California Science Center

The California Science Center is housed in a location that has long played an important role in the history of Los Angeles. The first State Exposition Building, which stood in the exact spot of the current Science Center, opened in 1912 and housed simple, agriculturally based displays of natural resources and industrial products from across the state.

After World War II, as technology-based businesses began to grow, the State Exposition Building was remodeled to show visitors the role of science and technology in everyday life. To better describe this new objective, it was renamed the California Museum of Science and Industry in 1951.

In 1987, the Museum began a comprehensive, long-range planning effort that included a reassessment of its role and its methods. The final plan called for the transformation of the Museum into a state-of-the-art science education facility, designed to respond to the needs of diverse communities and a state that continues to grow and evolve. Its new name, the California Science Center, reflects the redesign and ambitious goals.