Ecosystems & the Kelp Forest

One of the museum's most beloved permanent galleries is Ecosystems, a ten-zone exploration of how living things and environments shape each other. The crown jewel is the Kelp Forest: an 188,000-gallon saltwater tank that recreates the giant kelp ecosystems found just off Southern California's coast. Look through the massive window and you might spot leopard sharks gliding past, moray eels peeking from rock crevices, giant sea bass patrolling the depths, and spiny lobsters picking their way along the sandy floor.↗

Touch tables and smaller aquariums bring tidepool life—giant anemones, sea stars, and kelp crabs—right to your fingertips. Other Ecosystems zones take you from a simulated desert flash flood to the bone-chilling Poles Ice Wall, through rocky shores, island habitats, and the alien-like world of deep-sea hydrothermal vents.↗

GAME ON!: Sports Meets Science

Even adults get drawn into GAME ON!, a free interactive exhibit that uses motion-tracking technology and pro-athlete coaching videos to turn baseball, soccer, basketball, swimming, yoga, and dance into a science lesson. Step up to a virtual pitching mound, sprint past laser-triggered speed gates, or test your basketball arc while the exhibit breaks down the biomechanics behind every move. It sits next to the Kelp Forest on the first floor and is a natural energy-burner for kids between the quieter galleries.↗

IMAX & Special Exhibitions

The Center's IMAX theater screens large-format nature, space, and adventure films that are a step up visually from a standard cinema. Tickets are timed and must be purchased in advance online—walk-up availability is limited. The current headline special exhibition is Mummies of the World: The Exhibition, running until September 7, 2026, featuring naturally and intentionally preserved human and animal mummies from ancient Egypt, South America, and Europe, some never before shown in Los Angeles.↗↗

Planning Your Visit

The core galleries are completely free and require no reservation—just walk in during operating hours, which run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Only the IMAX, special exhibitions, and (once open) the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center require timed tickets, so plan ahead if you want a specific movie showing or the debut shuttle viewing.↗↗

Getting there is easy by Metro: the Expo Park/USC station on the Expo Line is directly across the street from the museum entrance. By car, the Science Center sits two blocks west of the 110 Harbor Freeway at the Exposition Boulevard exit, in the historic Exposition Park neighborhood alongside the Natural History Museum and the Rose Garden. Paid parking is available on-site but the lot can fill during busy weekends and special events, so arriving early is wise.↗

For food, there's a coffee bar, marketplace, and grill in the first-floor dining court serving pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and kid-friendly meals. You're also welcome to bring your own food to eat in the dining court or on the outdoor patio adjacent to the Rose Garden—just no alcohol, and food stays out of the galleries. The Center is fully wheelchair accessible, has changing tables, and is rated excellent for young children.↗↗

Why Go Now?

Visiting before the Air and Space Center opens in late 2026 means you'll get the galleries with less shuttle-driven crowds, and the free admission model makes it an easy add to any South LA day out—pair it with the adjacent California State Museum of Science & Industry, the Natural History Museum, or a Coliseum tour for a full Exposition Park afternoon. Once Endeavour rises into its vertical launch pose, that same visit will feel like stepping onto a spaceport. Either way, the Science Center earns its 4.7-star reputation as one of Los Angeles's most rewarding and family-friendly indoor experiences.↗↗