The Discovery Cube Orange County, formerly known as the Discovery Science Center and the

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Discovery Science Center, is a science museum in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

, with more than 100 hands-on science exhibits designed to spark children's natural curiosity. Designed by the architect firm Arquitectonica with structural engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen, it has become a visual landmark due to its ten-story

solar array A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and co ...

cube that stands over Interstate 5.

History

In 1984, the Boards of the Exploratory Learning Center and the Experience Center joined to form the Discovery Museum of Orange County with the dual goals of teaching children what life was like in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

in the 1900s and creating a world-class science center. A funding feasibility study in 1989 indicated that county leaders would support the project. In the mid-1990s, prior to construction, a smaller "beta" version of the science center called Launch Pad operated in

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. The current facility was opened on December 17, 1998, in what had originally been a Bekins Van Lines depot. Mark Walhimer served as the Vice President of Exhibits from 1996 to 2000 and oversaw the design, development and installation of the exhibits. In 2008 the Center became an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affiliations program. On September 29, 2012, it was announced that the center was seeking to expand its facilities. Phase 1, opened on June 11, 2015, features the new Discovery Pavilion and of remodeled space. Future phases include a Life Sciences Hall, Courtyard of Learning and Living, Environmental Pavilion, an

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theater, and a "

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" parking facility.

Discovery Cube Los Angeles

The center has also entered into a partnership with the City of Los Angeles to take over and operate the former

Children's Museum of Los Angeles The Children's Museum of Los Angeles opened to the public on June 11, 1979, and operated for 21 years. It was located at the Los Angeles Mall in the Los Angeles Civic Center. It specifically catered to children, with the purpose of educating, en ...

facility at Hansen Dam, located in the northern

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

. The city provided financing and contracted with the center in April 2012, and the center finalized federal funding in January 2013 to finish construction on the existing facility and begin building exhibits. The satellite campus opened on November 13, 2014, and is named Discovery Cube Los Angeles. This is also the site of the 1991 Rodney King beating.

Exhibits

The center is divided into several themed areas: Science of Hockey, Dino Quest, Rocket Lab, Air & Space, Eco Challenge, Dynamic Earth, Quake Zone, and the Showcase Gallery which houses traveling exhibits. Some of the available exhibits at the museum include Dino Quest, an interactive work which opened in 2006 and includes life-size dinosaurs; and Science of Hockey, which opened in 2009 and presents the various scientific aspects behind the game of

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

with the help of the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...

franchise.

References

External links

* * {{Science museums in California Museums in Orange County, California Science museums in California Buildings and structures in Santa Ana, California Culture of Santa Ana, California Organizations based in Santa Ana, California Education in Santa Ana, California Science and technology in Greater Los Angeles Smithsonian Institution affiliates 1998 establishments in California Museums established in 1998