Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
Photo: GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
Opened in 1973 in Balboa Park, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center was the first science museum in the world to combine hands-on exhibits with a domed IMAX-style theater, and it is named for aviation pioneer Reuben H. Fleet, whose company built military aircraft during World War II. Its original planetarium used an innovative Space Transit Simulator that let audiences view the sky from far beyond Earth rather than only from the ground.
The center has been renovated and expanded several times since opening, most notably in 2012, when its dome theater was rebuilt with dual 4K projection and one of the first NanoSeam screens used in an IMAX Dome theater anywhere. Today it offers more than 100 interactive exhibits across eight galleries alongside its planetarium and dome-theater programming.
Its exhibits emphasize direct interaction over reading long explanations, which tends to work well for young children and for parents who are themselves still learning English alongside their kids.
Visitor information
Admission Admission is charged for all visitors, with a separate combined ticket available for the dome theater and exhibit galleries together.
Getting there MTS bus routes 7 and Rapid 215 serve Balboa Park directly, and the trolley connects with a bus transfer for those coming from other parts of the city.
