Visit? Southern California Places to Explore Space

These recommendations are also from a recent Westways Magazine for Auto Club members.

Here are some places to consider visiting if you are interested in learning more about different aspects of space.

• Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  Started in the 1930s, it offers free weekly tours on Mondays and Wednesdays. jpl.nasa.gov
• Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial. This monument honors Ellison S. Onizuka, the first Asian American in space and one of seven astronauts that perished in the Challenger explosion. onizukamemorial.org
• Columbia Memorial Space Center.  This is next door to the Downey Studios building where all the Apollo astronauts were trained and where the Apollo space capsules were built.  Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  columbiaspacescience.org
• California Science Center. The space shuttle Endeavor will eventually call this place its home. Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.  californiasciencecenter.org
• Griffith Observatory.  A grand art deco building overlooking Hollywood that features the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Wednesday to Friday Noon to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 10 PM.  griffithobs.org

I hope all of you find these places interesting.