Although the planatarium is closed in the evenings, there are staff at each of the 3 telescopes who... read more
Although the planatarium is closed in the evenings, there are staff at each of the 3 telescopes who... read more
This is a wonderful place that I discovered this past summer. There was free star-gazing, although... read more
After living most of my life in the Bay Area, I finally went to a late Friday night viewing at the Chabot Space Center. They have several large telescopes that they aim at particularly interesting stars, planets and whatever is going on in outer space. Additionally, some hardcore astronomy freaks bring their own smaller telescopes so you get can get different perspectives on the same phenomenon. I have since returned several times and enjoyed each occasion. If you are a tourist in the Bay Area this should be a can't miss. The lines move quickly, there is no charge at night, and in an hour or so, you can look through each of the available telescopes.
The museum is really educational both for adults and kids.
A time capsule wonderful very old school telescope. Feels like "War of the World's" form 1957..lots of hands on exhibits, space suits, meteorites, etc. Go on a nice clear night and see the Moon, Jupiter, rings of Saturn, just wonderful to light the fire of curiosity in young and old minds.
this is a great place to learn so much The exhibits are often hands on and fun as well as learning The docents are helpful and informative
This museum is mostly made up of relatively small rooms with hands-on exhibits for young kids (probably under 10). There are also a few fairly rudimentary displays of old space capsules and some space gear.
Where the real meat of the place comes in is the planetarium (designed more like an IMAX theater with an even bigger screen) and the huge viewing telescopes, which lie on the outskirts of the museum and on many days are closed for viewing (due to weather and likely lack of staffing). We had the chance to look through a sun telescope and one large telescope looking at venus. When we went back for another visit a few months later, there was no viewing at all, and if it had been that way for the first visit, we probably would not have come back.
There's a pretty disappointing exhibit about saving the environment by Biil Nye the Science Guy. It's an important topic but it had pretty boring exhibits and we always expect more substance and pizzazz from that guy.
It's a beautiful setting up in the redwoods, has free parking still, and is not too crowded (because it's not all that popular), so that alone makes the experience a nice one for a family outing.
The cafe is pretty anemic, really small, limited choices, tasteless food (although commendable for some healthier choices than usual fare for this type of venue) , and really overpriced, located indoors. Most people bring a lunch to eat and eat at those tables.
So if you have a space fanatic in the family, don't mind a drive out to somewhat of the boonies, like a relatively uncrowded museum, but don't have really high expectations, and like planetarium shows, this place is for you.
Enjoy!
We went on a special evening Friday (first of the month) $5. You can see a 130 years old telescope that is still working clearly. Lots of astronaut suits and areas for kids to play. Highly recommended.
This is an interactive science center with a lot of hands on activities to whet the science appetite. The telescopes are amazing.