California Science Center — Los Angeles, California

Address700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037

HoursDaily 10am–5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day

PricesFree general admission to permanent exhibits; IMAX $11 adult / $9 child; special exhibitions ticketed separately

Price notesGeneral admission is free per the official factsheet; a $4 per-person service fee applies to online/phone transactions for ticketed items.

Age notesFree permanent exhibits suit all ages; IMAX pricing tiers are adult and child (official factsheet).

BookingWalk-in entry for free exhibits; timed tickets/reservations apply to special exhibitions and IMAX.

Suggested timeAbout 3 hours

AccessibilityNot confirmed — the venue's official accessibility/sensory pages were not fetched in this pass; no access tags claimed.

ParkingPaid parking in Exposition Park lots: $20 per car, $42 oversized, $24 special-event/after-hours (official factsheet)

Hours in detailOpen daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day (official factsheet/overview). No per-day variation is published.

Tickets & bookingGeneral admission to the permanent exhibit galleries is free and walk-in for individuals; the official site recommends purchasing IMAX tickets online before the visit, and online/phone transactions for ticketed items carry a $4 per-person service fee. Timed tickets apply to special exhibitions and IMAX. Group-reservation threshold CONFLICT on official pages: the homepage states reservations are required for groups of 20 or more (call (213) 744-2019), while the official overview/factsheet states groups of 15 or more - both recorded, neither resolved.

ParkingExposition Park visitor parking structure, entrance at Figueroa Street and 39th Street / Exposition Park Drive: $20 per car until 5:00 p.m., $24 after 5:00 p.m.; 'yellow' school buses $20; oversized vehicles (charter buses, limousines, RVs) $42 (official directions page). Accessible parking spaces on levels 1, 2 and 3, first-come first-served. Pay at a kiosk on arrival to avoid exit lines. Metro Expo (E) Line to Expo Park/USC Station, about 0.2 miles across the Rose Garden.

AccessibilityAll spaces in the Science Center are wheelchair accessible; all levels are reached by elevator or stairs. Standard manual wheelchairs are available free at the Information Desk, first-come first-served, for use inside the building. All restrooms are wheelchair accessible; private family-style restrooms are available on request from any Guest Services Host. IMAX Theater: wheelchair-accessible seating at the top of the theater with elevator access; free closed captioning and assistive listening devices for all current IMAX films. Verbal description tours for guests who are blind or have low vision must be requested at least 10 days in advance; ASL interpreters and real-time captioning for lectures/classes with 10 days' notice. Service dogs welcome; emotional support animals and pets are not permitted. A working Personal Care Assistant accompanying a client receives free admission to IMAX shows and ticketed special exhibits.

Sensory notesThe official accessibility page has a Sensory Considerations section: light, noise and crowds vary widely throughout the building; guests may bring their own noise-cancelling headphones, fidgets or other calming items. IMAX shows are presented at high volume and often require 3D eyeglasses; all seats unassigned. The Center publishes a Sensory Planning Guide with sensory descriptions of the museum spaces, and social narratives (PDF stories at a 3rd-grade reading level) covering entering the Center, the IMAX experience, Ecosystems and exiting. Weekdays after 2:00 PM are typically quieter; September, October, January and February are often the least busy months.

Family facilitiesPrivate family-style restrooms are available on request (official accessibility page). The Science Center does not provide storage or lockers (official exhibition visitor information).

Official tipsWeekdays after 2:00 PM are typically quieter and September, October, January and February are often less busy (official accessibility page). Stop by a parking pay kiosk when you arrive to avoid lines at the end of the day (official directions page).

Seasonal notesSpace Shuttle Endeavour is currently off exhibit (official homepage). The IMAX concession stand was listed as temporarily closed September 8 through November 5, 2026 (official IMAX page).