The adventure of cave exploration meets the myth and folklore of bats in a new summer program at the California Science Center called Science in the Dark: Caves, Waves and Other Curiosities. Science in the Dark features kids' activities that make a connection between two popular offerings at the Science Center: Journey Into Amazing Caves, an IMAX film that depicts the challenge and purpose of cave exploration, and Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats, an exhibit that dispels commonly held beliefs about bats. Children can experience the thrill of climbing the sheer rock walls of a cave in Cave Climb, a 23-ft. high rock-climbing wall, or crawl through a "cave tunnel" to see what it's like to be a cave spelunker on a journey through the dark in Kids' Cave Crawl.

The whole family can gather for Night Creature Theater, an interactive presentation showing that when dusk falls, the "day" is just beginning for many strange and familiar animals that inhabit the night. Campfire Stories offers dramatic readings about bats, caves and other creepy tales in a camp setting, complete with a tent and "campfire," while Campfire Crafts, stationed nearby, gives kids an opportunity to make crafts and drawings that further explore these themes of the dark. Live scorpions, tarantulas, leeches and snakes can be seen up close and personal in the Creepy Crawly Critter Cave, where children can learn how these unique animals navigate and hunt in a darkened environment.