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953 reviews for California Academy of Sciences
On my first trip to the Academy, I was lucky enough to be accompanied by my friend who conveniently happens to be a volunteer there. With her as my personal tour-guide, I got to see the place in an organized (not to mentioned educational) manner.
The Academy offers many days with free admission, which is great for those who want to enjoy the building without having to pay the steep admission price. I attended on such a day, and while it was very crowded, I went early and successfully avoided some of the ciaos.
The planetarium show was great - it's been over a decade since the last time I've been to one, and wow. They've definitively changed since I was a kid. Lots of information (far too much to absorb it all) is presented to you during the half hour show. Be sure to get tickets to this right when you arrive since it seemed to be the most popular exhibit.
The rain forest portion of the museum was laid out in an extremely efficient manner, spiraling around and up through different flours of habitats. At the top you'll find butterflies fluttering by while you wait for the elevator to take you down to the aquarium.
The tunnel was my favorite part of the aquarium, allowing you to see fish from all angles. The Atlanta aquarium has something very similar.
The live roof is worth a visit, but only if you're the type of person who will ask one of the staff members of volunteers lots of questions. Otherwise, I'm not sure you'll appreciate it's purpose.
Oh, and check out the memorial by Maya Lin (the same artist who created the Vietnam Memorial in D.C.) which deals with habitat loss.
Though I don't think I'd pay the full price to get in, I would definitely consider going back for their NightLife when it's a more reasonable $10 to get in.
I am definitely a fan of this museum, however I am definitely NOT a fan of the admission price.
HUGE SUGGESTION: If you go to this museum you need to do a WHOLE DAY or it's not worth the $25 admission price. If you go for about two hours I strongly suggest you do the Nightlife Thursdays instead for $10 (6-10pm, 21+ older).
Highlights:
1. The Living Rainforest is amazing! Butterflies and bugs are fluttering around you in a humid environment. Totally awesome.
2. The Living Roof is gorgeous, especially at night.
3. The Planetarium is super awesome but ALWAYS has long lines and sells out. Come EARLY!
One downside: The Penguins. I have to say in my review that I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in the African penguin exhibit. It looks so sad and like they are in a small environment.
However, that was just my personal disappointment I will get over. Just go to the museum and see for yourself. The upgrades and remodel did wonders for it. TRUST ME...the kids will love it and so will you!
Word of advice, if you come here, plan on spending an entire day here. There is just so much to see and do that I didn't have time for.
What I did get to see was pretty amazing. Most of my time was spent in the simulated rain forest. The huge three story exhibit was pretty impressive. They aptly copied the climate of the rain forest. It was hot and humid inside and the mist sprayers did nothing to cool you off, but that was not their purpose. There are butterflies everywhere inside and you have to watch where you are going so you don't step on them.
In addition to the butterflies there is a lake teaming with all kinds of fish, Macaws, frogs and exhibits of other insects and reptiles.
After you make your way to the top of the exhibit, there's an elevator that takes you down to the bottom below the lake. There, you can see more fish and walk through a plexiglass tunnel that goes through the lake and you can look up towards what you just experienced. I wanted to spend more time there, but we had to catch the Planetarium show.
The show in the Planetarium was very well done. You go into a domed room and sit in comfortable chairs that recline back so you can stare up into the projected movie. The movie narrated by Whoopi Goldberg tells of how stars, galaxies and super novas are formed and classified. It was little sad to know that some day, albeit a couple billion years from now or so, the sun will die along with everything as we know it. At times the movie was a little disorienting because it's so huge and the motion as it sweeps around the galaxy can send your head spinning. This is warned before the movie starts and all you have to do is look away for a sec and everything returns to normal. When the 30 minute film ended, you feel really insignificant along with everything else that goes on in the world.
Next up, we quickly went through the aquarium portion of the Academy. It's not as big as The Aquarium of the Pacific, but has a lot of the same features. Huge display tanks, a touch tank, fish, fish and more fish. I found the interactive displays really cool. Just by waving your hand over them you change the information that is being shown.
We then made our way over to see the Penguins and mammal exhibits. As luck would have it, it was feeding time for the Penguins. That was fun to watch. The rest of the room had stuffed animals portrayed in their natural habitats. Not really how I like to see my animals, but it was well done.
