We have passed the giant cube at the Discovery Science Foundation in Santa Ana (aka Discovery Cube) on our way to other locations. I never thought it was worth the drive to visit a children’s museum when we have Kidspace in Pasadena, the Natural History Museum and the Science Center in Los Angeles, and even Noah’s Ark at the Skirball.

But when the Mythbusters exhibit came to town – and I noticed that it was ending in September – I thought differently. My 9-year-old’s favorite TV show is Mythbusters. He is fascinated by the goofball science featured in each episode, and he’s probably seen them all by now. Even though he hates long drives, too, he was excited to check it out. And what do you know, we discovered the rest of the Discovery Cube, too!

Admission to Discovery Cube is $16.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids 3-14. Sometimes there is an additional charge for special exhibits, and you can add a ticket to a 4D movie for $3.00. Food on site is just Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, so if you have dietary issues, this is not the place for lunch, although the costs are reasonable. And the gift shop is adequate but it’s not the retail trap that other museums snag parents with at the end of the visit. Parking is a little tricky right now because the center is undergoing an expansion (set to open in April) but staff is friendly and happy to guide you to the right place.

I’m glad Mythbusters lured us down there. That exhibit only took us an hour to explore, even with a cool demonstration in which a volunteer tried to dodge a paintball gun and the audience chimed in, voting on whether or not she could do it. The whole demo was handled safely and it was modeled after a Mythbusters test from the show.

My son enjoyed seeing actual items from Mythbusters on display like a duct tape canoe and plane, and a steel ball meant to paint a whole room using TNT. Although it was billed “The Explosive Exhibit,” there was nothing truly explosive to be found, but the illusion was there, and that was enough for him.

Once we finished with Mythbusters we took the rest of our visit to explore the center. It was fun to see the inside of the Cube that we drive by all the time. The giant shape holds a rocket simulator and some panels that educate about how NASA rockets work.

Our favorite part of the center was the Eco-Challenge. Although the Race to Recycle was down on the day we visited, I enjoyed watching my son take the interactive grocery shopping test, and quizzing myself on what household wastes are recyclable or hazardous using the cool scanner.

It was a great way to spend a day and I am glad I only had one kid with me, but it would have been fine with both. If you just resign yourself to hitting traffic on the way back – or maybe stopping for a meal first – you’ll have a great time.

Now there is a new exhibit for the littles – Thomas and Friends have stopped at Discovery Cube and they will be there until January – activities include:

Climb inside Thomas’ cab to explore the engine’s inner workings
Remove and replace parts to fix Percy’s wobbly wheel
Load Percy’s coal box and water so he can deliver the mail
Suit up as the conductor and sell tickets to ride the train
Load and sort luggage and freight into train cars
Explore the history of Thomas & Friends through books, TV show clips and toys
Plan and build navigation routes to favorite destinations on the gigantic Island of Sodor train table

Sounds like a great excursion for visiting relatives over the holidays, hmm? And actually, there is a new location opening next month in the Hansen Dam Recreational area in the Valley – so you might not even have to go very far!

Discovery Cube OC
2500 N. Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92705

I received complimentary admission for 2 to facilitate this feature.