It's sad that this planetarium was closed for renovations and then Covid happened and ever since…read more2020 they never re-opened. When you go to their website it says "temporarily closed" however being closed for going on 6 years does not seem like it's temporary - which is unfortunate!

Found this on Yelp and so happy to have gone tonight! I've gone to the planetarium at Mt. SAC, but…read moreit's really far to me now in Long Beach. This is close and convenient to the 22. The show we went to tonight was really cool and interesting. Patricia Sullivan hosted and she was fun, welcoming and made things easy to understand. Loved seeing the constellations projected onto the planetarium dome and then there was an awesome presentation about the solar system afterward. I'll definitely be back! I only gave four stars because I was hoping/looking forward to a Night Sky Live that was included in the program notes, but it didn't happen. I would also love to look through telescopes, so not sure if that's a different program altogether.

Affordable So Cal experience. Multiple shows and showtimes. Clean inside and out and plenty of…read moreparking. We watched "Explore". Would like to see other shows.

Before I get into the actual Planetarium experience, I want to say that the staff was very helpful…read moreand were wonderful people. 5 stars for them all. HOWEVER - as a consumer, The Planetarium experience isn't about staff-interaction, it's supposed to be about mind-blowing visual / aural entertainment. And that's what my 2 star review is about... Lame. James Hood's MESMERICA features a well-conceived score (mostly electronic with brass/string/percussive simulation) and computer-generated graphics that we felt were very-well thought out. The message of hope, spiritual unity and the importance of 'living in the moment' were needed and well-taken. All that said, WHY were there 3 incredibly distinct blue "light stains" visible 100% of the time on the dome?? Every single graphic that played out on that dome was diminished greatly by those light stains - they were insidious and distracting to the point of turn-off. "Once you seem them, you can't unsee them" - and it ruined the entire presentation. Furthermore, it was obvious that the MESMERICA score didn't have enough music and graphics to carry a 45-minute presentation. 30 minutes would have done it. Seriously. As a 45-minute presentation, it felt far too long. If you're going to do a presentation that relies on slick graphics and visuals (like, isn't that the entire purpose of selling tickets to a DOME SHOW??) you have GOT to clean up that light distraction. Horrible! Sorry, I can't show pictures of it as photography/videography were disallowed.

5 years later, we returned for another show. Hands down, one of my favorite things to do with my…read morekids. Prices have slightly increased, but show me one place that hasn't raised prices...am I right? This time, we opted for the later show which was a 'full dome movie'. I'd never experienced one before and it was really cool. There are different themes each month so check the schedule. The movie was about extraterrestrial life. There are two powerful telescopes outside. You definitely don't want to miss it. Free parking right across from the planetarium. Mom approved! 5 stars!

Great place for a field trip! The show was very entertaining and educating for my kids. Everything…read moreseemed very organized and clean and I love that questions get answered by a scientist at the end. Parking was easy but costs a couple of $. Plan to be back sometime.

We were there for a Girl Scout sleepover in May and it was amazing! There were so many hands-on…read moreexhibits and activities for the girls to explore, not to mention how much fun they had in the ball pool and watching Otters on the big dome movie screen. WOW! Great memories were definitely made here. . The staff was super helpful, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The only negative was that there was one woman attending the sleepover who was incredibly rude and demanded special treatment, so she spent most of her time yelling at everyone and being disruptive. The rest of us felt terrible for the way she treated the staff and how disrespectful she was to everyone else who really enjoyed the experience. Kudos to the staff for handling the situation as well as possible (hopefully her photo is on the wall there as a reminder to not allow her back in). We can't wait to go back and see all of the new renovations!

Knowledge is power and giving knowledge to the young ones is invaluable. Sparking their curiosity…read moreis rewarding and the Fleet Science Center delivers in a unique way for families. As soon as you enter, there are several exciting science based exhibits that immediately capture the minds and attention of the young ones. The Fleet Science Center provides many interesting designed science exhibits for all ages. You walk through the exhibits and have a great interactive experience. So many amazing activities to do and see!!! What a wonderful place to visit!!! Paid Parking is available now. Definitely a return visit call with the family!!!

Absolutely loved this place. We came here for a homeschool field trip. There were two parts to the…read morefield trip. The viewing of the informational star session in the dome. The second part the kids and parents build mini rockets. Then they launched the rockets into the air and tried to catch them. The staff was so nice and helpful. They answered all of our questions and took their time with out groups. So much fun for the entire family.

We attended with our homeschool group and it was an amazing experience! Our host, Alex, was great…read morewith the kids! We built our rockets and then they got to launch it and try and catch it. Super fun and exciting for the kids. The planetarium show was great too. I've only ever seen the Griffith Observatory show and this was on par with that show without the drive or the high price. This is a lesser known gem and if your on the fence do not hesitate to check it out!

Tickets for the planetarium shows cannot be purchased online or in advance. They must be purchased…read moreabout 30-45 mins before each show starts. Usually the lines are long if you try to purchase the tickets near the front entrance. But there are a few kiosks and other box offices available inside the observatory. Kiosks are the easiest way to purchase the tickets and avoid the frustratingly long lines. It is advised to go inside the planetarium at least 20 mins before the show starts. For some shows, the entrance to the planetarium is from the West terrace. On a cold night, it can get very chilly and the lines and wait times could be long. So, make sure to wear warm clothing. Coming to the planetarium shows, I viewed the 'Signs of life' and 'Centered in the universe'. Both of them are well made, perfectly timed and very informative. I enjoyed them thoroughly.

first of all, the ticket line was way too long, I had o wait under the sun forever just to buy them…read moreand honestly that already killed my vibe. On top of that, parking was $10 per hour -- I mean, come on, that's crazy. I was already a little in a bad mood, so maybe that didn't help, but still they should really fix how they do the ticket distribution. It felt super disorganized. Now, the good part, the dome is beautiful, the projections look amazing, and the whole vibe inside is actually pretty cool. But I just couldn't fully enjoy it with all the stress before the show.

