5 remarkable 'classrooms' you might not know exist at CSULB

The Beach is full of surprises.

Beyond the palm trees, the Walter Pyramid and the miles of nearby coastline, the campus is filled with unexpected spaces designed to turn lectures into lived experience. Whether it's Hollywood-style sound effects or rooftop stargazing, here are five hidden gems that make learning at Cal State Long Beach unforgettable.

1. A Hollywood-style recording studio

2. A cadaver lab

Thanks to the generosity of individuals who donated their bodies to science, CSULB is home to a cadaver lab. Tucked inside the College of Health and Human Services, the little-known lab contains six metal gurneys holding human bodies used for anatomy lessons by Doctor of Physical Therapystudents. The lab operates during two intensive summer sessions, where each body is carefully wrapped in plastic, with just the section being studied uncovered. Students begin at the feet and legs, then gradually move upward until the head is revealed in the final stage. Thanks to a state-of-the-art ventilation system, the room - located alongside other teaching and research spaces - is clean, comfortable and far removed from the pungent labs of high school biology. The lab makes possible a hands-on education that no textbook can replicate.

3. A wind tunnel

For those not versed in the world of aerodynamics, a wind tunnel looks like a giant enclosed hallway with powerful fans that push air past whatever is placed inside. By creating controlled "wind," it shows how air affects objects in motion - similar to rolling down a car window and feeling the air rush past your hand. The College of Engineeringis revitalizing one of its wind tunnels with the help of new faculty member Cody Karcher, an MIT-trained aeronautical engineer who specializes in aircraft design optimization. The tunnel, which allows precise aerodynamic measurements, will enable students to test propellers, aircraft models and car designs, among other applications. For engineering majors at CSULB, the wind tunnel transforms theory into something they can see, measure and even feel.

4. Five botanical greenhouses

Some of CSULB's greenest secrets are hiding atop and behind the Hall of Science. The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematicsoversees five botanical greenhouses, each maintained under different climate conditions - from tropical heat to arid desert - to support a wide variety of plants. This diversity allows students to study species that would never survive outdoors in Long Beach, from touch-sensitive mimosa to carnivorous Venus flytraps. The collection also includes Phil, the university's rare and infamous corpse flower, which blooms only every few years and draws curious crowds despite its carrion-like stench. Beyond the spectacle, the greenhouses are living classrooms for courses in botany, ecology, evolution and conservation biology.

5. A rooftop observatory

Every clear Tuesday night during the semester, students climb the outdoor stairwell in front of the Hall of Science to glimpse the universe from the campus' own rooftop observatory for Nights at the Observatory. Featuring five telescopes aimed at planets, nebulae and distant stars, the viewing area is relatively small - but the equipment is impressive and the views are stunning. Even within city lights, viewers can study Jupiter's stripes, trace Orion's Nebula or marvel at the intricate patterns on the moon's surface. Although it's required viewing for many students in the Astronomy & Physics Department, Nights at the Observatory is also open to public - from 8-9 p.m. - offering a window to the universe from the middle of campus.