The Reuben Fleet Science Center is the first museum with a planetarium, interactive exhibitions, and an IMAX hall in the United States. Permanent galleries are available to visit daily throughout the year. It is believed that it was this institution that set the standard in the country by which modern science museums are guided.
History of creation
The center is named after the founder of the American Aviation Service, industrialist and army officer Reuben Fleet. "His company", which built several aircraft, among which were "Liberator", "Catalina", worked in San Diego. Fleet and his family were among the first to donate the funds needed to launch the science center.
The specialists of the non-profit organization adapted IMAX so that it could approach the widescreen format. Previously, the system was not designed to interact with a hemispherical screen. For example, OMNIMAX appeared for the first time in the world, which used cameras with "fisheye" lenses, which opened up a view of almost 180 degrees. Projection onto a dome-shaped screen makes the distorted image look normal. The system was later renamed IMAX Dome.
Short description
The Reuben Fleet Science Center hosts master classes and science camps, as well as guided tours for schoolchildren. Admission is free for up to 13 years old, and seniors receive a discount when buying tickets. But you need to be prepared for the fact that some exhibitions are additionally paid for. Visitors can explore more than 100 interactive exhibits and take part in scientific experiments. Among them:
- An exposition about space, where you can learn information about the solar system, get acquainted with a real spaceship and feel like an explorer.
- In the area dedicated to medicine, you can understand how the human body works.
- The Future Technologies section at the Reuben Fleet Science Center presents inventions and their prototypes.
- Studio X has created conditions for conducting experimental activities, where everyone can try on the image of a great scientist and innovator.
- Kid City is an interactive exhibition for children under 5 years old. Classes at the Reuben Fleet Science Center instill a love for science and demonstrate the possibilities of its use in life.
Special attention at the Reuben Fleet Science Center is attracted by the "Giant Dome", which serves as an immersive theater where the audience is immersed in the action and feels not like observers, but participants in the events. The diameter of the dome is 23 meters, it opens by 25 degrees. Thanks to the S pace Transit Simulator, the sky looks real from any viewing point, and with the help of a joystick, guests of the center can feel themselves in outer space. In the cinema you can watch not only movies, but also digital shows. You should pay attention to the fact that you have to pay for each session separately.
How to get
The Reuben Fleet Science Center is located in Balboa Park, near the Natural History Museum. You can come here from 10.00 to 17.00 from Monday to Thursday, on other days from 10.00 to 18.00. When planning a visit, it is recommended to study the schedule, as the schedule may be updated.
Buses No7, 120 and Rapid 215 are suitable, and there is also a tram in the area, which can be boarded at Inspiration Point, Federal or Organ Pavilion. An alternative option is to take a taxi or a rented car.
Gallery
