What to Know
- Santa Ana
- Through October 2022; Thursdays through Sundays
- Entry to the Pumpkin Palooza is $10 non-members, $8 members (not included with admission)
We talk a lot about stems in the fall, specifically when we break out the pumpkins and carving tools near Halloween.
Discussing how you want to incorporate your pumpkin's stem as you design the look of your jack o'lantern is one topic of conversation, or who in your group might possess the pumpkin with the tallest, curliest, or gnarliest stem.
But STEM, as in the studies of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, also plays a major role during the festivities of fall. If you've been to a traditional pumpkin roll, or decorated your house with rad lights, or planned an elaborate costume with moving parts, you've employed some STEM-strong ideas.
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Discovery Cube Orange County is one of the STEM-iest spots in Southern California, all year long, but in October?
The destination's science-focused ways shine a celebratory light on Halloween and the activities of autumn.
And that cool combo of kid-pleasing fun and learning-based exploration has returned to the Santa Ana education museum along with a high-spirited "Pumpkin Palooza," happening Thursday through Sunday through the end of October.
The museum's "... new festival features some of the most scientifically silly Halloween activities conjured up in lab," including the Pumpkin Palooza Dance Party, a pair of "Crazy Maze" challenges, Ride Boo's Bumper Cars, and the Pick-A-Pumpkin Patch.
Entry is $10 for non-members ($8 members) to the autumnally awesome area — that's separate from the Discovery Cube OC admission, keep in mind — and tots are invited to wear their costumes.
"Halloween is the perfect season to celebrate the spooky side of STEM education," says Joe Adams, CEO, Discovery Cube.
"This year, we've gone all out with two floors of STEM-inspired spooks as kids can ride the bumper cars, master the maze challenge, pick a pumpkin from our patch, or dance like an Egyptian on a 10,000 square-foot interactive dance floor with a projection-mapped DJ spinning some of today's best kids tunes."
There's a cute inflatable corn and hay barrel maze, too, sweet. For all of the adorable high jinks happening just off the Golden State Freeway in Santa Ana, click.
