Space Shuttle Endeavour opens to public; holiday events launch across Southern California

The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center opens to the public on Friday, Nov. 13.

The facility houses the space shuttle Endeavour. It is the only location in the world where a complete shuttle system is displayed in launch configuration. The exhibit stands as high as a 20-story building. The center will be free to enter starting at 10 a.m. Friday.

This opening coincides with the start of holiday celebrations in the region. Disneyland in Anaheim begins the Disney Festival of Holidays on Friday, Nov. 13. The event runs through Jan. 6. Features include a 60-foot Christmas tree on Main Street, U.S.A., 80,000 lights on the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the A Christmas Fantasy parade. Tickets start at $104.

SeaWorld in San Diego also launches its Christmas Celebration on Friday, Nov. 13. The event continues until Jan. 3. It features the largest Christmas tree in San Diego, which has more than one million lights. Other attractions include marine-themed decorations and animal encounters. Admission begins at $65.

A new cultural space opens in Montebello on Sunday, Nov. 15. AltaMed Health Services will host ¡Hola Alta! at The Alta to mark the opening of its new venue. The space contains approximately 4,000 works of Chicana art. The opening party runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entry is free with a reservation. Performances will include Las Chorizeras, Very Be Careful, and Aztec dance.

Several other events begin this week or are currently underway. The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles offers NightTales through Jan. 10. The experience includes glowing installations and film projections by artist Maggie West. Tickets start at $20.

The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles is showing the black comedy Oh, Mary! through Dec. 6. The single-act play focuses on Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks before Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Prices start at $60.

Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena is hosting Winter Frolic through Jan. 10. Activities include ice skating in socks and building block fortresses. Tickets are available for $15.

Jorge Drexler will perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Uruguayan singer-songwriter will present his acoustic tour Tinta y tiempo at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $67.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles opens the exhibition The Dream of Water: Quipu of Encounters Maricunga on Sunday, Nov. 15. The show features work by Cecilia Vicuña, who reimagines the pre-Columbian Andean knot system known as quipu. The exhibit runs through June 6, 2027, and is free to the public.