California Science Center Celebrates
Ten-Year Anniversary
The California
Science Center observed its tenth anniversary on February 7,
2008. It was in 1998 that the former California Museum
of Science and Industry re-invented itself by opening
a new facility, displayed an all-new exhibition program,
and changed its name to California Science Center. The changes
marked a new direction for the institution and were the first
phase in a three-phase
Master Plan.
The key
aspect of the Master Plan’s new direction was
to have an integrated approach to science learning by creating
a world class science center, an elementary school and a
professional development center, all within the museum’s
footprint.
The exhibit
portion of the Science Center was organized around two
new and two future thematic “worlds” that
present key principles in science: World
of Life, Creative
World, World of Ecology, and Worlds Beyond. World
of Lifeexplores comparative physiology through the
five processes common to all life forms; Creative
Worldinvestigates how humans have addressed the needs
of society through the use of communications, transportation
and structures. World of Ecology will enable guests
to explore the interrelationships between living creatures
and interlinking ecosystems through 8 exhibit zones that
each examines a different concept in ecology. Worlds
Beyond will engage guests in understanding our universe,
from earth’s atmosphere to the deep reaches of space. World
of Ecology is part of the Phase
2 construction that
is currently underway and scheduled for completion in 2010; Worlds
Beyond will be constructed during the third and final
phase.
The Science
Center School, an affiliated charter K-5 elementary
school serving students from the surrounding neighborhood,
focuses on math, science and technology and incorporates
language, arts and social studies into the curriculum. The
Amgen
Center for Science Learning is the education arm of
the Science Center and offers everything from best practice
tools in science education for parents and educators to Hands-On
Science Camp for students. Both the Science Center School
and the Amgen Center for Science Learning opened in 2004.
Other milestones achieved since opening include the renovated
SKETCH
Foundation Gallery Air and Space Exhibits (2002) featuring
artifacts from over 100 years of flight and space exploration,
and the Roy A. Anderson Blackbird Exhibit and Gardens with
the Lockheed
A-12 aircraft positioned next to the expanded
parking structure (2003).
The Science
Center’s new direction has
received positive public response in the form of increased
attendance. This was demonstrated with exhibits such
as Titanic: The Artifact
Exhibit and the North American premiere of Gunther
von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS and BODY WORLDS 2. In
2007, it was cited as number 14 in a list of the Top 25 Most
Visited Museums in the Nation by Forbes Traveler’s
Magazine. In this anniversary year, the Center prepares
to host the next exhibit in the von Hagens’series—BODY
WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart—and
hopes to top its previous attendance records.
