Discovery Science Center
add photos14 Reviews for Discovery Science Center
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3 families found this helpful
"Science of Star Wars"
Grab your little Jedis and visit the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana while the Star Wars "Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit is in house. My little Obi Wan and Princess Leia (they dressed up for fun, but it also got one of them in for free) were thrilled the moment they arrived to see Darth Vader and Storm Troopers greeting them at the door. Inside, a lecture by a Jedi was going on describing different galaxies. A Jawa skirted around and we even spotted a BLACK storm trooper (super rare)! Because it was a "fan day", the center was super busy and we had a scheduled time to enter the Star Wars exhibit. The discovery science center itself is really cool and worth going to alone for it's space shuttle, hockey and earthquake exhibits. I may sound like a Star Wars geek, but Im really not. This is something my kids share with their father, but I couldnt help to not get excited when Darth Vader is shaking my hand and a life size Chewbacca is in a glass case staring down at me. Inside the exhibit, there were life like replicas of the different ships and statues of droids, along with multiple costumes from the movies. If you are trying to not expose your son to guns, this isnt the place to go. Several cases showed off different weapons, which of course my 4 year old salivated over. There are several hands on features where you build with Legos but the stations were busy and there was never any Legos available to us. But that didnt dampen our time in there. People were in jolly moods despite the crowds and those dressed up were having fun play acting with the kids. We could have paid an extra $5 to experience the inside of the millenium falcon, but I passed on that. The center is not inexpensive. It is $14.95 for adults to enter the museum (there is a military discount) and $12.95 for children 3 to 14. On top of that is $10 each to enter the Star Wars exhibit. My daughter had a free ticket from when her class went and my son got in free with a paid adult because he was dressed up for fan day (March 3rd and 24th are the last fan days left for the SW exhibit). Parking is $4 but we parked in the mall parking lot nearby so we avoided that extra cost. Food can be bought there (Pizza Hut and Taco Bell) but we brought a picnic and ate afterwards at a nearby park. The SW Galaxy gift shop is over priced, so my advice is avoid it.
The SW exhibit is only going to remain until April 15th, so I highly recommend attending. And may the force be with you...
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0 families found this helpful
"science is fun"
This is a great place to go on a rainy day in southern California. I think tickets are pricey, so I'm going to keep my eyes open for coupons. My boys ages 2 and 4 loved walking through the actual dinosaur and they loved the hockey section where they got to put on the gear and simulate being goalie. There were enough exhibits to keep us entertained for 2 hours. We went right when it opened and as we were leaving, we noticed it had gotten much busier.
0 families found this helpful
"Good for a break from theme parks"
If you're in the OC and you need a day away from the craziness (and expense!) of theme parks this is a good choice. Our kids found it very entertaining and they learned a lot. The best part for me was that out back they have a dinosaur skeleton which doubles as a play structure and teaches the kids about dinosaur anatomy!
0 families found this helpful
"Very Fun"
They have lots of attractions, some with staff to help you some for you to figure out by yourself. There is a very nice outdoors part with a giant dinosaur that you can walk around and inside and see how the dinosaur body works. From there you also get a good view of the cube building balancing on one of its points. About a half a day activity.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for all ages!"
This hands on science museum is great! They have a giant dinosaur and a self guided tour/hunt for the school age kids, slides, hands on exhibits about other things (some of the exhibits change), a climbing wall, a dress up and movie are and more. It is a great place to visit for families!
0 families found this helpful
"My kids love this place"
We live about 30 minutes from the Discovery Science Center and have a family membership. All four of my boys -- ages 9 to 3 -- love to go here. There are lots of great standing exhibits, plus one area switches out every few months. The exhibits are all very hands on, with well-written explanations for the older kids, if they care to read them. Last August, I took two of our cousins with us and we were there from 11 in the morning until the museum closed at 5! The cousins were 9 and 12 at the time. How many places can you take 6 boys and have everyone in such a big age range (3 to 12) engaged for such a long time? The Dinosaur Quest in the back requires an extra payment, so I had not let my kids do it before. But in August, I got a buy one get one free coupon for Dinosaur Quest when I re-upped my membership. I had the older four boys split into teams of 2 -- so I think it was $4 total with the buy one get one free. They had so much fun playing Dinosaur Quest for over an hour. You get a wand and special assignments to try and find different dinosaur parts all over the back area. After each set, you "check in" with the computer -- it is all automated. The boys thought it was so cool and the little ones had fun playing in the Dinosaur area. Other reviewers have commented that it isn't great for toddlers. Maybe if you are only taking a toddler, but if you have older kids, your toddler is sure to have a great time as well!