What time I had left was hurriedly gone through the displays in the main lobby. There was a neat interactive insect floor monitor that had computer bugs running around on it and when you try to step on them they run away from you.
Unfortunately, I couldn't spend more time there, which is a shame. There is just so much more to see, like the roof top ecosystem and other animal exhibits. Plus, there is so much more in Golden Gate Park to see, such as the museum with the King Tut exhibit and the Japanese Tea Garden.
A couple downsides. It's a little expensive. $25 a person. I got $3 off with my AAA card. The fee is all in the name of science, so I guess it's not that bad. Parking is rough, but it is all over SF. Taking a bus might not be a bad idea. Even though it was a Tuesday it was really busy. I can't imagine what it's like on the weekends.
Bottom line: Set aside a day or two to really enjoy this wonderful attraction!
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LOVE LOVE LOVE the fish and chips o'er in the CAFETERIA!!!* The folks there have changed the batter recipe and it's SO LIGHT and crispy!!! UM YUM!!!
Saw the new Planetarium flick with Whoopi's voiceover. Her voice doesn't put me to sleep the way Sigourney's did, but man. The overall show was NOT as impressive as the initial Planetarium pick. I felt that the shots of the city were too "dim."
STILL adore the 3-D BUGS! show on the second floor with the DAME JUDI DENCH voiceover. Don't miss it!
The tropical fish exhibit looked a little bit less cloudy today. Must've gone on a day where they decided to clean out the tank.
Overall --- MUCH less of a crowd. Almost borderline desolate, but we were told it was a repercussion of the bridge being shut over the past week. Incredible.
*Remember to say "HULLO" to Craig if he's working!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/6/2009
Planetarium tickets. SO worth getting to the museum as EARLY as possible just to make sure you've… Read more »
I haven't been to the Academy of Sciences for some time. I was really excited when they began their renovation of the place. I think it's an awesome place to learn about nature. The "Living Roof" is just amazing and even better is the sphere where you can go inside with butterflies flying all over! It's pretty nuts. Kids will definitely like this place, no doubt. The planetarium is cool, but by the time you get there you're kinda tired. It was a nice nap though. I would go here first next time. They only have a set number of shows and I think you can get cards to reserve your space ahead of time. They start promptly. The aquarium is pretty cool also.
It can get super busy, especially on their free days. I'd call ahead to plan your day out. The De Young museum sits across the way. Pay parking is in the garage under the park in the middle.
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Students with ID get in for $20 instead of $25 - which they totally don't advertise! Just ask! What a fantastic discovery.
I loved this place because it's like a zoo/aquarium. I could sit around and watch fish for hours. Plus, the CAS is a wonderful place for procrastinating students because you can squander your time under the pretenses of learning far more important things about Philippine coral, dinosaurs and sea stars.
Overall highly enjoyable and a nice primer for an afternoon nap.
It feels so weird to give this place an average rating given all the hype. I actually would have given it two stars, but my 9 year old nephew liked it a bit more than I did and he was so happy at the aquarium that I went with three. The aquarium is still awesome. The albino alligator was also neat for my nephew to see.
Line for the rainforest was out of control so we skipped it. We did the planetarium and it was pretty cool with Whoopi - but dragged on far too long at the end where they show you the constellations. My cousin fell asleep - my nephew had a headache and I had zoned out by the end.
My biggest complaint has to be the cost at the cafeteria - and I'm not usually one to complain about cost. But really? $26 for a "taco" (pork on a corn tortilla and nothing else!) , my little plate of vietnamese salad and a root beer. $26! Bring your own food, seriously - or eat before you go.
The living roof is pretty neat and refreshing to visit - and some of the ponds that are around are cool for the kids to look at.
I wanted to be far more impressed - but I just wasn't.
I was a little disappointed in the new CAS, this is the first time I've been there since the remodel. The attractions were not as grand as I thought it would be, it's still a pretty small place.
I went on a free Wednesday and heeded the advice of someone to get there early. Got there right before 8a and was prob within the top 10 group of people in line. We watched the line grow with time but even at opening time of 9:30, on this Wed, the line reached barely outside the concourse area. I also noticed that around 11am, people were still coming in so the line wasn't closed off. Also, they do not allow Ins and Outs on free Wednesdays. You need to line up again to get back in.
