A top pick in Balboa Park, this hands-on science museum features interactive displays, including a room geared to the milk-tooth set. Look out for opportunities to build gigantic structures or to become a human battery, and ask about demonstrations of the mysterious Tesla Coil. The biggest draw, though, is the Giant Dome Theater, which presents several different films and planetarium shows daily.
The hemispherical, wraparound screen and 152-speaker state-of-the-art sound system create sensations ranging from pretty cool to mind-blowing.