II architects

34°0′56"N 118°17′9"W