California Academy of Sciences

I like the place. The planetarium is amazing. Great for kids.

I have been coming here since 1965, when my parents would bring me here to see the fish. Many years later my father would get a job here, and so would I as a teenager. After the complete overhaul and remodel it didn’t seem like the same old place. Now, after coming with my own kids, I have fallen in love with the new hands-​on approach they embraced. Great place for kids and families.

Now that I’m back on my Unilocal game, I’m wondering WHY I never left a review for this place when I enjoyed it so much 2 – 3 years ago (?) on a date with my bf.
This many years later and I still remember how humid the rainforest was but it was SO COOL. Got tickets to the planetarium with ease. The «Shake House» where you get to experience an earthquake is pretty cool and good to know considering where we live. Between all that and the aquarium, the swamp, the African hall, and the living roof, there’s so much too learn! Spent all day here.
Perfect for a cute date if you & your boo are into learning new things together and great for families with children as well. I’ll be returning soon for their nightlife on Thursdays + to take my nephew out for a day of fun!

I have been coming to this place since it opened. I remember coming for free the first time because they were promoting this new science museum/​aquarium/​learning center. I was a member at Cal Academy until I left for college. Since college, I have come less and less.
The place is beautiful. The biodome is one of the best in the world (behind one in France?). The living roof is very cool if you’ve never seen one and the aquarium just has so much stuff to watch. You won’t run out of stuff to see.
However, the people who work here are sometimes less than friendly. This experience was strong enough that I felt the need to Unilocal.For the first time, I had serious problems with the people who work there. Wow. The level of rudeness by several different employees was something I had never ever ever experienced in the years of coming to the Cal Academy. It was the service desk before entering and the men and women at the desk who were far more interested about talking amongst themselves than with the customers. Though I can’t do much other than write a review on Unilocal and review Cal Academy at the exit, I sincerely hope the service people get better. I’m not asking for a 5-​star hotel/​butler experience, but my goodness the admission is $ 35.

Last time I came to San Francisco, I didn’t get a chance to go to the California Academy of Science. It is located at the Golden Gate Park across de Young Museum close to the Japanese Tea Garden.
The ticket for an Adult is $ 34.95, but we were students so we got in for $ 29.95. We arrived at 12:30pm and didn’t expect that there was so much to see in there.
When walking in, you’ll encounter a T-​Rex.
* Rainforest Dome
It’s a dome where you go in and there are different reinforest animals to see from. There are plenty of tree growing around and butterflies flying around. Don’t hit the butterfly or get scare when they land on you, but the staff would tell you before entering. It can also get kind of warm inside due to keeping the temperature inside like a reinforest. There are three floors in the dome and when you reach the top you’ll take an elevator to underground for the aquarium.
* Steinhart Aquarium
Once you get down there, you’ll see different types of animals. You’ll encounter a underground tunnel where you look up to fishes swimming above you. There are a lot of creatures in there and reptiles. You can also touch starfishes at the tide pool. Then you’ll encounter the alligator.
* The Swamp
You will encounter Claude the Rare Male Albino Alligator who is 20 years old. There are also five snapping turtles within the swamp see if you can spot them. They have a show where you can learn more about Claude.
* Tusher African Hall
It’s a place that has some penguins that you can see. There are show times where they feed the penguin. It’s full of animals from the wildlife in Africa.
* Color of Life
Where you explore about the colors in nature. Like how animals have their colors and what they mean.
* Earthquake: Life on a Dynamic Planet
You explore what happens to the earth equator when a earthquake happens. There is a show that you can actually feel the earthquakes they had before and comparing it with a recent one. After the show, it teaches you how to prepare for a earthquake whether it’s survival or to make your house sturdy so it doesn’t collapse.
* Living Roof
It was on the roof top where you see the living roof and seeing flowers around where bees and other insects and birds can give them pollen.
* Naturalist Center
You go in to look at real specimens. If you would like to touch some, you just let the staff know and they’ll open the cabinet for you. There is also a microscope that you can use to look at the insects skin or feather.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to the Planetarium. But other than that I went to everything. I didn’t watch some a shows only certain ones. I spent a little more than three hours here. Overall, I would definitely come again.