We headed right, to the Tropical Rain Forest first, no lines at all. At 10, the line was long, almost reminded me of an amusement park line.
The Tropical Rain Forest was set at 86 degrees and 100% humidity. It was the home of butterflies that flew freely, macaws, and a variety of plants, trees and other animals, some caged, some living within the trees and plants. Nice attraction but it becomes hot for obious reasons. As you exit on the 3rd floor, you take an elevator down to the aquarium.
On the other side of the entrance was the African museum. It seems a lot smaller than before. It's one room with all the animals. The live penguins are also housed here.
Within rushing but probably missing a corner here and there, we finished in 2 hours, with a small child.
I definitely wouldn't pay the normal admission price to come back. I would come back on another free Wednesday just to check out what I missed.
The aquarium is the aquarium, a huge diaply of tropical fish, large fish, small fish, red, orange, purple, etc. Never a disappointment.
We did not go to the planetarium as children 3 and under are not admitted and 7+ are suggested.
Their cafe area is small but the good thing is you are allowed to bring in food and beverage.
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Now that I've been member for a year and have gone back countless times, I have to eat my words and say THIS PLACE IS AWESOME.
Two things. Planetarium. Rain Forest.
Want to make it even more popular? Put a rollercoaster around the planetarium running through the rain forest. Make the rain forest exit a giant water slide that plops you into a giant tank with Shamu. Paint red bellies on a few small fish, just for nice scare. At the exit, every 10th person leaving wins a 5k tax rebate from Obama or mortgage adjustment from Fannie Mae.
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6/1/2009
Being an SF native practically, there are some things of old that I miss. The Ice Rink on… Read more »
I was completely underwhelmed by the whole experience. The lines were way too long to get into the planetarium and the rain forest exhibit. I could not get in. The living rooftop was a complete disappointment too. Surely the museum can stand on its own without these three, right? Ahh, not quite.
I remember the days before they remodeled, and although they did a superb job, it felt like I walked into a very cavernous, empty museum. The memories of walking through immersing exhibits have been completely replaced by the touch of wafting air. Even with the amount of people there, I can only remember the silence I felt.
Maybe I was expecting too much. I will need to pay another visit.
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3.5 stars it is for the academy of sciences(like the de young museum better). I am a museum buff, like walking into one and getting out with some grey cells put to work.
However, I would say that I was more thrilled before I entered the renovated musuem than after. I loved thier website seemed like they had created one of the best designed museums in the world.
The actual experience seemed underwhelming.
Didn't want to spend money on the experience and went in on a free wednesday(Would recommend you to do the same)
The tropical forest was my favourite part of the museum. must admit that it can get really hot in there :) the flora and fauna of the rainforests are beautifully replicated and displayed appropriately. There are some mock activiites for kids like opening an automated pitcher flower and touching the electrically simulated eel displays. The roof over your head after you get to the acquarium is pretty neat! Many bful picture opportunities there.
The acquarium itself is large as it covers the entire floor and has many displays of different fish and acquatic life.
The display of the swamp was a disappointment. One albino alligator which looked like a dead white rubber animal and a lone bird that flew around the swamp.The planetarium is running a new show called the jjourney of the stars and it didn't impress me in the way that I expected. Loved whoopi's voice during the show though ;)
What I could give a 5 star was food. We were looking for vegetarian food and we found many decent offernings from veg spring rolls, to rice with a turkish potato curry to a black bean soup which looked like and tasted close to indian dal maakhani :)
Overall, you can spend an intersting educative day here and hence the round off.
The Academy itself is very cool. Of course, as a native San Franciscan, I can't help but compare the old Academy to the new one. Honestly, I miss the old one. They had more exhibits - but I must say the love the Planetarium - both old and new. The rain forest and the living roof - both very cool. This is definitely worth a visit.
Anyway, it's hard to select a rating for this because I give the Academy 4 stars, but minus 2 for the customer service.
My review is mainly about the customer service, or lack of. I work in an industry where customer service is the heart of our business. I know customer service - and believe me, the Academy - or at least the folks we dealt with, need additional training.
