If Bill Nye the Science Guy built himself a Neverland Ranch, it would look like this. Spinning itself as "the West Coast's largest hands-on science center," the Exposition Park museum makes parents just as giddy as their kids.

The California Science Center is an innovative, hands-on "edutainment" museum that encourages kids to actively experience science. The most exciting bit of trickery is in the Science Court, where visitors line up to ride a bicycle across a high-wire cable: It's a safe and unforgettable experience. (It's also one that requires a separate $2.00 ticket or "Attraction Pack" purchase. Riding in the motion-based simulators, climbing the rock wall and visiting the IMAX theater is also separate.) A digestive tract in action begs to be pointed at inside the Digestion Diner; cat, fish or monkey brains inspire equally gleeful shrieks in "Brains on Parade." Designed by Frank Gehry, the breathtaking Air & Space Gallery at the California Science Center features a soaring interior and a fighter jet perched on the facade. Luckily, that's one thing that isn't hands-on.