Fleet Science Center

Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, San Diego, opened in 1973 as a pioneering combination of interactive science museum, planetarium, and IMAX Dome theater, a model many later museums adopted. Developed from plans for a more immersive public planetarium, it introduced a tilted dome, outward-facing seating, and a low-profile computer-controlled star projector that could simulate views from beyond Earth. Named for aviation pioneer Reuben H. Fleet, whose family helped establish it, the center also reflects San Diego’s aviation heritage. Expanded in 1998 and later upgraded with new planetarium and dome projection systems, it remains a major science attraction with more than 100 interactive exhibits.

San Diego, California · United States