A trip to Exposition Park

Yesterday, I was walking inside the USC campus near Downtown LA with a couple of friends. We were walking to the expo line station at Expo park/USC. My friend, who had just defended his PhD turned to me and asked, “Shall we go to the Natural History Museum?”. I asked, “Why?”. We had already made plans of going to Downtown LA to celebrate his successful defense. He said, ” because it is free!”

The Natural History Museum located at exposition boulevard protects the natural biodiversity of our planet. It is true that if you are a USC student, you have free entry into the museum. But, did you know that you also get a discounted rate if you ride Metro to the Museum? The regular admission tickets are $12 and student discounted tickets are $9. If you ride Metro to the Museum and produce your tap card, you get a discount of $1.25. On the other hand, if you drive to the Museum, the parking fee is $10 and you end up paying a total of $22. The special exhibits tickets have to be bought separately. (Psst, if you are teacher in CA, you can enter free too).

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First stop: Natural History Museum 

How to get there: 

Expo line: The easiest way to get here using public transit is via the Expo Line. There are two stops servicing the Museum- Expo park/USC and Expo/Vermont.

Line 754/204: This metro bus runs North-South on Vermont. Both the rapid and the local stop at Exposition/Vermont.

Line 102: This metro bus runs from LAX airport to South Gate and stops at Exposition/Vermont.

Line 550: This metro bus runs from San Pedro to Exposition park and stops at Exposition/Vermont.

Dash: You can also take the Dash F and the Dash Southeast, which stop on Exposition opposite the Museum. You can find the schedules for the Dash here.

The Exposition Park area where the Natural History Museum is located is a vibrant cultural center of Los Angeles. There are many other museums and things to do while you are there. I suggest you dedicate a whole day to plan a trip here, so that you can make the most of it. Try to get a picnic basket too, it’s fun to lounge on the grass outside the museum and munch on some sandwiches while watching planes fly by.

Things to do: Apart from the permanent exhibits such as African mammals, birds, Insect zoo, Nature gardens, you can also explore some of the special exhibits that are on display. Currently, the butterfly pavilion and the spider pavilion are worth watching. Some of these special exhibits may require an additional ticket purchase.  You can buy the tickets along with your general admission tickets.

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Second Stop: California Science Center 

The California Science Center is located right next the Natural History Museum. Unlike the Museum, entry into the Science Center is free. One of the main exhibits at the Center is the space shuttle Endeavor. You require prior timed reservations to view this exhibit. If you book online, there is a convenience fee of $2, reservations on the phone are charged a $3 convenience fee. Keep aside an hour to view the Endeavor, the queues may get long and crowded.

I love going to the Science Center. Their exhibits teach you about the ecosystem, the world of life, and the air and space around us. Most of these exhibits are interactive and fun. Children especially love going to the Science Center as part of their learning process. Currently, the special exhibit at the California Science Center is Pompeii. The ticket prices for this exhibit is $19.75, plus $2 convenience fee.

The California Science Center also has an IMAX theatre which plays documentary movies on science daily. Check the Center’s website to find what is playing currently and the schedule. The tickets are priced reasonably at $8.25 for general admission and student discounted rates of $6. You can also buy tickets for multiple shows at a discounted rate. You can either purchase the movies in advance online or from the box office at the Center.

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If you started your day at 9.30 at the Natural History Museum, by the time you get done with our first and second stop, you will be hungry for some lunch. Both these places have a cafe where you can buy food and beverages. But, it’s a lot more fun if you pack a picnic basket and picnic by the lawns or overlooking the Rose Garden. Try watching a movie in the IMAX in the afternoon, trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Third Stop: California African American Museum 

Once you are done with lunch and a movie, head over to the California African American Museum. Admission is free.

Last Stop: Street Food Cinema

Your final stop for the day is the annual street food cinema festival at Exposition Park. This movie, music, food festival happens throughout summer. You can watch movies in the outdoor, on a projected screen, buy some food from food trucks and enjoy the SoCal summer. There are two types of tickets: General tickets $12, first come first serve basis and Reserved tickets for $17. They also have a pretty good music line up this year. And the food trucks are smackingly delicious. Find more information about this here.

The Exposition Park is also home to the LA Memorial Coliseum, the USC Trojans home ground. So plan your trip according to the game schedule because otherwise the Park could get really crowded with tailgating game goers. So get your friends together and make a trip to Expo Park this summer!

~M