Visiting the Museum

In LA, there are a row of museums in Exposition Park right by the Coliseum and USC. We decided to go to the Natural History Museum to view the extinct animals, the dinosaur bones and the new Thomas the T-Rex Lab which allows visitors watch the paleontologists work with the dinosaur bones. My husband, who took time off from the business on Friday afternoon, came with us. This was partly due to the fact that I couldn't handle both boys on my own. I could see my 2 year old heading into the display areas while my 5 year old stood mesmerized in front of T-Rex. In any event, the normal 45 min - 1 hr drive turned into 1 and 1/2 hours of LA traffic--typical but frustrating. We finally arrived at the museum only to discover the dinosaur exhibits were closed and Thomas the T-Rex Lab wouldn't open until March 30! So, off we went to the California Science Center (which happens to be free whereas the Natural History Museum is not). Even though the boys were young, the museum was interactive and had plenty of things for them to do. They did some sound experiments, some building, and some study of light. We opted against the Earthquake Experience. There was even an indoor play area at the top floor which was a nice break. In the end, I'd recommend the museum for the 7 and older crowd.