If you visit «The City» for any reason at all, make sure that you set aside some time in your day to come visit this place, you won’t be disappointed. This place is unique, sure SF has many galleries and exhibits to see, but here you can collectively see every possible attraction worth seeing; under one roof. This place is home to a huge living rooftop garden, Osher rain forest, Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, Kimball Natural History Museum, and many more thought provoking displays and labs. I could talk about this place all day, but you really can’t get the full experience without going, so go now and try to learn everything you can while here, it can be a lot to absorb in a single day, so you may want to black out a weekend for this :)

Explore worlds within a world at the California Academy of Sciences.
Somehow they managed to fit a rainforest, aquarium, planetarium, alligator pond and more into one building in the middle of San Francisco. This place has much to offer for people who enjoy learning about natural history. However, those with young kids who just want to push buttons and watch things happen, may enjoy the Exploratorium more, as the exhibits there are more interactive.
The CAS building was completely rebuilt from 2005 to 2008, having been damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The museum reopened with a free day on September 27, 2008, and the line for admission stretched over a mile long!
The main exhibits of interest are:
* Rainforest Dome: A miniature rainforest simulates the tropical environments of Borneo, Madagascar and Costa Rica. You’ll see macaws, reptiles, butterflies and more. Just like a real rainforest, this place is very humid!
* Steinhart Aquarium: Home to nearly 40,000 animals, this aquarium showcases marine life from the Philippine Coral Reef, the California coast and more. Live fish feedings can be seen in the Philippine Coral Reef tank.
* Planetarium: Watch the planets come to life in the world’s largest digital planetarium. This is not quite your J.J. Abrams-​style special effects show, but is a scientific depiction of our solar system. The wife and I both fell asleep (apparently lots of other reviewers did as well!), but we did learn a thing or two!
* The Swamp: Home to a rare albino alligator. Don’t know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Come check out the talk here.
* African Hall: Showcases lifelike recreations of wildlife in Africa, and features an exhibit with live African penguins. Yes, there are actually penguins in Africa! Penguin feedings can be viewed twice a day.
* Naturalist Center: An unusual find for a museum. This place has animal specimens and lots of books on various subjects. If you’re seriously studying natural history, this is your spot!
* Living Roof: This roof covered with 1.7 million California native plants is the ultimate way of going green. Not only does the roof absorb sunlight, keeping the building cool, but there are also many vents that allow the building to be passively cooled without the need for air conditioning!
It took us around three hours to see everything including shows, but it was definitely time well spent!

The 3 stars is primarily because of the cost, this is one of the most expensive museums I have ever been to; even with a student ID it cost $ 30, but on my third trip to SF I figured I should bite the bullet. At first I was worried I wouldn’t be able to kill that much time here, since I am used to the AMNH in NYC but it worked out quite well. I felt much better about the cost once I told myself it is a Museum of Natural History, Planetarium and Aquarium all in one, and there is a recreated rainforest with butterflies all around. Definitely stay for one of the planetarium shows, I really enjoyed the one I caught. The theater was small and you could see from anywhere. Other highlights included the earth quake simulation. I actually was able to stay for 3 hours so in the long run it did feel worth the money, but certainly not at the top of my list.

This museum is awesome!
Great aquarium!
Parking: easy to find

California Academy of Sciences is located inside Golden Gate Park. It is an enormous museum, and combines natural history, fossils and bones, a truly amazing aquarium, a real rainforest with butterflies and birds, and several theaters. Its pricy to enter (~$ 35 per person) but can entertain and educate for hours on end. Definitely high on the wow factor for me — I only spent a few hours here and couldn’t see everything. My favorite exhibits:
* The main aquarium — Its not as big as Monterey’s famous aquarium but is of similar quality. It was my first time seeing a Sea Dragon. There’s also this section with some truly massive fish floating around — giant catfish and alligator gars that look like something from Jurassic World!
* Rainforest — They have this climate-​controlled rainforest that’s super hot and humid. Butterflies flying around freely along with occasional birds.
* Penguins! Very cute and well behaved birds.
* World of Color exhibit — sponsored by Google and shows nice examples of how color plays with the animal and plant world. It combines art and science is the best possible way I think.
For tourists, or locals like us who occasionally play tourist, this is a must-​see place in SF. Its also easy to walk across the road and hit the famous De Young Museum.