0 families found this helpful
"fun and educational"
When we last went to the Discovery Science Center the exhibit they had going on was called "Grossology" and my kids got such a kick out of that. My three year old's favorite part is still the dinosaur area and place they can dig for fossils and my husband enjoys the science of sports. I really like the area where you can go into a simulated hurricane and a simulated earthquake. My girls are age 3 and 6 and while they enjoy it, our day there doesn't last too long as I don't think either of them quite have the attention span needed to fully enjoy some of the activities there...so its good for young kids...exceptional for ages 7 or 8 and up.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for all"
We were members and there is a lot to do at The Discvery Science Center. They change the exhibits every few months, so there is something new for the kids to do. There is also a Dinosaur Exhibit outside for the kids to run around. For extra money you can find clues and do a wand thing. We DO NOT do that, it really doesnt look worth the extra money (esp for little kids).
0 families found this helpful
"Hands-on, great for all ages"
While the ever-changing exhibits have us returning again and again, the hands-on centers and a toddler area keep both kids in our family happy. Expect big crowds, though; I don't think we've ever been there when it wasn't crowded.
On site, though, there's a Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, but if you want to pack your own lunch, you can sneak it onto the outside patio and save some money on food.
1 family found this helpful
"Learn and Explore"
FREE for Bank of America card holders on the first weekend of the month (except Sundays) http://museums.bankofamerica.com
I have been wanting to go, but didn't like the price $13 Adult, $10 Child plus $4 parking so I have waiting for a good deal.
I would not recommend this place for toddlers. This is a place for 6 and up. A child needs to be able to read and comprehend or would loose interest.
My toddler enjoyed the 4D Turtle Movie, the Cloud Ring, Tornado, Pinwall, the Magnetic Pipes, oh and playing volleyball with mom and dad.
The negatives I have are: Grossology exhibit was really loud and some items weren't working. The employees who just stand around or sit at a table and don't engage the kids with the exception of the Hockey - he was very kind and enthusiastic with my son. After 1pm it was really crowded. The Hockey section is not really science and it was a little too much.
I don't recommend purchasing the Dino-Quest. - You can still walk through there.
When you go...cause of course you still want to check out on your own...go early, take lunch and eat in the Taco Bell patio in the museum or at dino-quest. If you go in the afternoon save yourself $4 and park at the mall across the street...you will have to make the walk anyways. And look for a good deal like Groupon.
Last peace of advise is engage with your kids don't just set them free (this isn't Chuck E Cheese its a MUSEUM). Teach them to take turns and be patient waiting for an exhibit.
1 family found this helpful
"The giant cube"
My kids and I have passed this cube on the freeway many times but haven't stopped until today. We all had a blast. My 1 year old and my 9 year old both equally enjoyed the hands on exhibits, demonstrations, videos and slides. We adults liked the many places to sit down and rest our aching feet while the kids kept discovering more things. My 3 year old appreciated the little details, such as the stepping stools up to the exhibit tables and to the sink in the bathroom. He played with the tinker toys, marble track, and the submarine slide.
On the other hand, I was disappointed with a couple of things. First of all, it is incredibly loud in the building. So loud I could hardly hear some of the video presentations in the "Gross Ology". Second, the dinosaur explore area is really only fun if you spend an extra $5 per person to play the scavenger hunt game. I don't really like extra expenses when I've already paid an entrance fee. Last of all, the exhibits in the "Gross Ology" didn't really teach much even though they were really cool looking. My kids didn't pay any attention to the fact that they were walking through a nose or crawling through a colon. So even though it was really creative, I think the point of the learning was lost on them.
Over all, it is an excellent place to discover and explore. And we really appreciated the free admission for my teacher husband!
1 family found this helpful
"Good place to take your kids while in OC"
We had alot of fun at the Discovery Science Center. It is not the best science museum I have ever been to but it was very good and certainly worth a visit. Any time my kids can have fun and learn something, I am a happy camper. Where else can you lay on a bed of nails and then get pounded by hurricane force winds? My son loved all the ball exhibits and my daughter had a blast in the toddler area. The dinsosaurs outside a real treat as well. This place is very close to Disneyland so if you get rained out, give it a shot.
0 families found this helpful
"Great for kids!"
My kids loved the discovery science center! Even my 3 1/2 year old with special needs. He really loved the sand table and we took turns staying with him at that for hours! My older son (5) loved the wind tunnel and earthquake simulator. He also really liked laying on the bed of nails. The only downside was that it seemed smaller than we originally thought it was from the outside.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
“The Amusement Park for Your Mind” opened in 1998 in a 59,000-square-foot multi-story facility devoted to sparking children’s natural curiosity and increasing everone’s understanding of science, math, and technology. More than 120 highly interactive exhibits make you think, search for answers, and participate in the learing process.
Eight themed areas include Perception, Dynamic Earth, Quake Zone, Showcase Gallery, Boeing Delta III Rocket, Air & Space, Techno Arts, and Digital Lab. Our personal favorites include the Shake Shack to experience an earthquake, lying down on a bed of nails, and dancing on the musical floor. This is a marvelous family activity that you should not miss! Highly recommended.
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