Starting today in Los Angeles, you can see a Space Shuttle in launch position. In fact, today the California Science Center is opening the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to the public: the new home of Space Shuttle Endeavour. This might not sound like big news, since the shuttle has been there since 2012, but seeing it in person is another story. The shuttle is no longer lying horizontally, but mounted vertically, in launch position, with the orange external tank and the two solid rocket boosters.
To make that possible, they literally built a new building around the shuttle itself. We’re talking about a 20-story display unlike anything else in the world. Not only that: the great thing is that admission is free (apart from a $4 reservation fee)! Reservations aren’t technically required, but they’re strongly recommended: walk-up entry will be limited, and especially now that it’s brand new, it’s going to be packed, so getting in without a reservation will be tough. Here’s what you need to know before you go.
A museum unlike any other in the world
Why is this museum unique? Because it is the only place in the world where you can see a complete Space Shuttle system, made entirely of authentic flight hardware. It’s true that there are other American museums where you can see shuttles, such as the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., which displays Space Shuttle Discovery at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, or the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where Space Shuttle Atlantis is on display. But these shuttles are displayed on their own, while Endeavour is attached to two real solid rocket boosters and to ET-94, the last remaining flight-qualified external tank.
The entire stack stands about 185 feet (56 meters) tall, and a 200,000-square-foot building was constructed to house it, nearly doubling the Science Center’s exhibit space. The building was literally built around the shuttle: first the concrete structure, then the assembly of Endeavour, and finally the steel diagrid roof. There is also a very Californian detail: everything rests on an 1,800-ton concrete slab, supported by six base isolators that protect the shuttle in the event of an earthquake. The project is funded by the EndeavourLA campaign, which has raised more than $415 million toward a $450 million goal.
The new center doesn’t just house the shuttle: it is divided into three multi-level galleries, with around 100 historic artifacts and just as many hands-on exhibits. Here’s how the galleries are organized.
- Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery: this is Endeavour’s gallery. You enter after a short film about the Shuttle program, which ends with a launch-pad “smoke” effect and reveals the shuttle. The walkways circle all around it, from beneath the engines up to a platform above the nose. There is also a shuttle landing simulator and the tires from its final landing.
- Kent Kresa Space Gallery: the gallery dedicated to space, with rockets and artifacts from the history of space exploration.
- Korean Air Aviation Gallery: this aviation gallery is anchored by a Boeing 747 fuselage you can walk inside.
There’s also a two-story slide, a fun extra for kids, who will already be wide-eyed at the sight of the shuttle.
Hours and reservations
The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is free, but to visit Endeavour you should book a timed reservation, which comes with a $4 per-person service fee. Walk-up visitors can only enter if space is available, and in the first few weeks there won’t be much.
Book your reservation on this page of the California Science Center website or by calling (213) 744-2019. You can book up to 19 people per reservation; larger groups need to call for a group reservation. The museum initially released four months of time slots and will add more dates later.
How to get there
The museum is located in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, and the exact address is 700 Exposition Park Drive (this is the location). How do you get there?
- By car: you can park in the Exposition Park parking structures. Parking costs $20 per day, or $24 after 5 p.m. and during special events. Check current rates on the Exposition Park website.
- By public transit: the best option is the Metro E Line. Get off at Expo Park/USC station, just a few minutes’ walk away through the Rose Garden. Metro buses 2, 81 and 102 and DASH F also stop nearby.
The story of Endeavour, from Florida to the streets of LA
Endeavour is the last Space Shuttle built by NASA, constructed to replace Challenger, which was lost in 1986. It flew for the first time in 1992 and completed 25 missions through 2011, making 4,671 orbits around the Earth. It helped build the International Space Station and helped service the Hubble Space Telescope. It was named after HMS Endeavour, the ship commanded by British explorer Captain James Cook.
The connection with Los Angeles is no coincidence: all the shuttles were built in Southern California, between Downey and Palmdale. After its final mission, STS-134 in May 2011, NASA awarded it to the California Science Center.
In September 2012, Endeavour landed at LAX atop NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The following month, it traveled through the city streets on a special trailer, in a three-day journey watched by huge crowds. For more than a decade, it remained on display horizontally in a temporary pavilion. In 2023, crews began the vertical stacking process, dubbed “Go for Stack,” and in January 2024 the shuttle was lifted by crane into its final position. Only after that was the building around it completed.
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