Such a cool museum! As a planetarium, natural history museum, and aquarium, it’s got something for everyone.
LOCATION
Located in Golden Gate Park. There is parking in the park, but it may be easier to park around 7^th and Irving in Inner Sunset and then walk over (10 min walk).
MUSEUM
The museum is set up with two large, enclosed domes in the middle (one is a planetarium and the other is a rainforest habitat) that cuts through all four floors and protrudes out the top of the building.
— Planetarium
Has an hourly showing of one space show. You have to get in line beforehand to get tickets, but I had no problem getting tickets 20 mins before. Definitely a must, and it’s not an extra charge like other museums.
— Aquarium
When you’re on the first floor walking around the planetarium, you’ll be walking through the shark lagoon and be able to see small sharks and stingrays swimming by. What’s extra cool is that the lagoon does all the way down to the basement where the aquarium is. The aquarium has an underwater tunnel, a beautiful coral reef, and even a discovery tidepool where you can touch sea urchins and starfish.
— Swamp
Home to the albino alligator.
— African Hall
Home to the penguins.
— Earthquake Exhibit
Experience the shake of an Earthquake in a quick 10-​minute simulation.
— Rainforest Habitat
Go through a decontamination chamber and enter this rainforest habitat that mimics a real rainforest with the different levels of elevation. Last admission at 4pm.
— Living Roof
Outdoor space on the top of the building where the two domes protrude. Skylights in the domes allow natural light into the museum.
ADMISSION
The ticket price of $ 34.95 is kind of steep but worth it for all of the things you can do here. I easily spent 3+ hours here and didn’t even get to see everything.
Freebies:
Neighborhood Free Weekends– free admission for SF residents two designated weekends per year
Quarterly Free Sundays– free admission for the public one Sunday per quarter
Free passes for bay area residents– the local library has a Discover and Go pass where you can get admission tickets to the museum for free! I believe that most bay area libraries are part of this program. (You can also get free admission to other museums like the Exploratorium.)

I had heard a lot of wonderful things about the California Academy of Sciences from family and friends, and earlier this month, my six year-​old and I got to experience all this wonderfulness during an overnight «Penguins and Pajamas» event organized for the Girl Scouts of America.
We lined up with the rest of her Daisy troop (and parents and a couple of siblings) a little before 6 pm on a Friday evening, and were able to get overnight sleeping spots in the Color of Life exhibit — the other choices were Aquarium (most popular because of the soft floors and gurgling water noises), Lower Swamp, Earthquake, and the African Hall (which is where the penguins are).
Since there were just a couple of hundred folks traipsing about this massive building, we got to see all the exhibits with no wait. My daughter was fascinated by the rare white albino alligator (unfortunately blind from birth) and the butterflies in the Rainforest dome, my favorite was the Earthquake exhibit, especially the part where you get to experience the 15-​second «1989 World Series Earthquake» as well as the much more violent 1906 Earthquake (fortunately they only shake the room for 30 seconds, the actual event lasted thrice as long).
Besides seeing most of the exhibits, the kids also did several activities (like making «seed balls» for planting later), checked out the living roof, and saw a couple of lovely and VERY up-​to-​date shows at the planetarium; parents in our group who worked at Lawrence Livermore National Lab were impressed because some of what was shown was published just a couple of months ago!
After a supper of cookies, milk and fruit, we all slept as best as we could in our sleeping bags, and after being fed a hearty breakfast at the café, they let us put our gear away and return for the rest of Saturday. It’s remarkable how when you’ve spent the night in a place, it feels like home the next day. The academy certainly felt like home as we spent a few more hours checking out some of the less well-​known exhibits and creatures we’d skipped the night before, in spite of being surrounded and slowed down by throngs of regular visitors.
Thank you, California Academy of Sciences, for some wonderful memories — my daughter and I will cherish them for the rest of our lives!

In the city for the weekend and it is POURING outside! No problem there, we will just go to the Academy of Sciences!
In out of the rain my kids got to explore the aquarium (the highlight of which was the albino alligator with his creepy dead eyes), the light exhibits and the rainforest exhibit where you go up through the different layers of the forest.
Walking into the tropical forest exhibit the humidity hits you like a wall (take off your sweatshirt prior to going in) and you immediately enter the tropics. Macaws, giant fish, and tropical plants create the most gorgeous exhibit. My 10 month old could not get enough of the butterflies! Walking around the exhibit with giant, exotic species of butterflies was so surreal.
If you have small kids, this might not be the best place. I do not think my 5 years olds would have had as good of a time until this year. But now that they are old enough we will work this into our regular rotation!

I had so much fun here!!! This museum is definitely a must see if you’re in the area. I was brought here to a great night time eve t that showcased live music, drinks, food and an array of exhibits. There was so much to see and do here. The vibe of attending a date night event at a museum was pretty monumental due to the unique vibe and potential to learn while enjoying great company.
The best part was that the crowd was completely diverse and it made the experience even better. A few hours spent here was definitely worth the time and the money. Check out their special events and attend one for yourself.

The California academy of science is the next best thing to the Monterey bay aquarium, in my personal opinion. I enjoy coming here to see the different exhibits and learn new and fascinating information about our earth, Mother Nature, and the plethora of species that live in the different environments all throughout the world.
My favorite exhibits are of course the aquarium, which I wish was bigger! I throughly enjoy how they show the contrast between tropical fish found in the Philippine waters vs the types of fish and sea animals found along the California coast. The fish found in the waters of the Philippines are so much brighter, more colorful, and swim a lot faster than those that are found in the California waters, and I have come to the hypothesis that it’s due to the different climates.
It’s also fun to experience the earthquake simulator, which closely replicates the major California earthquakes of 1906 and 1989. Before you leave, don’t forget to also check out the Amazon forest, and maybe a beautiful butterfly will land on you! I highly recommend packing your own food because they don’t have very many options, and the ones they do have are quite pricey.

