San Diego, CA—The Fleet Science Center is excited to announce the reopening of their building, safely welcoming guests on Friday, April 9. Visitors are invited to create their experience with exhibit galleries and IMAX® films playing in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. The new hours of operations are Friday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

In the exhibit galleries, visitors can create their own experience with Design Zone. The brand new exhibition at the Fleet, Design Zone, uses hands-on activities to show how design concepts become real-world experiences in the arts, entertainment, and extreme sports. Visitors can get behind the scenes and create their own skate park, dance beat, rollercoaster, video game and more. In addition, all of the favorite exhibitions, including Kid City, Studio X, Illusions, VR Transporter and more, are open with additional cleaning throughout the day and with more space for safe exploration. 

In the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater, visitors can discover one of the rarest animals on earth, the fabled Spirit Bear, hidden from the outside world in one of the planet’s most secluded wildernesses in the new IMAX film, Great Bear Rainforest. Moviegoers can also follow the majestic, Australian green sea turtle Bunji, as she swims thousands of miles across the open ocean in Turtle Odyssey. In Superpower Dogs, audiences can be awed by the amazing Ricochet and his friends as they save lives around the world. 

Guided by the recommendations of state, city and county public health officials and the input from employees and members, the Fleet Science Center has developed a comprehensive plan to welcome employees, volunteers and visitors safely into the building. 

The Fleet will monitor the efficacy of these guidelines in real-time and make further adjustments as needed:

• All visitors ages 2 and up, employees and volunteers are required to wear a mask or face covering and practice physical distancing while in the building, regardless of vaccination status.    
• Increased frequency of sanitization with our hospital-grade Protexus Electrostatic Disinfecting Sprayers throughout the day. High-traffic areas will close for 10 minutes for a deep clean.
• The Heikoff Giant Dome Theater will be open with reduced capacity. Every other row will be blocked off and require three empty seats in between people in different households. 
• Kid City will be open for our 5 and under friends with cleanings several times a day and additional sanitizing stations.
• Some exhibits may be set up in different areas to provide more space for exploration. 
• In order to reduce time standing in line, online ticket purchases are encouraged. 
• The Craveology Café and North Star Science Store processes have been updated in compliance with County public health restaurant and retail guidelines.

For a full set of cleaning and building protocols, please visit www.fleetscience.org/health-safety. 

For more information about Design Zone, visit www.fleetscience.org/exhibitions/design-zone.

For showtimes and full descriptions of films in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater, visit www.fleetscience.org/shows.

Fleet Science Center’s dedication to ensuring that all San Diegans remain connected to the power of science, whether in person or online, remains unwavering. Teams are working tirelessly to prepare for the building’s reopening and look forward to welcoming visitors back to the Fleet Science Center.