Discovery Cube Los Angeles

There are two Discovery Cubes, and they aren't interchangeable. This one is the Los Angeles campus, which opened in 2014 at Hansen Dam in the former Children's Museum of Los Angeles building. The other is the original in Santa Ana, which has its own exhibits, so make sure anything you read is about the LA one. Its mailing address says Sylmar, but it's next to Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace. The other thing to check is the calendar, since the LA campus closes on select days each year, many of them Mondays.

What's Worth Seeing

The LA campus has more than 50 interactive science exhibits, and several are about the environment. The Eco-Adventure Carousel in the front courtyard has hand-painted animals from the region to ride, including mountain lions, raccoons and egrets.

Cube Studios is an interactive news studio with a green screen, where kids tell stories about the environment and climate change on camera. The museum aims it at grades 2 to 6.

Race to Zero Waste is a timed game about sorting trash and recycling. At Science of Hockey, you can ride a Zamboni. Santa Ana Winds lets you feel a strong mountain wind, and there's a climbing wall too.

The museum says an average visit runs about 3 hours. Children under 14 need an adult with them. Check the visit page for hours and closed dates, and the FAQ for tickets.

How to Get There

The address is 11800 Foothill Blvd, between the Lake View Terrace Branch Library and the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, at Foothill and Osborne Street. To reach the parking lot, turn in on Dronfield Avenue from Osborne Street.

Nearby

• The Hansen Dam recreation area around the museum has picnic areas, equestrian and walking trails and a path along the top of the dam, plus a golf course and the Aquatic Center. The city last listed the Aquatic Center's swim lake as closed until May 2027, so check before you plan on it.
• Placerita Canyon Natural Area is a drive north, with oak groves and the site of California's first gold discovery in 1842. It's closed Mondays.