Chabot Space & Science Center

10000 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619, USA

Address:	10000 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619, USA
Phone:	+1 510-336-7300
Site:	chabotspace.org
Rating:	4.2
Working:	Closed Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Prashanth Kalluraya

I went with my 6 year old and both she and I were very disappointed. It was a Sunday. She was all excited that she will be looking through some telescope and in a "space center" there were no real telescopes available even to touch. The solar telescope should have been there from their website but was not operational because, as told to me "experts to use it were not available and it takes too long to set it up!" We attended 3 shows in the planetarium. All 3 were terrible at best. Those could be watched at home in TV. There were almost nothing about planetarium like in those. There were hardly much of any planets or stars or anything exciting. Both the Astronaut and Mayan.. shows were mostly some kind of cartoon or 80s primitive graphics based shows. Most kids were bored and I could see no excitement in any adults or kids eye as they got out of the shows.. The Laser show is the most rip off out of all. They charge $14 per person and it is one of the most pathetic laser show I have ever seen. As we entered there were only 6 people in the whole theater for show, that should have told me something. I guess most people know I how terrible it is!. It is JUST not worth $14. *Shame* on Chabot management for charging $14 to the science inspired, curious parents and kids who come to visit the space center. Many of the exhibits in the kids are were not working either.. all in all the place got amazing set of buildings that’s all. Okay to be fire they have a couple of space capsules for kids to sit and mess with the broken switches. Many kids seems to have fun with that’s pretty much it. May be they got good amount grants from the state to build it but current mgmt is mediocre at best. I did go the reception and express my disappointment at the shows and overall condition. But the lady laughingly admits that it is bad and seems like she is used to people complaining and she is happy she has a job!! May the place has good telescopes, I will go another Fri and Saturday evening to observe. But rest of the science center and especially the planetarium shows are pathetic. Save yourself time and money by not visiting this place. I had high hopes before I visited this place.. I liked the location, over all facility. But I truly hope the management improves the exhibits, shows and becomes an inspiration to the kids who come to see this place about space and astronomy and not bore them and the parents.

Bruce

Our son was researching the stars for his school project and this center was one of the places we decided to visit because of its telescopes and its studies on astrophysics (stars, planets, our own planet, etc.). The day we traveled to this center, traffic wasnt bad and driving through the hills and seeing the trees made it a pleasant trip up. Parking also wasnt an issue because we arrived just as the center was opening and the crowds hadnt arrived, which wasnt the case a couple hours later. The center itself has a myriad of activities and exhibits to see and do. As you work your way upstairs which has the three large telescopes your constantly stopping to see the exhibits they have on display to the hands on stuff for the kids. Our kids had the most fun, I think in the centers "Climate lab" where everything is hands on and challenged you to accomplish different tasks. We were able to see the "Tales of the Maya Skies" in their Planetarium. The culmination of this trip was to see the telescopes out on the Observatory Deck, which were impressive to see and hear about. Of course there were many questions from our children regarding the telescopes and how they were built which was answered by the centers friendly staff. We also didnt get a chance to view the stars because it was the afternoon by the time we left. The kids had a good time and my son was able to obtain the necessary information for his research paper.

Shawn Clover

Once a staple destination for my elementary school fieldtrips and YMCA summer camp outings, the old Chabot had its charm, but it was always the same routine: you unload out of the school bus, the guy in the lab coat bangs the little rocket on the cable with his hammer, then they file you into the tiny planetarium. This is not your fathers Chabot anymore. The new place is a state-of-the-art facility with much more to do. The exhibits are always interesting and the kids love it. But the best experience at Chabot is on those clear Friday nights when all the amateur astronomers are set up and the big scopes are locked and loaded. Theres no better place in the Bay Area to go stargazing with plenty of experts to explain exactly what youre looking at!

Reese Hinz

I dont understand the reviews by other adults praising this organization. Maybe these individuals havent really been exposed to much space stuff. The exhibits are basic, tacky and, frankly, falling apart. The science on display is super simple and feels like it hasnt been updated since the 90s. Other than the Soviet/Russian equipment on display, not much to see here. If you have kids, like really little kids, I can see this being fun for them. But, then again, really little kids can have fun doing pretty much anything. If you dont have kids, stay away. This was the most underwhelming experience maybe of my entire life. My friends and I still laugh about it.

adelita gonzales

We just love this place. The space and science center is fun on any given day but the first Friday events are D Shizznit! You get access to everything the center has to offer daily PLUS pop up interactive exhibits centered around a theme. Weve created robots, had terrifyingly large bugs crawl on us at the bug petting zoo, played Giant Jenga and Giant connect 4, designed our own pinball machine and played more pinball than the law allows, watched international animated short films, and danced our booties off to the dj/light show. The giant telescopes offer amazing views of the cosmos....My son always asks "are we going to view Uranus?" And we havent yet

Maddy K

I wasnt enamored by my visit here for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it seemed to be a museum about "white people in space". I was struck by the lack of people of color in ALL exhibits--even the CGI people in the film were all white! There have been quite a few black astronauts - - where were they mentioned in this whole museum?? Its also quite small... And only catered to children. Which is nice, but not engaging for myself, a childless individual! Still, it wasnt terrible. It had cool exhibits and the film about what astronauts need to live/survive in space was very cool.

Cynthia Wooten

We liked.the participatory exhibits/installations on the second floor, although several were closed or not staffed. And while many (space suits for example) a lot feels otdated. I know that it is a matter of money. The greatest disappointment was the planetarium. The show was a almost ridiculous, even for our 6 year old. In the credits it was made in 2006. Certainly that could be fixed without a big expense. This took place in may or June. Im commenting today because I hoped to get viewing information about the lunar eclipse tonight. Unfortunately, nothing But still support Chabot!

Robert English

What really, really makes Chabot S&SC shine is the tireless efforts of the East Bay Astronomical Society. They are an independent group of astronomy enthusiasts, amateurs and scientists who operate, maintain and overhaul the magnificent and historical telescopes at CSSC. They also run the Telescope Makers Workshop. Fantastic. The Pink Floyd Laser Extravaganza seems anachronistic in this setting. Has the planetariums Zeiss projector been repaired? How many years has it been? Does the roof still leak when it rains?