Griffith Observatory

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: The Griffith Observatory is located in the hills above Los Angeles and features a free museum, a planetarium (dome) theater, cafeteria, gift shop, hiking trails, and great views of L.A.

Street Address:
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Road
Los Angeles, California
(MAP)

Visiting The Museum:

Unlike some observatories the Griffith Observatory is also a museum which is free to the public.  Upon first entering you'll see the pendulum which swings from a steel wire attached to the ceiling. It demonstrates the Earth rotates on its axis and is one of several such devices typically on display at universities and science museums around the world. You may notice people gathered around observing it intently. They are waiting to watch it knock down one of the small pegs placed beneath it which happens every 7 minutes or so. After viewing the pendulum you can either go to either side of the museum.  There are several displays dealing with planetary science and also a downstairs level which features other displays.  There is also a small cafeteria and gift shop both towards the back right of the museum.

Points-Of-Interest: 

There are many things to see both for the astronomy or earth science enthusiast and the casual visitor. Historical items and information are on display as well as small demonstrations of scientific phenomena.  Shown in this photo below is a visual sampling of some of Earth's natural elements.

Don't Miss: It is highly recommended to attend a viewing of one of the planetarium shows.  These take place in a unique dome theater located towards the rear of the observatory.  The museum itself is free but there is an admission fee for the shows.  Show themes and times vary so you may want check the schedule prior to your arrival, however, attending one of these shows should help create a unique and unforgettable experience during your visit.

Best Thing About This Place: The planetarium theater is the most interesting and unique aspect which may cause you to want to plan future visits to the observatory.  Also worthy of mention are the great views of L.A. from on top of the mountain where the observatory is located.  You can also see the famous Hollywood sign which isn't too far away from up top the hill as seen in the photo below.

Things To Note: Parking in the main parking lot is limited particularly on weekends, however, if you cannot find parking here there is parking along the road nearby.

Official Website: Griffith Observatory

Giant Forest Museum

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: If you have never been to Sequoia National Park this is a great place to begin your visit.  The Giant Forest Museum is centrally located in the Giant Forest grove of Sequoia National Park and is right beside the main highway that leads through the park.

Museum Location:
Giant Forest Museum
Generals Highway
Sequoia National Park, California
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Basic Information: The museum contains a wealth of information about the park's giant Sequoia trees, some of which can be viewed from just outside the museum.  Though the museum is not very large there are enough interesting things for both adults and children to enjoy and learn from.  The museum is also a good starting point for visiting the area.

The parking lot is located on the opposite side across the road from the museum.  There are restrooms located in a separate building near the museum.  Inside the museum building is a small gift shop and also a desk where you can get basic information about the park, brochures, maps, etc.  For more detailed information you may want to stop at the visitor center which is about 4 miles north of the museum in Lodgepole Village.

Picture above: Just outside the entrance is this giant Sequoia tree called "The Sentinel".

Additional Things To See And Do: There are also some hiking trails that begin near the museum or near the parking lot across the street from the museum.

Museum Official Website: Giant Forest Museum

Chumash Indian Museum

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: The Chumash Indian Museum features displays and artifacts detailing the daily life of the Chumash Indians who once thrived in the southern California coastal regions.

Street Address:
Chumash Indian Museum
3290 Lang Ranch Parkway
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
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Basic Information: At the museum there are displays which offer a window into the daily lives of the Chumash Indians. The inside of the museum is relatively small, basically occupying one large room. However, there is more to see and do outside the main building on the museum grounds.

Near the entrance of the museum you'll see this replica of a tomol, a type of boat used by the Chumash people.

Points-Of-Interest: Picture above is one of the Chumash Indian dwelling replicas which are located in the area behind the museum building. The doorway is a bit small but you can go inside and take a better look.

Additional Things To See And Do: There is a hiking trail which starts near the museum and goes back among the shady oaks.  There is no admission fee to visit the museum grounds and outside areas.  There is only a small fee to enter inside the museum building.  Thus you can visit the hiking trail without paying the museum's admission fee.

Museum Official Website: Chumash Indian Museum

San Diego Natural History Museum

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: This museum is located in San Diego's Balboa Park and features both rotating and permanent exhibits as well as a theater showing short 3-D movies related to the natural world.

Street Address:
San Diego Natural History Museum
1788 El Prado
San Diego, California
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Highlights: The gem and mineral exhibit is an extraordinary collection of items and is one of the best things about this museum. It is a rotating exhibit so check the official website (listed below) for the museum's current exhibit schedule. There is enough in this exhibit to amaze anyone. Many of the gems and minerals are in their natural form showing off their rare natural beauty while others have been made into fine jewelry or unique exquisite decorations.

