Space shuttle Endeavour launches its final chapter at the CA Science Center. How to explore its home

After decades of planning and years of construction, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is officially open in Exposition Park.

The center is space shuttle Endeavour’s new permanent home and a 200,000-square-foot expansion of the California Science Center. The multi-level galleries feature 100 artifacts and 100 new hands-on exhibits for visitors to explore.

Endeavour is the star of the show in the shuttle gallery, towering 20 stories tall in its vertical launch position. It’s the world’s only display of an authentic space shuttle system, according to museum officials.

Dozens of astronauts attended a ceremony Friday morning under the space shuttle, including the crew of Endeavour's final mission and its commander U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly. Kelly described Endeavour as "the greatest spaceship that ever was."

His colleague, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, said that having grown up in Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley, he knows what this moment means for thousands upon thousands of children who will be coming through the new center.

"Who will be inspired not just to become future scientists and engineers — I guarantee you some of those young girls and boys will be a future astronaut," Padilla said during the ceremony.

The California Science Center has free general admission. The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is also free to visit, except for a $4 online reservation service fee for those who aren’t members of the museum.

Here’s what you need to know.

How do I get there?

The California Science Center is located at 700 Exposition Park Drive. Keep an eye out for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center’s shiny silver building poking into the sky.

The exterior of the California Science Center and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

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California Science Center

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Parking for cars and school buses is $20 until 5 p.m. and $24 after 5 p.m. Parking for charter buses, limousines, RVs and other larger vehicles is $42.

For public transportation, you can take the Metro E Line to the Expo Park/USC Station.

You can learn more and find directions here.

How do I get in?

There are timed reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center because of expected high demand. You can find all the details and learn more here.

You’ll enter through the second floor of the California Science Center, to the right of the escalators if you’re facing forward and across from the Ecosystems exhibit.

There is no time limit once you’re inside. The California Science Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Hundreds of students were the first visitors officially welcomed into the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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What do I need to know once I get inside?

Restrooms are on every level of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, and a food court is on the first floor of the California Science Center.

If you need a baby changing room, it's located in the gender-neutral/family restrooms.

Where can I find merch?

You can exit the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center through a gift shop. There’s also the Explorastore toward the entrance of the building.

California Science Center’s expansion for space shuttle Endeavour to open this fall

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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What are some must-see stops?

It’s tempting to run straight for the space shuttle, but there are tons of other exhibits and artifacts to see along the way.

After taking a glass elevator up the side of the space shuttle, you can look over the gallery and Endeavour from a glass-floor platform.

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Mike Kelley

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Courtesy ZGF Architects

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Endeavour spans about 20 stories tall.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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Walter Cho, chairman of Korean Air, celebrated the first aircraft installed in the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, including the front of a real Boeing 747-400 that was built for the airline in 1993.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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Three thematic areas in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery include humans in space, robots in space and Rocket Science, according to the museum.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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The trio of galleries span four floors, covering 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, according to the museum.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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In the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, you can walk through the front 70 feet of a Boeing 747 where you’ll be able to take a five-minute video “flight” from Los Angeles to Seoul, according to the museum.

In the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, you can program the path of a miniature rover on Mars and build your own robotic spacecraft for a mission. There are also artifacts on display that are on loan from the Smithsonian, including flown capsules from NASA’s Mercury and Gemini projects.

Last but not least, in the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, lies Endeavour. You can see the space shuttle from multiple levels, including underneath the main engines and from a glass-floor platform that takes you above the entire gallery. There’s also a pair of silver slides that fly down 45 feet to represent the shuttle’s descent and landing.

Go deeper

• California Science Center visitors will see space shuttle Endeavour in launch position this fall
• Endeavour’s new home is more than halfway done. Here’s a first look at the exhibits
• Another Major Milestone For The Space Shuttle Endeavour’s 'Go For Stack' Mission Is Here
• The Final Lift For Space Shuttle Endeavour’s 'Go For Stack' Mission