Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Sponsored by NASA and operated by the California Institute for Technology, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located not far from the Arroyo Seco spot where Cal Tech Professor Theodore von Kármán conducted his first experiments in rocketry in the 1930s. Later, during the '40s, the lab developed missiles for the U.S. Army. In 1958, NASA was founded and JPL became part of the agency. In the decades since its inception, JPL has conceived and built an astounding array of extra-planetary explorers and the remarkable technologies that accompany them.

JPL offers "Visitor Day" tours, which take place three days a month on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tours include trips to the von Kármán Visitors Center, Space Flight Operations Facilities and Spacecraft Assembly Facility. Reservations are required and may be made in advance by calling (818) 354-9314. Group tours and wheelchair-accessible tours may also be arranged. -- Jeremy Rosenberg