Points-Of-Interest: The fossil exhibit on the second floor is one of the museum's few permanent exhibits. It displays a rich assortment of fossils and details the natural history of the Southern California and Baja California region.

Don't Miss: There is a short 3-D film about sea turtles entitled "The Secrets Of Turtle Reef" (depending on current theater schedules).  The film features some spectacular footage as is follows the daily lives of sea turtles in both their underwater and upon-land travels. The theater is located on the first floor.  Check the official website for the most current film schedule.  Save your museum admission ticket when you first enter the museum because this is collected when you are entering the theater.  So don't miss stopping by the theater for a quick movie!

Best Thing About This Place: The San Diego Natural History Museum is located in Balboa Park which also has many other unique museums, walking trails, several gardens, performing arts concerts, and the San Diego Zoo which is in the northern section of the park.  There is so much to see at Balboa Park that you cannot see everything in a single day.

Above: One of the many beautiful gardens at Balboa Park

Official Websites:

San Diego Natural History Museum

Balboa Park

Museum Of Jurassic Technology

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: Located near downtown Culver City in an unassuming building on Venice Boulevard, this museum houses a strange and unique collection of artifacts and displays.  Though the outside of the building appears to be fairly small, the inside seems much larger and is divided up into many smaller rooms which hold some of the most bizarre and unusual museum artifacts around.  Most of the rooms are kept rather dark, but with the displays themselves lit up enough to view them and read the descriptions.  The unusual items displayed in the museum along with the dimly lit and odd feel of the builing itself add to the overall weirdness of this place.  Admission is free but donations are suggested.

Street Address:
The Museum Of Jurassic Technology
9341 Venice Blvd
Culver City, California
(MAP)

Highlights: The rooms seem to be divided up according to subject matter.  One of the rooms has several microscopes set up which you can view very tiny yet intricately designed art pieces.  Another room has several 3-D images called vectographs available for viewing and also discusses the history of that field of scientific study.  Not all the displays are purely scientific in the modern sense however.  One of the rooms houses the technology of cures of diseases and ailments and is really more a curious look at the superstitious ideas and unusual beliefs of the past.  But this loose definition of "technology" at the Museum Of Jurassic Technology actually makes the experience more interesting because it's part science and part history with all of the weirdness factor that happens when the two overlap.

Points-Of-Interest: The "Bell Wheel" can be heard from a distance inside the museum and makes an enjoyable sound similar to wind chimes but with small metal bells.  Upon entering the room you'll see it hanging from the ceiling and can watch as it stops and starts creating a strange yet pleasant sound.

The "Bell Wheel" which spins slowly creating an unusual sound

Free cookie from the tea room

Don't Miss: Free tea and cookies are served in the upstairs tea room. Even if you are not going to be eating anything it's worth checking out the upstairs area to witness the strangeness of this place in its entirety — both in terms of the museum itself and also some of the people who seem to visit regularly.

Best Thing About This Place: If you like things that are weird, random, and perhaps a bit creepy then this place is for you.

Museum Official Website: The Museum Of Jurassic Technology

California Science Center

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum:

The California Science Center, located in Exposition Park near the USC campus and the L.A. Coliseum, offers interactive science exhibits, science demonstrations, and an IMAX theater.  Exhibits include a range of scientific studies including Earth ecosystems, human inventions, the plant and animal world, and more.  Many of the exhibits are hands-on and are geared primarily for children, however adults will find plenty to learn from and enjoy as well.

Street Address:

California Science Center

700 Exposition Park Drive

Los Angeles,California

(MAP)

Highlights: Some exhibits may change while others are ongoing so check the official website listed at the bottom of this article for more info.  Museum highlights include the earthquake simulator and the Creative World exhibit which showcases human inventions. 

Points-Of-Interest:  There is a sensor camera which displays your silhouette upon a screen as you walk by and are then attacked by a silhouette of a mountain lion.  This is located in the "Goosebumps: Science of Fear" exhibit which is open through April 2011.  This exhibit also features phobias of varying significance:

No details are given but apparently this is a common enough fear to have a sign dedicated to it there among the Fear of Flying, Fear of Needles, and Fear of Heights signs.  Speaking of the latter, if you don't possess a fear of heights you may want to give this high wire bicycle ride a try:

Don't Miss:  If you're into learning through demonstration check out the Airplane Wing Display located in the Air And Space exhibit which demonstrates how air flow around an airplane's wing causes an airplane to lift off the ground.  If you're more into hands-on fun check out the "Be a barnacle" food-grabbing game located in the outside patio of the Ecosystems wing of the museum.

Best Thing About This Place:  Admission to the museum is free.  Donations are accepted at the door but are not required.  (There is however a small fee for parking and the optional IMAX theater does charge an admission fee.)

Museum Official Website:  California Science Center