California Academy of Sciences is a staple of San Francisco. It’s a place you need to visit at least one time in your life– a bucket list location. There’s no doubt that since it’s a very touristy place, it’ll get crowded often, but it’s worth the visit.
CAS offers an array of different activities ranging from a rainforest, many exhibits, and an amazing planetarium show! The show is very interesting and is presented by an awesome guy named Josh, who is always very professional yet mixes up his presentation with humor. It always makes for a fun night.
The highlight of CAS has to be nightlife, which is an event that they host weekly on Thursday that showcases different topics and subjects: arts and crafts, music, food, coffee. It’s AMAZING. It’s a 21+ event so sorry to anyone who’s currently under 21, as they sell alcohol. Nightlife gets packed almost every week depending on what the theme is, buts it’s always a good time and the perfect date night (see pictures).
Overall, this place has friendly staff, fun exhibits and is in a great location near many yummy restaurants, bars and shops which makes it an easy destination to fit into a day/​night plan.

We had a great time here! Both science and the animal kingdom are represented very well here and the staff is super friendly and informative. I really dug all of the aquarium exhibits and the variety of animals that I haven’t seen in other aquariums around the nation.
We also did the planetarium exhibit which was lead by a gentleman who was funny and knew his stuff. I haven’t been to an exhibit like this in a long time, but it was current and was actually pretty cool! It took about 30 minutes start to finish.
The exhibits are for all ages and cover everything from insects, earthquakes, reptiles, rocks, humans, space, birds, and many other topics. Truly something for everyone! This is easily one of my favorite museums that I have visited around the world.

This is a family favorite spot! Our 4 year old daughter absolutely loves this place and they are always displaying new exhibits that peak her interest. Her favorite part is the rainforest because she loves finding all of the butterflies and insects and showing them to her little brother. We were fortunate enough to see them feeding the huge arapaima (from above) which was exciting and frightening at the same time. They would jump out of the water and make a huge noise when eating. Our daughter loved it!
It is pricey, $ 35 for adults and $ 25 for kids but it’s worth it. I would advise to go early so you have enough time to explore all of the exhibits.

I am a fan of museums, zoos, art galleries and aquariums having visited many over the years. The Academy of Sciences is an absolute must see if you like planetariums and aquariums. The indoor rainforest is wonderful and once you get to the top, an elevator takes you into the subterranean level of the aquarium. The planetarium will blow your mind away as well.
Although the ticket price was rather high, the experience was incredible and recommend 3 hours or more to enjoy!

Came by last weekend equating to the 8^th time ive been here. though about 4 times was for nightlife. (which is cheaper and far more awesome).
though for families and people not into that kind of scene the longer day nightlife is great too.
The aquarium isnt as amazing as lets say the Monterrey aquarium, but its a delight. Plenty of interesting sea creatures to amaze your eyes. The living jungle is pretty awesome. Butterflies, insects, birdies. Its lovely.
The planetarium is pretty cool, its good that you can get your free ticket at a specific time. So waiting is never too bad. yahooo

My postal code was the free neighborhood for the weekend, so I got to do almost everything for free!
Definitely give yourself longer than 2 hours! My mistake meant I had to rush through the second half of the aquarium and Africa exhibit and totally skip the earthquake house. I got to spend good time everywhere else though!
The aquarium, rainforest sphere, and living roof are all awesome! The albino alligator is super cool too!

This place is so cool with so much to learn. I love how they talk about SF in each module.
We came on a Thursday at around 2 PM and stayed till close. It was not crowded at all.
We parked about 0.5 miles away, but the walk was super pleasant because it’s located in the park.
We left with a super cool bookmark :)

It was my first time here and it was everything I expected it to be. The parking was difficult to find unless you’re willing to walk a couple miles. My boyfriend and I parked in the garage. It was pricey as expected. We arrived at 9am and left at 4 and the total was $ 28.
The aquarium was amazing and I liked the little facts here and there about every sea creature. I really enjoyed it. Though, I think people should be more aware of their flash photography because despite signs prohibiting it, people were a little careless.
I think out of all lines I waited in, the earthquake attraction was the longest. It took about 35 minutes. It wasn’t so bad though since there were other informative things around the line so time passed quickly.
Overall, I would like to come again when I visit San Franciso. It was a great experience. The staff there were helpful and informative and friendly.