About two months ago, we saw online that people living in my zip code would be able to visit the Academy for free the weekend of Sept 25 - 27. So, the weekend came - we drove out to GG Park, got in line - and when it was our turn, we were told by the ticket agent that this weekend is the "gala weekend" of the Academy (meaning, their one year anniversary) and that they weren't offering the free tickets. As luck would have it, the people behind us in line were there for the same offer. AND the people behind them. Three groups, all separate - there for the same offer. The ticketing agents couldn't help - so this guy, Joshua, calls us over and says that would take care of us.
Not only did he just reinforce that we were not getting in with that offer, he insisted that we were wrong because the Academy would never offer that during the gala weekend. He pulled our three groups out of the long ticket line just to tell us that?
We asked to see a supervisor and he said, "No." WHAT!?! No??? Of course, we were did not let it go easily at that point - and then Joshua decided that he was going to walk away because we were "insulting" him. Wow. He even got huffy with us. Another ticket taker saw what was going on and called a supervisor for us. Joshua disappeared at that point.
So, the supervisor comes out - after we tell her our issues, she proceeds to tell us that while she knows other dates have been updated, she insists that the Academy would NEVER have done the zip code offer this weekend because of the gala event. OMG. After arguing with her for about 10 minutes, she finally went to the back offices to get a printout of the current offers and changes.
Man, I would have paid to see her expression when she looked up the events - because she brought back a printout that clearly stated that the zip code offer was in fact originally set for THIS weekend, but was changed. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Must have killed her to have been wrong.
Three sets of free tickets for our groups. Thank you very much.
Of course, not even 10 minutes of browsing around when the fire alarm goes off and the entire Academy had to be evacuated. Unbelievable. 45 minutes later, we were allowed back in - and we were able to enjoy the rest of our day - with a free Ben & Jerry's coupon in hand.
Lessons learned: never say 'no' to a customer. "See what you can do" sounds much better. And get your facts straight before arguing with three sets of strangers who obviously saw the same thing - and ended up being right. MAYBE there's a chance the Academy had posted the wrong dates and changed them? We're already pissed off, why make it worse by trying to push that we're wrong - when we're not!?
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Comment from Amie W. of
California Academy of Sciences
9/29/2009
Hi Denise, Thank you for sharing your feedback here on…
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The price of admission is STUPID EXPENSIVE. It is definitely NOT worth it (luckily I got hooked up for free).
There are, however, events outside of the Academy that are MIND BLOWING. These definitely make up for the sore price point (I think the events occur on Thurs nights).
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Well, it's only taken me a year to visit the refurbished California Academy of Sciences. I'm just not big on taxidermy...unless former bosses are the subject and I get to do the job. And I usually like to see fish...on a sushi counter sliced with wasabi. There's also that odd smell those nature museums have....like somebody should have a tub of Fabreze on hand to spray. You know THAT smell. And there was that time when I took out the dinosaur bone, and the whole thing collapsed into a pile. Oh wait, that was a very special episode of "Full House".
Sure, it's great. Sure, it's green. Even the trash cans are labeled appropriately - Recycle, Compost, Landfill. It's eco-nirvana. And yet, it still feels cramped for all the effort to make it look spacious. That's because the entire Western Hemisphere and half the Eastern comes here at the same time. Covering four different areas around the world, the four-story-high Rainforest Dome is quite cool...well, quite humid but still cool. The wait can feel endless, and once in, it makes you feel like a big hamster among other big hamsters in one big Habitrail. Where's my exercise ball?
As you brush the butterflies off on the top floor, you take an express elevator to go down to the bottom where you find yourself in the revamped Steinhart Aquarium looking spiffy with a coral reef tank and all the underwater viewing windows. One of the smarter design touches was allowing people to sit in the underwater tube walkway and look up at the rainforest. You eventually walk up to the main floor where you can go the African Hall to see the traditional dioramas of stuffed wildlife. I never liked that kind of stuff, but I do like the live penguin exhibit and the feeding show is worth seeing.
Naturally, you need to make a pitstop to see Claude, the albino alligator, looking awfully lonely in that pit in the main hall. He is expecting you to gawk. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the Living Roof on top of the building because the viewing area is so concentrated. For some reason, I thought you could walk around those mounds with the eyes in them. But why quibble about such an impressively designed structure? I just wish there was a better way to handle the crowd control...even one year later. It was just a relief to get out of the building after you make all the essential stops.