What a fun little add on to a trip with kiddos to Santa Barbara. Enough places for learning but…read morealso for the kiddos to get some play in the day as well. I have a 4.5 yo and 22 month old and they both had lots of fun. Random but I do wish the gift shop was a bit more stroller friendly.

History Machine A…read moremuseum that traces its origins back to 1916 when a group of people got together to try and preserve some of the history of the area. They've been in their current location since 1923, and the location itself, to me anyway, is part of the draw. Not only is it a museum, but it's also a nature preserve, rescue aviary, and dinosaur theme park. :) The Good: * Fairly inexpensive to visit at $20/adult and $15/child * If you buy a membership ($115-450) to the museum, it also includes a membership to their sister aquarium (also in Santa Barbara), the Sea Center. * Wonderful little area in the back with some short trails, a creek, and dinosaurs for kids to explore. * If you love geology, then you'll love their geology exhibit; they have so many amazing rocks and gems on display. * Aviary with injured and rehabbing raptors * Nature art gallery was beautiful * Friendly staff * Tours available * Lots of info on animals and insects of the area The Meh: * Some of the exhibit rooms are a bit cramped, so they can get full fast even without many visitors. The Ugly: * They have a butterfly garden, but it's closed during the winter months, which just happened to coincide with our visit. :( Conclusion: Terrific museum for both young and old.

So cool! We are such space nerds - how awesome is it that Griffith Observatory is so close??? One…read moreof these days, when my kids can stay up past 7pm, I want to take them back to actually observe the stars. There are many shows and demonstrations throughout the day. Some paid, some not. While my kids aren't quite at the level of making them worth it, they did enjoy the tesla coil demonstration. Other than that, the hits included seeing the pendulum and holding a meteorite! Plus, seeing the huge telescopes. I like how they have an interactive stamp book where we could collect stamps at the different areas of the observatory. It also provided just enough structure to help guide us through the exhibits. Plus, it's full of fun tidbits of information! One of our favorite areas was the planets, where we got to see how much we weighed on each of the other planets while we learned about them and the constellations. There's also a cafe and gift shop inside. I'll say that parking is pretty expensive if you want to park right next to the entrance. There's street parking further down for cheaper, and even cheaper parking if you go further away. Looks like there was also a shuttle bringing people to/from the observatory.

A landmark absolutely worth checking out. It's been featured in so many films, and it's not just a…read morepretty backdrop, it's an actual functioning observatory. Great mix of history, science, and iconic LA views, including views of the Hollywood Sign. One thing to plan for: parking. You can either pay for parking or park at the base and hike up to the observatory. Just know that the parking cost increases the closer you get to the top, so weigh that against your time and energy.

What a great, historic site. Mission San Juan Capistrano was built in 1776 and is the seventh…read moreoldest Mission in California. View is truly grand and majestic. As soon as you enter you will see a gorgeous garden and remnants of The Great Stone Church, which was destroyed by earthquake in 1812. I also liked Serra Chapel, which is the oldest building in California that's still in use, based on online search. I felt at peace just sitting inside the chapel for few minutes. Current admission fee is $19 for adults and $11 for youth (5-17) years of age). Admission fee includes a self-guided audio tour but the device was kind of difficult to hear. There isn't a designated parking lot for the Mission but there are few public parking lots near the area. I was here on a weekday so was able to find street parking along Camino Capistrano. Most of the street parking is limited to 5 hours. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance so it's a great location. You will definitely smell BBQ smoke coming from Heritage BBQ restaurant across the street.

We drove up the coast, on this FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SUMMER. We drove up the I-5 to the PCH…read more We drove through Dana Point and into Laguna Beach. FROM THERE, we had to drive to a place for a PICNIC. We hoped on the I-5, and we drove back down the I-5 to the San Juan CAPISTRANO Mission. After driving back and forth, and around the MISSION 2 Times, we found PARKING ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT. We found it in the Church Parking Lot. WE RECOMMEND MORE DISABLED PARKING!!! We walked right in, NO WAIT AT ALL. We started by looking for the Picnic Spot, which is in the back left corner. It is a nice spot with lots of tables and trees. In addition, there are individual handwashing stations there. After lunch, which we picked up at a nearby SUBWAY, we spent about an hour touring the SJC MISSION!!! Its highlight was the display of US FLAGS, my guess would be over 100!!!

I have so many fond memories of Balboa Park and I look forward to making more, from Halloween…read moreparties at the San Diego Air and Space Museum and my friend's wedding to exploring Spanish Village Art Center for the first time, visiting the Botanical Building, going to the Japanese Friendship Garden, discovering the museums, and experiencing December Nights. San Diego wouldn't be the same without this beautiful landmark!

Word to the wise, do your research and know where you're going beforehand. Unfortunately we just…read moredecided to come spur of the moment and didn't really know what we were doing. So apparently there are a lot of parking lots which are not free, $10 unless you're a native and have a pass. We found one lot, called lower inspiration that's free for 3 hours. Also, we didn't realize how big that place is, with so much to see! There are museums, places to eat, the zoo, a playground for kids and I'm sure so much more. The museums are not free, they do sell passes or individual tickets. It's a nice place to spend a day or even a few hours.