California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences, based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum—all under one living roof. Inside one of the greenest museums in the world, visitors find exhibits and experiences that can only be seen at the Academy including 40,000 animals living in the aquarium, the four-story rainforest with its free-flying birds and butterflies, one of the most accurate digital planetariums in the world, a variety of interactive programs and activities, and more! Newest Exhibit: Giants of Land and Sea. Explore Northern California's natural wonders through a variety of experiences: feel your way through an immersive fog room, keep your balance in an earthquake simulator, virtually ascend to the top of a towering redwood, and see a variety of specimens and fossils.

Know before you go
-Planetarium seat tickets (free with admission) can be reserved at the planetarium kiosk upon arrival, and are subject to availability.
-There are two places to eat at the museum: The Academy Cafe and The Terrace Restaurant.
-The interactive map includes a sensory guide for guests with noise, visual, touch, and smell sensitivity.

Highlights
- Steinhart Aquarium: Highlights include the Philippine Coral Reef, the California Coast tank, and Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed.
- Osher Rainforest: A glass dome houses the four-story living rainforest, where birds and butterflies fly freely among lush tropical trees, plants, and other animals from around the world.
- Living Roof: Visit our rolling green roof for views of Golden Gate Park and beyond.California wildflowers bloom in spring while dozens of native plants provide habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies year-round.
- African Penguins: Visit our colony of charismatic South African birds. Join a biologist for penguin feedings at 10:30 am and 3 pm daily.
- The Swamp: Meet its most famous resident, Claude, an albino American alligator, who shares his home with a trio of prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtles.
- Morrison Planetarium: Reserve a ticket (free with admission) at the Planetarium kiosk to see our newest show, Expedition Reef.

Guests ages 12 and above will need to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours to enter the museum, effective August 27, 2021. Acceptable forms of proof include paper vaccination card, photo of valid vaccination card, or digital vaccination card.

Visitors ages 18 years and over will also be required to provide photo ID in order to verify that the proof of vaccination or negative test result is their own.

Acceptable proof of a negative COVID-19 test must include name, date, and type of test, and indication that the result was negative for COVID-19.