I can’t believe this was my first time here! It was so enjoyable and wonderful. I love animals of all kinds, and it’s great to be so close to these guys. My friend and I came here on a Sunday so it wasn’t super packed. We parked a few blocks away and decided to stroll through the park to get to the Academy. If you’re up for a little walk, I’d say that’s very worth it! It’ll also save you money from parking in the garage.
The admission price for adults was a bit higher than I thought, but I didn’t mind it too much. I only minded because I know that there are some days throughout the year that admission is free. Be sure to check on their site for that info!
Speaking of the site, they also have info on what’s going on that day, as well as the following days. They have specific time for certain shows so be sure to read on that if you want to join in where the fun is at with the whole crowd!
Definitely would recommend for anyone to go at least once if they’ve never been here before :) I want to go back and check out those night life sometime.

The last time I had been here I was probably 10 or 12 years old and I remember being in awe of it. We decided to take our nephew and sister in law here during their visit to San Francisco over the holidays.
We went on a Saturday and I must say I was surprised how crowded it was, but I am assuming it was so busy because it was a holiday weekend. We arrived around 11 and made a beeline to the Planetarium tickets distribution area. We selected our tickets and then headed to the aquarium.
The aquarium is in the basement and is much larger than I expected it to be. They have all different types of fish and underwater animals to explore. Including an albino crocodile. From the aquarium we went to the colors of life exhibit and watched the pendulum for a while. Then we ventured outside to the reindeer exhibit. There was a presentation about reindeer that we watched and the presenter was funny, engaging and knowledgeable.
I was super interested in the simulated earthquake exhibit, so we ventured over to it and waited in line. Prior to the simulation there is a short video presentation. The earthquake simulation was neat, kind of reminds us locals what to expect in terms of a future shaker.
We then got in line for the planetarium presentation «Habitat Earth» (I think that was the name of it). It was excellent. Also lead by an Academy employee. Definitely was the highlight of my nephew’s visit. It’s crazy how it feels like your in motion when you are actually still in a chair!
After a full morning we went to the cafeteria to eat. Yes the food was pricey, but there is lots to choose from and there are some healthy options as well. We all thought the food was tasty.
Finally, we ended our visit at the rainforest. Whoa! Was it hot in there! Pretty cool, you start at the bottom and work your way up to the top. Once you reach the top you have to exit by taking the elevator to the basement (aquarium level). Lots of birds and butterflies flying around here.
There is A LOT to see at this museum. We were there from about 11 – 4 and saw pretty much everything. The value of what the museum offered was great considering the price of admission. Will be back again, hopefully for a Nite Life event!

It’s probably not the fault of the museum, but the traffic was horrid. I spent over 90 minutes on the hill traveling less than 5mph. No parking available anywhere can get extremely frustrating.
Inside the academy is interesting. I’ve gone both with and without kids. and my kids currently are still too young go enjoy it (2 and 4). I did enjoy it as an adult, though.

Came on a Tuesday and it was packed! Driving into the parking lot took about 30 minutes. $ 35 for adults and the line was really long!
There’s a beautiful aquarium downstairs. The line to go inside the rainforest and/​or to experience the earthquake was about 45 MINUTES long! Would definitely love to try going on Thursday’s because it’s a kids-​free zone! (So I heard)

I had this placed picked out on my «shit to do while in San Fran for a week» list. I am certainly glad I got to experience it, but I was quite shocked at the cost of the tickets. We paid $ 35 per person (adult). I did not see that they offered Veterans or Military discount either, which left a sour taste on my tongue.
It is a very neat place and quite informative. They have lots and lots and lots of fish. Okay, to be honest… I kind of got sick of looking at the fish. But that’s just me. The aquarium area is very beautiful and large. One thing that bothered me though: When we got there we stopped at the customer service desk to ask if there was a suggested route to take through the museum and we were told «no, just wonder around as you please». The problem is that we started in the aquarium and worked out way up, all the way to the top of the rain forest. Once you get to the top, you HAVE TO go back down to the aquarium to exit. That’s fine, they have reasons for doing that, but maybe suggest to people that they START at the rain forest so they aren’t back tracking for no reason.
The special exhibit during my visit (Christmas Eve 2015) was the blizzard room (bubbles that came down on your that looked like snow) and the live reindeer. Both were «okay». I think for kids it was probably pretty cool… and I guess that’s what matters.
The earthquake area was the highlight for me. The «shake house» actually simulates 2 different earthquakes in San Francisco history. It was very cool (and slightly terrifying) to get to stand in a room and feel what one of those intensely, strong quakes feels like. Yikes.
All-​in-​all, the museum is very beautiful and a learning experience. I just wish the admission tickets were a little less because although I enjoyed my time there… I didn’t enjoy is $ 35 worth. Had it not been so cold outside. I think we would have opted for the free admission of just walking around Golden Gate Park.

