Event commemorates the first artifacts installed in the Korean Air Aviation Gallery
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LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --Â The California Science Center has reached another major milestone in the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center with the installation of the first artifacts in the Korean Air Aviation Gallery. Thanks to the generous support of Korean Air, these include one of the signature attractions of the gallery, The 747 Experience, a 70-foot forward section of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft fuselage, alongside four dramatically suspended aircraft from the Science Center's collection, which will eventually include approximately 20 aircraft on display. Building construction on the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was completed in April and artifact and exhibit installation are well underway and will continue for several months. An opening date has not been set.
The upcoming Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is part of the California Science Center's 200,000 square-foot Phase III addition, spanning four floors and including 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. The new Air and Space Center will showcase a diverse collection of 100 artifacts, including rare and historic aerospace objects, integrated with 100 new exhibits, featuring hands-on, interactive experiences across three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
The Korean Air Aviation Gallery explores how the pursuit to master the sky involves tradeoffs among four forces of flight – lift, thrust, drag, and weight – that affect every aircraft ever flown, whether it flies high, low, fast, or slow. The gallery will have three primary thematic areas: Learning to Fly, Everyday Flight, and Advanced Aviation.
Highlights will include The 747 Experience which comprises the 70-foot front section of the upper and main decks alongside the cockpit of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft, and includes a simulated flight from Los Angeles to Seoul, Korea, in The 747 Experience Theater; the Wind Tunnels exhibit where guests will experiment in a wind tunnel lab, investigating the connections between the forces of flight through experiments with both weight and lift and thrust and lift; and the Design a Plane exhibit where guests will learn how planes can be engineered to meet the requirements of different flight missions.
The aircraft already installed and suspended from the ceiling of the Korean Air Aviation Gallery include a Grumman F11F-1 Tiger (U.S. Navy's first supersonic fighter jet); a Convair F-106A Delta Dart (the fastest single-engine turbojet-powered airplane); a Pitts Special S-1C (aerobatic kit biplane); and a Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4 (first jet with operational vertical/short takeoff and landing capabilities) – the first artifact installed in the gallery.
To recognize this milestone, California Science Center President and CEO Jeffrey N. Rudolph was joined by major donor Walter Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air and Hanjin Group, in making commemorative remarks. Following the program, guests were invited to tour the new gallery, experiencing the first glimpse of the future Korean Air Aviation Gallery.
"We are delighted to celebrate the installation of the first artifacts in the future Korean Air Aviation Gallery, including the Korean Air Boeing 747-400, and to have Walter Cho, Chairman of Korean Air and Hanjin Group, here with us to mark this milestone," said Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. "Together, we are creating a one-of-a-kind educational resource that will benefit not only the children and youth of our shared Los Angeles community, but will inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, explorers from across the globe. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues at Korean Air for their tremendous generosity and partnership in creating a world-class science learning experience in our future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center."
"For more than five decades, Los Angeles has served as a second home for Korean Air, and we are proud to support the California Science Center's mission of innovation," said Walter Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air and Hanjin Group. "Our vision for the Korean Air Aviation Gallery is to spark curiosity and wonder in the next generation. By showcasing the science and imagination behind flight, we want to inspire young visitors to become the pilots, engineers, and innovators of tomorrow."
Reaching this exciting installation milestone has been enabled by the tremendous generosity of the philanthropic community – led by the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation and the State of California, along with Korean Air and the Kresa Family Foundation. Thanks to more than 1,100 individuals, foundations, and corporate donors, the California Science Center Foundation has now raised over $393 million toward the $450 million EndeavourLA Campaign goal.
The California Science Center Foundation broke ground on the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in 2022. Over a six-month period beginning in June 2023 and ending in early 2024, the entire authentic space shuttle stack was lifted into its "ready-to-launch" vertical configuration at 180 feet tall, consisting of the flown orbiter, Endeavour, mated to real solid rocket boosters and ET-94, the last remaining flight-qualified external tank, and placed inside the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery. Building construction was completed in April 2026 and artifact and exhibit installations continue in all three major exhibit galleries. The Air and Space Center will nearly double the California Science Center's educational exhibition space and will allow guests of all ages to investigate scientific and engineering principles of atmospheric flight and the exploration of the universe. The new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will be open to the public general admission-free.
The California Science Center's Project Director, Dennis R. Jenkins, manages the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center project, assembling the team that installed the space shuttle stack and overseeing the building team that includes architect ZGF, general contractor hub MATT Construction, engineer Arup, steel fabricator Plas-Tal Manufacturing, scaffolding and shuttle protection by BrandSafway. Exhibit design has been led by Science Center curatorial team and Evidence Design.
For more information, visit EndeavourLA.org.
About the EndeavourLA Campaign
EndeavourLA is the California Science Center Foundation's fundraising campaign that enabled the acquisition and previous temporary display of space shuttle Endeavour, and supports our plans to complete the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center and sustain ongoing exhibits, programs, and operations. The project's lead donors are the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation and the State of California; joined by principal donors Korean Air and the Kresa Family Foundation; as well as The Ahmanson Foundation, Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation, The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, Melanie and Richard Lundquist, The Otis Booth Foundation, Ibrahim El-Hefni Technical Training Foundation, and Weingart Foundation; along with numerous individuals, foundations, and corporate supporters.Â
The California Science Center Foundation is actively fundraising to complete this ambitious project with over $393 million raised toward the $450 million total project budget. Everyone can help realize this exciting vision for the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, and donations at any level are welcomed. To contribute or learn more, go to EndeavourLA.org.
About the California Science Center
The California Science Center is a dynamic destination where families, adults, and children can explore the wonders of science through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, innovative programs, and awe-inspiring large-format movies. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility and inclusiveness, and enriching people's lives.
The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission to the Science Center is FREE. The California Science Center is proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Visit californiasciencecenter.org for more information.
About Korean Air
Serving the world for more than 55 years, Korean Air is one of the world's top 20 airlines, carrying more than 25 million passengers in 2025. With its global hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN), the airline serves 116 cities in 39 countries on five continents with a modern fleet of 167 aircraft and over 20,000 professional employees.
Korean Air's outstanding performance and commitment to the highest level of safety and customer service has widely been recognized. The airline has been granted numerous awards including a 5-star airline rating from Skytrax as well as Airline of the Year from both Air Transport World and Airline Ratings. Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, and has grown into one of the largest transpacific airlines through its joint venture with Delta Air Lines.
For more information about Korean Air, please visit www.koreanair.com, Korean Air Newsroom, facebook.com/KoreanAir, instagram.com/KoreanAirworld and x.com/KoreanAir_KE.
Media Contacts:
Kristina Kurasz Cutting │ California Science Center
kkurasz@californiasciencecenter.org │ (213) 744-7446
Sophie Jefferies │ California Science Center
sjefferies@californiasciencecenter.org │ (213) 744-7491
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SOURCE California Science Center Foundation
