CA Academy of Sciences

Albino alligator in the swamp display at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

San Francisco’s newest attraction is the California Academy of Sciences in the Golden Gate Park. It opened September 27, 2008. We went for a visit last week not fully realizing the crowds we would be facing. The member’s entrance line was almost as long as the visitor’s line!
There are a lot of displays to see and things to do. If the trip is planned right everything can be seen. We arrived early and bought our tickets. Tickets can also be bought online if you are sure which day your visit will take place.
Next we found the end of the line and waited for the academy to open. After filing in we should have gotten passes for a planetarium showing. Then we should have headed for the line to walk through the rainforest. We did neither of these so we missed them entirely.
Our first stop was the swamp where there was an albino alligator, snapping turtles, snakes, frogs and salamanders. The swamp can be viewed from above and below.
Then we walked around the lower level which included: the Philippine coral reef, water planet, Northern California coast, discovery tide pool and Amazonian flooded rainforest displays can be seen. There was also a tank of alligator gars which are actually just large fish.
Level one has many interesting displays but the one we were most interested in was the Africa hall. There they have a colony of African penguins which were quite active and fun to watch. The hall also includes dioramas of other African animals. This level also includes the research lab where visitors can watch scientists at work through the windows of the laboratory.
Other displays on level one include: islands of evolution, science in action, early explorers cove, the planetarium, building green, rainforests of the world, climate change in California and the academy gardens.
The next level houses an auditorium and 3D theater. Level three is the naturalist center where reference librarians and educators are on hand to answer questions.
Last but not least is the roof. It is a living roof that has a 2.5-acre expanse of native California plants. This creates a habitat for native birds, butterflies and other local wildlife. Visitors view all this on an observation deck.
Inside there is also a couple of choices for dining: a café and a full-service restaurant. Tourists can find souvenirs to remind them of their trip in several stores throughout the complex.
For those considering a visit we suggest planning a full day for the experience. Arriving early is a must to getting a space in the parking garage and then a spot in line. They close the doors to visitors once they reach capacity and those left in line wait until sufficient numbers leave before more are let in.
More information is available at the academy’s website at www.calacademy.org.