I visited here while on vacation from Michigan in August. First, we went to the aquarium which was FILLED with floor-​to-​ceiling tanks and fish of so many varieties. I loved it. Next, we went into the indoor rainforest which was so unique and it felt like a very authentic ecosystem. It had multiple levels of the rainforest and a slew of butterflies, fish, tropical plants, etc. we also saw the whale exhibit which was cool. It’s a great place to be for all ages.

San Francisco, CA: Amazing and incredible!
Ever since reading about it in SUNSET Magazine several years ago, I’ve wanted to see the Academy. Their many exhibits, including the aquarium, planetarium, a walk-​through tropical rain forest, and grass lawn rooftop, had me intrigued. Not only was I far from being disappointed when I finally had the chance to visit this past March, family members who accompanied me were also impressed and entertained. The cost of admission covered most of all the display areas. There are activities to captivate every age group. A number of schools were touring during the afternoon that we visited but we never felt crowded or overwhelmed as this was a good sized facility with wonderfully organized experiences. Definitely a worthwhile stop for every age.
Located in striking Golden Gate Park, convenient parking was underground and a fee is also required. I had assessed this attraction at four stars but reconsidered as the Academy presents what they advertise, at a five star level. I had forgotten how much a premium parking can be inside a large citiy’s core and had unfairly docked a star for lack of inexpensive parking.
POST SCRIPT
Seems researchers from the Academy discovered over 100 unique, new sea creatures in the vicinity of the coral reef in the Phillipines in June, 2015. See link below for an article.

This was one of the best places to visit in SF and Golden Gate Park. Glad it was part of the City Pass because a single admission will run you 35 $.
This place has it all, a planetarium showing shows, aquarium, engaging exhibits, and rainforest exhibit. There is much more too and you can practically spend all day here.
We came here on a Friday early morning before it got packed so mostly soccer moms were here with there kids. The staff were very friendly and engaged with visitors as well. Learned a few things from the staff.
I enjoyed the aquarium and the hum earth show in the planetarium the most. I would avoid the cafeteria if you can, feel like it was overpriced for nothing.
This is a great addition to the park and the front terrace area is beautiful. You can hit the deYoung, Japanese Tea Garden, or botanical garden next. I notice most of these places give great discounts in you are San Fran Loca only not even for a college students boooo!

This place is AWESOME!
I’d been wanting to check out the whale exhibit for the longest time and then Target had a free neighborhood day. Perfect for my «temporary retirement» budget.
SO much cool stuff. I love going to aquariums and when I heard this was a bunch of museums in one (planetarium, aquarium, natural history museum…) I wasn’t expecting much in the way of fish tanks. Once I got downstairs to the aquarium are I was really impressed! They have a great collection of all sorts of aquatic life. Plus the large tanks were great and I felt like I could stare all day. I loved the deep sea dark tanks where you watch a neon line float around and wonder what the rest of it looks like.
I love the earthquake simulator too. Being new to the Bay Area, I’ve only really had one quake under my belt so it was fun to imagine how a much larger one would feel (and then get secretly really freaked out that it actually could happen during my lifetime!).
The whale exhibit was cool, but really not the best part of the visit. The butterflies are where it’s at. It’s also like getting a mini-​sauna treatment in the high humidity! Oh… and there’s also more fish tanks in there too. Win!
If this 33 year old can have a blast on my own, kids are sure to as well!

Thursday Night Parties are cool, but when the night’s theme is «Star Wars» it’s even better. Lots of characters walking around and space themed exhibits. The planetarium has a special feature titled «life on other planets» and there are Jedi light saber training throught. Good and drink throughout. And in case you’re wondering, I am not a nerd, but did enjoy the festivities!

When we were visiting SF once of the places that I researched was the California Academy of Science. From the pictures to the details on the website it really interest me and I love like museums that are different.
I think this place is definitely a place to visit if you love marine science, oceanography, marine biology. The museum also shows about earthquakes, evolution, insects, and many other things.
I knew about the different sea creatures but I was amaze by the aquarium and the rain forest. You just feel so awestruck when your here. Mostly with the cool interactive things along with actually interesting science facts.
Also the penguins were super adorable along with the other sea creatures. I think its cool that they don’t teach them any tricks and its just their natural habitant. The aquarium has it’s on the bottom level make sure to see the whole thing. Also the roof top has like a hobbit feel to it. Just make sure to check out all the exhibits.
It was a bit packed since it was after Thanksgiving I think it would be great to go during the week day when it’s less packed. Also if you have a student id make sure to use it to save money.

