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Take Transit to the Stars and Get a $5 Discount

14 December 2000: Oakland, CA: Take AC Transit to Oakland's newest stellar attraction, Chabot Space & Science Center (CSSC) high atop the Oakland Hills, and get $5 off that day's general admission ticket.

From regional transit connections at the Fruitvale BART Station, AC Transit's Line 53 goes directly to the Science Center, making the trip every 30 minutes, seven days a week, during the hours the science center is open.

“I am proud that the City, AC Transit, BART, and Chabot Space & Science Center are cooperating on this creative new program providing public transportation links to our new world-class center,” said Mayor Jerry Brown, who unveiled the new full-wrap “spaceship” bus ad with which AC Transit is promoting the Line 53 connection. “The Science Center's discount ticket for public transit users will help keep our air cleaner here on Planet Earth - which makes viewing the stars even better,” the mayor added.

The 40-foot image of a rocket ship suspended in space will travel on AC Transit’s lines throughout the East Bay, promoting the Center’s $5 discount admissions program. The bus wrap is sponsored in part by the Alameda News Group and the Oakland Tribune.

City Councilmember Dick Spees, emcee at the unveiling ceremony, stated: “A ticket to this center is a ticket to spectacular viewing of planets and stars through the telescopes, as well as great planetarium shows and big-screen films like “To Be an Astronaut” - and now the discount for AC Transit users makes Chabot Space & Science Center more accessible for everyone.”

As Chris Peeples, President of the AC Transit Board of Directors, noted, “AC Transit is proud of the fact that we are able to provide convenient transit service to this extraordinary regional science center. We hope our 40' “spaceship” and our Line 53 service will entice people of all ages to explore the wonders of this great facility.”

Major attractions at CSSC include:

• A large 20-inch refractor telescope, the largest of its kind in the western U.S. that is regularly open to the public

• One of the world's most advanced planetarium projectors, capable of reproducing more than 9,000 brilliant stars. It's the heart of a system displaying myriad celestial features

• A “Mega Dome” 360-degree theatre with a high-tech projector and surround sound, featuring the latest films on space and science

• Eye-opening exhibits and educational activities tailored to entice and entertain students, teachers and anyone else interested in science and stargazing.

From anywhere in the Bay Area, it's an easy transit trip to BART and the Fruitvale station. For trip planning assistance, dial 817-1717 to reach telephone information services at AC Transit or BART, or check out any one of three Web sites, www.actransit.org, www.chabotspace.org, or www.bart.org. 

At the Fruitvale Station, catch any Line 53 bus to CSSC. Along the way, Line 53 makes transfer connections with mainline AC Transit routes on International, Foothill and MacArthur Boulevards.

At the observatory, ask the Line 53 bus driver for a courtesy transfer which, when presented at the admission counter, is worth $5.00 off the regular general admission price of $8.00 for adults and $5.50 for youth, ages 4-12, and seniors 65 and older. This offer ends May 20, 2001.

Chabot Space & Science Center is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays). Operating hours for the full facility are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Noon to 5:00 p.m., Sundays. The planetarium and theater remain open 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Telescope viewing in the observatory is available 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.

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