Discovery Museum Science and Space Center

The Discovery Museum Science & Space Center has been an attraction in Sacramento for over 60 years. It was originally an exhibit at the county fair, but was so popular that it was never taken down. It moved to its current location on Auburn Boulevard in 1976.

Today you will find a range of rotating and permanent exhibits, with several programs offering the chance to get involved in different science projects. Children will love trying on a real space suit and climbing into the cockpit of a genuine astronaut training module in the Challenger Learning Center. Budding archaeologists can dig for ancient remains in the Archaeology exhibit and aspiring engineers can build their very own robot in the Robotics Lab.

Take a tour through the galaxies in the Planetarium, where regular projection shows unearth the mysteries of space. This is the only planetarium in the Sacramento area that is open to the public.

The Nature Discovery Trail takes you back to earth, winding through 14 acres (6 hectares) of natural parkland, through a heritage oak forest, and past a wildlife pond. The wildlife continues in the Nature Discovery Room. Here you can get very close to everything from snakes to birds and mammals, as well as visit the popular Bear Corner.

Regular shows and craft activities take place on weekends and during holiday periods. Check the website or ask at reception when you enter to find out what is happening and how your child can take part.

If you are a regular visitor to museums, it may be worth buying membership here, as it allows you free entry to over 200 other science and children’s museums around the world, as well as repeat visits to the Discovery Center. Otherwise there is a small charge for entry.

Note that the Discovery Science Museum & Space Center will soon be relocated to larger premises along the Sacramento River and renamed the Powerhouse Science Center. Check the museum’s website for details