I am a fan. A big fan.
Such a big fan, that I came back a second time just after a few weeks. If I would be living in the San Francisco Area I definitely would become a member!
I got the impression only one day in this great Academy of Science is so much more profitable than many years at school were for me!
I love that you can do so many things here! Planetarium, Aquarium, history of the bay area, a tropical globe with countless butterflies and other animals, great exhibitions and so many super friendly and more than happy to inform you staff members! Many information points and hands-​on stations all over the place.
I really just love it.
If you are in San Francisco, you must go there!

My friend took me here and I definitely had a great time!
Since he’s a member, he was able to bring me in for free. We immediately went to the aquarium to look at the fish, octopuses, and other aquatic animals. What intrigued me the most form the aquarium was the cuttlefish. They were really fascinating especially since they frequently change the color on their back. Another thing that was fascinating was the albino crocodile and the turtles that swam underneath.
After the aquarium, we went to the rainforest exhibit. There was a line so be prepared to wait. We waited about 5 minutes until another small group was able to go in since the environment was volatile. In here, there were macaws, butterflies, lizards, frogs, and other animals that you may find in a rainforest.
I was also told that they just renovated the museum and put $ 60 million into the Color of Life. I thought this was interesting since this was the educational exhibit where children were too young to comprehend but enough for the teens and adults to understand.
I would love to come back here again and I highly suggest taking your friends and family here!

THURSDAY NIGHTS is a must if you are 21 or older because there are no screaming kids PLUS they sell alcohol! not 21? sorry you aren’t allowed in at night
—Rooftop was romantic at night although there’s not much of a view since you aren’t that high up
—Aquarium downstairs was nice and there’s a touch tank
—Planetarium looked really pretty but it closes at 8pm so we couldn’t get in
—DJ and dancefloor at the Academy? yup on this night, although no one was dancing
NOTE: Parking at night is a $ 15 flat rate

Tucked away in Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is worth seeing at least once.
Although we found many of the exhibits only mildly interesting here, we did really enjoy the Aquarium. The Aquarium, with it’s Tide Pools, California Coast, and Philippine Coral Reef exhibits, housed the most colorful fish and wildlife.
While the main floor has the Planetarium, African Penguins, Color of Life exhibit, and the Rainforest, the penguins were truly the best part of our visit here. It was great seeing these beautiful animals up close. The penguins were engaging and fun.
I think we should have skipped the Rainforest. It was so crowded and hot that it made this exhibit miserable. By the time we got to the top, it was so humid that we could hardly breath. Although the butterflies and birds were pretty here, the best part of this exhibit was the trip down the elevator out of the crowded mess.
We did skip the earthquake simulator. Since we live in California, this seemed a bit redundant. Although it’s probably a good reminder to be prepared for the next one, we have so many small earthquakes here that it seemed a bit odd to stand through a simulated one.
The aquarium and those adorable penguins were truly the highlights of our visit here. The beautiful fish and tanks with the habitats from the California Coast were quite interesting. It would be nice seeing these exhibits again.
If you’re visiting the lovely city of San Francisco, this science museum is worth seeing. If I had the chance to go again, I would definitely find some good discounts on tickets and go during the week when it isn’t too crowded.

Une jolie expérience à vivre en famille. Les aquariums sont magnifiques, la simulation de tremblement de terre aussi, malgré la longue attente. Si le prix était moins cher 35 $ l’entrée j’aurai mis 5 étoiles.

Cher. Très cher. Trop, en fait.
Le bâtiment est imposant et moderne. Un imposant bâtiment aux grandes baies vitrées. Je m’attendais à des attractions interactives de qualité. Et je suis donc resté sur ma faim.
Il né s’agit pas vraiment d’un musée. Les différents stands font plutôt dans le tape à l’œil que de la véritable science. Je suppose que l’endroit a été pensé pour attirer les enfants bien plus que les adultes…
Alors c’est sympa, une petite balade en dessous du squelette d’un dinosaure. Un chemin dans une grand bulle au microclimat adapté à certaines plantes. Des poissons qui se baladent pas loin de vos pieds. Un cadre parfait pour une longue discussion avec un de vos amis si l’académie n’est pas bondée. Et si vous tenez à rester à l’intérieur alors que le jardin botanique du Golden Gate park juste à côté est tout aussi agréable (vous n’avez aucune excuse si vous venez par beau temps).
Je pourrais passer sur le prix et le manqué de profondeur des différents objets présentés, mais je né saurais accepter ce qui suit.
Certains bassins de la partie aquarium sont ridiculement petits. J’ai ressenti une certaine honte d’avoir laissé une telle somme à l’entrée en voyant les deux anguilles dans un bassin à peine plus long que leur corps (je me demande si elles peuvent vraiment faire le tour de leur aquarium). C’était assez insupportable.
M’enfin. Pour ceux qui se foutent des animaux, il y a un accès au toit avec une belle vue sûr la place. Et le planétarium (fermé lors de mon passage) semble être prometteur.
Pour ma part je né reviendrai pas.

