California Academy of Sciences

You get to see a ton of awesome things. They have areas where birds and bugs can fly free, and you can get really close to some sleepy little bats. The aquarium is pretty awesome too. Definitely check out the octopus tank. We only briefly saw the Africa exhibit due to time, but it's mainly taxidermic African wildlife from what we saw. Still neat. I'd go back with kids.

This was a staple in my own childhood and sharing the experience with my kids and seeing some of the same exhibits brought back great memories. This new(er) and improved version is really set up beautifully. The experience is one of a kind and great for all ages. The food area is cafeteria style ( highly recommended the garlic fries) there is dining inside and outside. It is expensive to get in ($51 adults and $41 kids ) BUT- for those that have WIC or EBT the rate is discounted ! ($3 per person ) there is also a discount for City residents.They also have adult only events "after dark" Definitely worth the trip considering that the DeYoung museum , conservatory of flowers, and Japanese garden is across the way. As well as access to different parts of Golden Gate Park.

Lunch was good bc taste was great and so was the price! Got to see the Albino gator (or croc... don't remember?). Tho it was a rainy day, yet it was a great place to spend majority of the day. Love love LovE the Amazon rain forest biome! And even the various low tide recreations on the main floor. A great place with multiple floors! Can't beat this place. There isn't enough words that I can express to cover all the cool things at Academy of Sciences! Even tho I am an engineer who loves animals, I don't think this review is in any way biased. P.S. Definitely worth a season pass!

Very unique museum with an amazing rainforest. The rainforest has butterflies, thriving plants, and other cool reptile exhibits. Beautifully maintained and the best part of the museum! The living roof is also very cool to see. Definitely best post rainy months where is green and vibrant.Parking can be really hard in Golden Gate Park, especially on weekends so plan ahead to be driving a little while. There may also be a walk from where you park to the museum!

I convinced myself to finally visit the California Academy of Sciences after a very long time of not having been there since 1995. I decided to go there last Sunday to see what improvements and changes were made there since then. It was so great to see the African Hall exhibit once again. That place brought back so many childhood memories for me. I loved seeing the lions and zebra displays again. It was also great to see the Pendulum exhibit once again. It was my first time seeing the Albino Alligator and the other exhibits that I had never seen before, such as the Hidden Wonders. I purchased a T-Rex and Brachiosaurs toys at the Swamp Shop. Seeing the Albino Alligator at the Steinhart Aquarium for the first time was great. I plan to visit this museum soon so I can see more of the exhibits.

Located in Golden Gate Park, it's a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. There was so much to see that 2 hours will seemed like a flicker. We got there at 2 pm and next thing I knew it was 4 pm.The 3 areas that took most of our time were:The Steinhart Aquarium. Located in the basement floor, it really made us feel like we were inside an aquarium. Lots of diverse marine life and colorful marine plants. The Rainforest. In a temperature controlled dome and centered around a spiral walkway, this exhibit took us through a humid rainforest with tropical birds and beautiful butterflies flying freely, glass displays with snakes and poisonous frogs. The African Hall with life sized animals from Africa that have visited the taxidermy. Pro Tip- Get your tickets for the planetarium right away. We were bummed we waited too long and missed out. There's parking underneath the museum. They don't validate and the fee is $9.50. You pay on floor B1. Happy learning!

Wonderful resource in the Bay Area and worth the trip if you're from out of town or for a special occasion. We recently came here for the first time in 10 years with my mother visiting. Pros: The kids enjoyed it. The rainforest was probably their favorite for the butterflies which were abundant and landing freely on you. Along with a big albino alligator living his best life. Cons: Other exhibits are ok. The aquarium is about the size of the sf one and definitely less than Monterey. The baby animal exhibit was literally 2 yaks hanging out, no petting. Some fake snow machine every half hour. Hard to get around floor to floor - elevators are not conjoined and you end up walking pretty far to get from one to another. For example getting to the roof required a specific elevator, and there's no signage on where. The ticket cost was about 45 a head unless your child is under 3. Definitely the priciest thing we went to during my mom's trip. No reciprocity with any membership unless city pass which is only good for vacationers. Parking is tough - budget time for searching for a spot.

Compared to the exploratorium, there's a little less to do here, we came for lunar underground and were slightly disappointed in the exhibits and the amount of people there. LED lion show was cool, but less interaction and science than was fun for adults. Would not come again, there was a convenient Parking garage though.

We have had a pre Covid membership at the Cal Academy for more than 5 years now but I've never written a review! We love this place and it's a Bay Area world renowned institution for a reason. I remember coming here in college on a date . Now we come with our kids for a completely different experience. They are 5 and 8 now and we can come without a stroller! But we have come here at all phases of parenthood, including with a newborn/infant, toddler, and little kid combo. Amazing place with something for everyone. Very educational and well thought out with indoor and outdoor spaces. Bathrooms located throughout with steps for kids to wash their hands. They switch out their exhibits to keep things new for kids and their parents. We haven't been here in a while because of the recent COVID insurgence but it was great to see how enthusiastically our kids responded to today's visit after such a long break. Well worth looking into membership if you live in the area or expect to be able to visit more than 2x a year. Highly recommend. You can't really see it all in one visit anyway!

I would highly recommend this experience for adults or kids ! I attended on veteran's day with my partner and there were a lot of visitors ! We enjoyed it even as two adults and made a day of it. We had lunch there. My jackfruit sandwich was so yummy and filling and my partner said his pizza bread was good for museum food. Lol We saw the penguin exhibit and the animals looked well taken care of and happy . The educational show during the feeding was informative and it was cool to know that one of the handlers has actually worked with penguins in South Africa where they are an endangered species . They do good work here with the animals. I would recommend going to the scheduled feeding times early if you would like a spot in the front. The rainforest was magical and the aquariums were extraordinary. If you love science and animals , it's a must see.