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I like it here but I was SCARED by the butterflies' legs and swift black bodies. You might think they are so pretty but if you go in there with a bright yellow shirt on the butterflies bomb you and their legs are spidery! Your private fears of insect torsos quickly become public knowledge when you twist and squeal away from them and smash into toddlers. Nobody understands when girls are afraid of butterflies. I'm sorry little child I stepped on, maybe one day when you are an abused, neurotic adult you will understand.
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The old one was much more accessible. This one looks great in photographs, but is mostly empty- of exhibits. It is packed with people, each of whom has paid $25 for their trouble. The aquarium is tiny and doesn't flow, and is poorly ventilated. The atrium is quite glorious- ideal for you-name-it private party rental- but is filled with cheap furniture for people to eat hog dogs on when the museum is open.
It basically sucks, I guess is what I'm saying. Sorry guys, but that's how it went down.
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Went to the museum this last weekend with a friend. $25 for regular admission is definitely pricey, and I didn't think that there was anything in particular about the museum that was so special and unique which warranted that sort of price hike above other science museums. The architecture and exhibits and beautiful, and the planetarium and 3D bug show are fun, but I think a science museum needs more "hands-on" activities for kids.
Went to lunch and the grab-and-go place (not the Moss Room), and it was crazy expensive, but good. I got the shrimp spring rolls (made fresh for me and delicious) for $7.50 and a cup of coffee (blegh) for $2.
The living roof was cool but I think they should put giraffes up there.
Place should be $15 to go into, not $25. I think you are better off going to the De Young museum across the street for a full day of interesting things to look at.
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Like other reviewers, I really wanted to like this place, but it just didn't live up to the hype. First, it was way overpriced. We did get the $3 public transport discount, but it was still $21.95/ person.
We did as we were advised and got on line for the Planetarium right away. That was disappointing. It was all computer graphics and had a random theme of "Fragile Earth". Meh, I felt like I was on one of the rides at Disney, not in a planetarium.
The rainforest area/ exhibit was closed and will be closed for the next week. They told us that before we bought tix though, so I'll give them that.
The aquarium and the amazon were probably the best parts, but again, not worth $21. The tanks in the aquarium that had multiple fish had small screens w/little tidbits about the species that would change but not soon enough. Didn't feel like standing around waiting for the screens after a couple of minutes.
The staff and volunteers were very nice and informative. The food in the cafeteria was good but overpriced. $34 for two bowls of soup, a Caesar salad, two ginger ales and a bag of chips. Ouch.
The living roof was a huge disappointment. The flowers weren't in season, so there was nothing special up there. It looked cooler from the street than it did up close. The climate change area was the worst area. I've seen the same tired stuff in the older areas of the Museum of Natural History in NYC.
Honestly, I wish it was just an aquarium- b/c that was the coolest part.
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For all the hub-bub and brouhaha, it's really a run-of-the mill science/natural history museum.
The 'evolution islands' (or whatever they were called) were pretty boring compared to how cool evolution actually is; just a bunch of "this is what we found on the Galapagos Islands" and not enough "this is the science behind evolution."
The planetarium is just an Omnimax theater. Cool in it's on respect, don't get me wrong. And maybe it's just me, but there's something mysterious and magical about a real planetarium with a huge projector in the middle of it. As for the show, I think it's really cool that they created their own in-house at the Academy -- that's awesome! At the same time, I would have preferred actual video (not CGI) of some of the natural wonders we've caught on film. Maybe from a RED camera, or something else super high resolution.
I'm a sucker for aquariums, so the basement made me pretty happy. Lotsa jellyfish and funny looking fish that I get to look at up close. If it reminds me of Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, I'm happy.
The rainforest wasn't that exciting. I didn't see a single goddam parakeet.
So some good, some bad. It's definitely worth checking out, but try to get discount tickets if you go more than once. I'm glad this is around and is always so packed though. Go science!
