California Science Center doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. Its ticket page says the core exhibit galleries are always free and don’t require a reservation, and its visit page says it offers self-guided exhibits and IMAX movies at discounted prices for field trips and groups of 20 or more. So the savings here come from the free galleries, or from booking your class as a group.
If you’re planning a class trip, the group booking steps below are the part to read closely. If you’re heading over on a weekend with your own kids, the free galleries mean you can walk in without a ticket, and the section on visiting on your own covers what does cost money.
How To Get The California Science Center Teacher Discount
There isn’t a teacher discount to claim at the box office. The ticket page lists four ticket types: Adult (age 18-64), Child (age 3-12), Student (age 13-17, or valid student ID) and Senior (age 65+). Teachers aren’t a category, so the lower prices on offer are the group ones.
The field trips and groups page says parties of 20 or more are required to make a reservation before visiting. You reserve by phone at (213) 744-2019, and the page says reservations are accepted weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The ticket page sends groups of 20 or more to that same number.
A non-refundable $40 booking fee applies to the general Science Center field trip. The page says it must be paid at least 30 days before the trip, or right away if you book with less notice, and that it’s applied toward the total cost of IMAX movie tickets, special exhibit tickets and/or the Big Lab program.
What A School Group Gets
The discounted prices are the main group benefit, and they cover self-guided exhibit visits and IMAX movies. The page doesn’t print the group prices, so you’ll hear them from the reservation assistant when you call. It asks for 1 adult chaperone for every 10 children or students, and it asks that students stay with their group at all times.
If you want more than a walk through the galleries, the field trips page describes Big Lab as activities for Pre K-8th grade classroom science, focused on physics, biology, chemistry, earth science and more, and says all programs support the NGSS science standards. The educator page lists Big Lab under hands-on field trip programs, lists professional development under the line “Expand your NGSS knowledge,” and has hands-on lessons that use household supplies. None of those pages mentions an admission discount for teachers.
What To Know Before You Book
A few rules affect your budget. The page says no other discounts, coupons, passes or member vouchers can be used with the group sales discount, so a member voucher won’t stack. Purchase orders are accepted, with the original presented on the day of the visit, and requisitions and personal checks aren’t.
Your final headcount is due 7 days before the visit, and if fewer people arrive than you reserved, the group pays for all the reserved tickets. Program fees paid in full, minus the booking fee, are refunded only if you cancel at least 7 working days before the visit. One more detail for the day itself: the page says there’s no lunch storage available, so plan how lunches will travel.
Visiting On Your Own
On your own, the core exhibit galleries are free and don’t need a reservation. Timed tickets are required for the IMAX Theater, and members receive a discount on IMAX tickets. The ticket page says listed prices include a service fee of $4 per person and that the fee is waived for Members. It also says Space Shuttle Endeavour will be off display until the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens to the public, so check the page before you promise anyone a look at it.
If you’ll be back more than once, the membership page says all membership levels are family memberships. The Explorer level costs $110 and lists 4 complimentary IMAX tickets, 2 complimentary parking validations, and discounts on IMAX, special exhibits, the ExploraStore, food services, Science Camp and other programs. The page doesn’t list an educator price for membership.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
We didn’t find group prices printed on the page, so we can’t tell you what a class pays per student. The ticket, field trips, educator and membership pages we read don’t list a teacher ticket or a teacher price on membership, and none of them mentions showing a teacher ID or pay stub for a discount at the box office. We also can’t say when Endeavour will go back on display, since the ticket and field trips pages don’t give a date for it.
Q&A
Is there a teacher discount at California Science Center?
We couldn’t find one for individual teachers. The pages list free core exhibit galleries for everyone and discounted prices for field trips and groups of 20 or more.
Are the galleries really free?
The ticket page says the core exhibit galleries are always free and don’t require a reservation. Timed tickets are required for the IMAX Theater.
How big does a group need to be?
The page gives 20 or more, and says parties of that size are required to reserve before visiting. The number to call is (213) 744-2019.
How many chaperones do I need?
The page asks for 1 adult chaperone for every 10 children or students.
What does the booking fee cover?
The non-refundable $40 fee is applied toward the total cost of IMAX movie tickets, special exhibit tickets and/or the Big Lab program.
Can I show a teacher ID or pay stub at the box office for a discount?
The pages we read don’t mention that, and the ticket page lists no teacher ticket.
Can I bring a lunch for the class?
You can bring one, but the page says there’s no lunch storage available.
Is Space Shuttle Endeavour on display?
The ticket page says it will be off display until the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens to the public.
More Information:
The details above come from California Science Center’s own pages as they loaded when we checked, and prices and programs change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.