California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum located in San Francisco, California. The Academy first began in 1853 as a society that conducted research. The Academy has four main museum programs- the Kimball Natural History Museum, the Morrison Planetarium, Rainforests of the World, and the Steinhart Aquarium. The interactive exhibits available around the entire museum allow the whole family to learn together in an educational and fun way.

The Kimball Natural History Museum showcases over 160 years of Academy research history. The highlights of the Natural History Museum are the 87-foot skeleton of the massive blue whale as well as the huge T-rex skeleton located in the Main Lobby. The Rainforest Exhibit is housed under a huge glass dome and comfortably adapted to the various flora and fauna of the tropical rainforests around the world. There are more than 1600 live animals with free-flying birds and birds. 

Make sure to check out the flooded forest tunnel which goes through the 100,000-gallon Amazonian water tank made of completely see through glass. The Steinhart Aquarium is one of the most biodiverse aquariums in the country. It has over 40,000 live animals across 900 species. It also features one of the largest indoor coral reefs in the world in their Philippine Coral Reef exhibit. The Morrison Planetarium is an experience that should not be missed! The show projects a hyper realistic view of the cosmos onto the Planetarium’s dome screen. 

The Academy holds a special NightLife event every Thursday between 6 and 10 pm. There are a variety of foods and drinks on offer at the event, along with a seasonal “craft on draft” cocktail at each event. The events feature an eclectic mix of science, music, and art, which change between each event. The Academy also hosts a fun Sleepover night where children can sign up to spend the night at the Academy and partake in various interactive sessions with the employees and animals of the Academy.