Magnifique musée située dans le Golden Gate Park, à 25 minutes du downtown en bus (direct!).
L’entrée est assez chère, sans réduction pour les étudiants. Cependant, on peut vous rembourser le trajet en transports en commun (avec le justificatif). Cela fait déjà quelques dollars de moins!
Le must, c’est le planétarium qui ressemble à la Géode parisienne de la cité des sciences. J’y ai vu les 2 films présentés ce jour-​là: un sur les tremblements de terre (sympa) et un magnifique sur l’univers /​la présence d’autres planètes similaires à la Terre …
Certes, avec un niveau de bac scientifique, on n’y a apprend rien ou presque mais le rendu est très impressionnant. Pensez à prendre vos tickets en arrivant au musée pour organiser votre visite. Il n’y a pas de supplément à payer.
Né pas manquer la serre: papillons et oiseaux en liberté, serpents /​grenouilles /​araignées en cage, avec vue sur l’aquarium en bas. Vraiment chouette même s’il y a beaucoup de monde. Au sous-​sol, on se retrouve à l’aquarium qui est vraiment joli mais pas gigantesque. On se retrouve nez à nez avec des requins, méduses, «Dory» et autres «Némo» pour les enfants.
Enfants, justement à qui semble être dédié ce musée, au final. Car l’exposition sur les animaux de mer et celle sur les tremblements de terre leur sont adressées. L’adulte se retrouve alors seulement en position d’accompagnateur.
Enfin, petits détails: les toilettes sont nickel, cela peut avoir son importance. Eviter les restaurants du musée. Ils restent chers avec des proportions minuscules. Mieux vaut prévoir des snacks!
Au final, un bon moyen de passer l’après-midi mais cela reste cher.

Visite en semaine, objectif atteint: pas trop de monde. L’entrée est quand même très chère (30 $) et encore plus chère (35 $) pendant les périodes de vacances scolaires (détaillées sur le site web) si on achète son billet à l’entrée. Conseil donc: achetez le billet sur le site pour échapper aux 5 $ de surcharge si vous venez en période pleine.
C’est donc un musée de vulgarisation des sciences de la nature genre «Palais de la Découverte». J’ai été relativement déçu: le niveau de la vulgarisation est assez bas et souvent orienté vers les enfants (présents en très grand nombre). Pas critiquable en soi mais le visiteur adulte et pas trop ignare reste sur sa faim. De plus, on a assez vite fait le tour. Quelques exemples :
— une expo actuellement (et dont on voit les pubs partout en ville) sur les tremblements de terre se résume à quelques placards d’information sur la croûte terrestre et sur la conduite à tenir en cas de séisme, et à ¾ d’heure de queue pour se faire secouer quelques secondes façon fête foraine dans une petite pièce pour ressentir (d’une manière assez peu réaliste) les effets des tremblements de terre de 1906 et 1989 ;
— la serre simulant un écosystème de jungle est assez riquiqui et contient des animaux… en cage, mais aussi, plus sympa, de beaux papillons en liberté et facilement approchables (on vérifie d’ailleurs à la sortie qu’aucun papillon né s’est accroché à vos vêtements !) ;
— l’aquarium au sous-​sol né casse pas trois pattes à un requin, cependant certains bassins affleurent à la surface de l’étage supérieur, ce qui permet de voir les animaux sans en être séparés par une vitre (les raies sont toujours spectaculaires, elles semblent voler dans l’eau) ;
— le meilleur de la visite est probablement le planétarium qui s’apparente plus à un cinéma Imax (attention, le nombre de places étant limité, il faut retirer sans supplément de prix des tickets spécifiques à un guichet à côté de l’entrée du planétarium, donc allez-​y dès votre arrivée au musée) avec deux programmes différents dans la journée. Celui que j’ai vu sur les tremblements de terre (encore ! c’est un fonds de commerce à San Francisco… je trouve ça d’ailleurs un peu limite vu le nombre de morts à chaque fois) était assez sympa et en partie commenté en live, avec l’effet d’enveloppement de l’Imax toujours spectaculaire.
Donc au final ce n’était pas une totale perte de temps mais je regrette quand même de né pas être allé au De Young, juste en face, à la place…

Als Wermutstropfen wären noch diverse «Kohorten» von Japanern zu nennen, die nicht müde werden, einem vor die Linse zu latschen.
Eintritt:
30 US Dollar für Erwachsene
20 US Dollar für Kinder
Auch nicht gerade familienfreundlich!

Natur Museum der nicht langweilig wirk, ideal bei schlechten Wetter in San Francisco. Mit Bus leicht zu erreichen. Auch ohne Kinder sehr empfehlenswert.