Best Science Museums in California
7 science museums in California
Science Museums across the USA for families.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Science Museums
California Science Center
Los Angeles, California
Explore free hands-on science galleries, from GAME ON! to a living LA ecosystems garden, plus a giant-screen IMAX.
Science Museums
Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles, California
Peer through free public telescopes and catch a planetarium show high above Los Angeles.
Science Museums
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, California
Journey from deep sea to deep space under one living roof, with an aquarium, planetarium, and four-story rainforest.
Science Museums
Exploratorium
San Francisco, California
Touch, tinker, and experiment at San Francisco's hands-on laboratory of science, art, and human perception.
Science Museums
Chabot Space & Science Center
Oakland, California
Peer through historic telescopes and journey across a 70-foot dome planetarium in the Oakland hills.
Science Museums
Discovery Cube Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
A hands-on science center in Los Angeles where kids explore interactive STEM exhibits across a full day of discovery.
Science Museums
Discovery Cube Orange County
Santa Ana, California
Orange County's hands-on science center, packed with interactive STEM exhibits for a day of family discovery.
More about science museums in California
California has 7 science museums we would happily take our own kids to. California Academy of Sciences is the one most families start with. Journey from deep sea to deep space under one living roof, with an aquarium, planetarium, and four-story rainforest. California Science Center is the other name that comes up again and again. Explore free hands-on science galleries, from GAME ON!. Chabot Space & Science Center rounds out the pick of the bunch. Peer through historic telescopes and journey across a 70-foot dome planetarium in the Oakland hills. Also worth your time: Griffith Observatory, Exploratorium, Discovery Cube Los Angeles and Discovery Cube Orange County.
Tickets at Chabot Space & Science Center start from $24 per person. The rest of the list does not publish a set price, so confirm admission on the official site.
The science museums on this page are spread across Los Angeles (3), San Francisco (2), Oakland (1) and Santa Ana (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.