The site of Promenade at Downey is steeped with history with significant contributions to aviation, space exploration, and movie making. For five decades, between 1936 and 1986, Downey was a cutting edge hotspot of aerospace innovation and production earning it the title “Cradle of the Cosmic Age.” Created out of the former Boeing plant where the Space Shuttle orbiters were assembled, Downey Studios was a force in major motion picture production from 1998-2010.
Located adjacent to Promenade at Downey, the Columbia Memorial Space Center provides a rich history lesson on Downey's achievements in space exploration and offers the public a hands-on space museum and activity center.
Downey’s connection to the wonder of flight dates all the way back to 1929, when Downey’s first airplane manufacturer, EMSCO Aircraft Corporation, opened its doors. The company was later acquired by Vultee Aircraft Corporation in 1936. In 1941, Vultee becomes Consolidated-Vultee and begins producing U.S. military aircraft employed during WWII.
When NASA selected North American Aviation to produce the Apollo command and service modules in 1961, Downey’s place in aerospace history was sealed. For years, NAA was awarded NASA contracts to build key components of the Saturn and Apollo space missions. In 1978 Rockwell began development of the six space shuttles starting with Columbia which launched in 1979 which continued through 1986.
Created out of the former Boeing plant, Downey Studios was a force in major motion picture production from 1998-2010. The studio featured 80 acres of indoor and outdoor production space including what was the largest indoor water tank in North America and a suburban residential street backlot. Downey Studios contributed to some of the biggest blockbusters of its time including Iron Man, Charlie Wilson's War, Catch Me If You Can, and more.