I have lived in Los Angeles my entire life and never visited the California Science Center. Located next to USC’s Coliseum, the building is huge, featuring different limited-time and permanent exhibits. Currently, the California Science Center is featuring the only West Coast appearance of Cleopatra: The Exhibition. I had to take time to visit before it moves on Jan. 6. The line was long last Saturday afternoon, but we didn’t mind the wait. However, when we arrived at the ticket agent, she said there was only one ticket left before being sold out. As there were two of us, it was pretty disappointing, and they wouldn’t let us in. So we bought tickets for the next day, and they even refunded our parking.

The next day we arrived bright and early and were excited to find out our tickets got us in to see the Endeavor as well. We chose the Cleopatra exhibit first, and it was not only fascinating but awe-inspiring. The exhibit features over 150 pieces of 2,000-year-old artifacts, including jewelry, statues of pharaohs and pottery. The only off-putting segment was the audio portion; everyone was given a device explaining the story of the pieces and history. However, it was in a fake  “Cleopatra” voice and was a bit cheesy.

Our next stop was to see the Endeavour. This NASA shuttle is a huge coup for Los Angeles. Even the stories of how the shuttle had to make the seven-mile trip from LAX to the museum was huge news for days. The Endeavour is enclosed in a giant pavilion and gives hundreds of spectators amazing views. There was no glass or ropes separating you from the shuttle. You are free to walk underneath, touch the wheels and get some great photos. If you are in Los Angeles, I suggest seeing this up close!

— Carly Allen, vice president