An amazing place to learn about our planet and the universe in Oakland, California, USA is Chabot Space & Science Center. Located on a hill, driving up is breathtaking as you see signs of deer crossings, tall pine trees and spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay Area. When you arrive, a covered parking lot is located to the right of the entrance.
After parking, glass double doors allow you to walk inside and outside the building. To purchase a ticket, a ticket booth is located immediately to the left after entering the glass doors. Adult tickets are $24 USD; youth ages 2-12, seniors and student are $19 USD.
To the right of the entrance is the gift shop. There are lots of space and NASA items in this store to purchase. The gift shop is open during the center's hours which recently changed on September 16, 2024, to Friday-Sunday 10AM - 5PM. Hours are extended the 1st Friday of month from 6-10PM. The center is closed Monday through Thursday. Stay up to date on hours of operation at this link.
As you walk further into the center, you see the Planetarium and its show schedule. I decided to attend the 11:00 am show Tales of the Maya Skies, which lasted 35 minutes. When you walk in, a spectacular lavender dome with stadium seating greets guests. Seats had head rests to look up at the entire dome displaying the show. The show was narrated by a female who shared stories of her Mayan ancestors, how the planet, moon and sun were created and pyramids in Mexico. At the end, simulated fire closed the show as credits were named. It was a wonderful show that taught how powerful the legacy of Mayans is and gave some travel inspiration.
There are several rocket displays in the center. The first picture, on the far left, is the original Astra Rocket Series 3, which delivers satellites into space. The middle picture is a scale model of a Saturn V Rocket, which had its first manned mission on December 12, 1968, which lifted Apollo 8, the first crewed spacecraft, on 12 December 1968. The last picture is Space X Falcon 9, which is the world's first orbital-class "reusable rocket" that can launch and relaunch.
One of the most incredible experiences about visiting Chabot Space Center was looking through telescopes into space! The 2nd picture to the left is Rachel, a 20" telescope. As this was quite tall, I climb a ladder of approximately 6 steps to look at a star shining bright against the sun. She was a beauty. The 3rd picture is Leah, an 8" refracting telescope that made Chabot a legend in its own right as one of the first public observatories on the West Coast of USA in 1883. This telescope is open during nighttime hours where you can currently observe the planet Saturn. The last picture on the right is Nellie, a 36" telescope, which is the newest telescope at Chabot opening in 2003.
There are various activities when visiting Chabot Space Center. Eyes on Exoplanets, planets that orbits a star outside of our solar system, provides computerized education on today's exoplanet count of 5,690, including a pink planet, styrofoam planet and a world with 2 suns. You can also make your own spacesuit and attend outdoor tables where you can make your own rocket.
One of my favorite things about Chabot Space Center was the wall art proudly displaying the beauty of astronomy throughout the center. Visiting Chabot was a fun, educational experience I highly recommend anyone who lives locally and visiting the California Bay Area.
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