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If you like nature, science, or just a different place to check out, the Academy of Sciences one of those must see attractions. I would have to say it's not comparable to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when it comes to their ocean related exhibits, however, how the Academy differs is it's breadth of nature exhibits such as the albino alligator, rattle snake, giant anaconda, in addition the many other nature exhibits such as the aquarium, planetarium, rain forest and other areas.
I'd recommend signing up for a pass to the planetarium first before browsing around to reserve a seat and time. Then you can browse around and come back 15 to 30 minutes prior to start time. I highly recommend getting a seat in the upper third top area for best viewing.
Although, not as large as some aquariums, I did enjoy browsing through the Steinhart aquarium. The giant sea bass and moray eels were definitely interesting sights among the many exhibits. Another thing to note, is that to get to the giant anaconda, rattle snake, piranha, giant catfish, arowanas, underwater floor of the rain forest and few other interesting exhibits you have to go to a somewhat hidden corner, near the rest rooms downstairs in the Steinhart aquarium area. I almost missed that whole section.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day there with my girlfriend, however, we both were very disappointed to see the downsizing of the swamp from 8 alligators to just 1. I also didn't see some of the unique attractions from years past, such as the 2 headed snake. This made it a little less exciting as I had remembered it from many years ago.
Also maybe just a fluke, but while I was there the Jellyfish exhibit was leaking water and pouring over the floors. Someone quickly attended to that, but that's just a little uneasy. Good thing they don't have a large shark tank.
All in all, this the day there was very fun and I definitely recommend you go check it out.
Every 3rd Wednesday it's actually free. $15 to $25 is the regular admission price. Children under 6 are free. $159 if you buy a family membership pass (2 adults and all kids under 18) for unlimited access all year and special member hours.
One final tip for those driving from outside of SF. If you have GPS and you can't find 55 Music Concourse Dr., try plugging in just 55 Concourse Dr. instead. Although, you really can't miss Golden Gate park ;-)
This is absolutely a great place for couples, families, and the traditional school field trip. If you enjoyed the types of things I described here, you will definitely have a fun day hanging out at the Academy of Sciences.
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I spent a few hours here on a Friday night for one of there late night events. After attending many of the late night events at the Natural History Museum, it was really nice to see living animals! I have to admit, I got in for free, but I still really enjoyed the night. The DJ could have been better (get some DUBLAB guys in there!) but it was good enough. I really enjoyed the jellyfish and touching the starfish. Really all of the underground and underwater stuff was super entertaining and fun. Or maybe I was just drunk.
I didn't understand the barcode G phone promotion thing. We almost got all of the scavenger hunt answers (for a free drink) but gave up on the last question. If you are going to promote something at an event like this, do a better job!
The outerspace pictures were really wonderful, but that may be a temporary exhibit. The living roof could have been more interesting, but the fact that it exists makes me happy. Rainforest=cool.
My family has a membership here and didn't know today was free for the public,...great. Love the garage for parking, as we waited in line wanted a picture by the photographer and was skipped, I asked can we have a picture, and she said let me take (the ppl behind u 1st) I said 4 get it...what a way to start my day off..waited to go to the reptile habit employee said can I help u w/something...um how long is this...he asked is that your son....um yes, y does he care?? this place needs employee assistance...
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I went there some time ago with some friends and it was a nice experience to see the rainforest and all the animals, but honestly I was expecting more with all the ads and noise about this place. The planetareum is very nice and exciting, the rest is beautiful but not so big and the lines are long. Make sure you come early.
This place sucks. Maybe I'm spoiled from living in DC and seeing the Smithsonian museums and the Baltimore Aquarium, but damn.
First of all, I wandered aimlessly for a long freaking time in Golden Gate Park trying to find it. Signs are curiously rare in this park for some reason. Maybe it's easier to find if you drive into the park, but it's harder if you're walking or taking public transportation (like me).
Second, it wasn't cheap. Expect to fork over at least $20. I'm guessing the price is to pay for the renovation that it just had.
Third, the design is very cold and empty looking. Exhibits are so-so. I guess that's the best they can do in CA. I don't know.
Don't even bother w/ the planetarium show. The moderator at the beginning seemed nice enough until she started droning on and on about nothing. Finally, the little movie "The Fragile Earth" started.
That seemed pretty cool at the beginning because it makes you feel like you're on some simulated ride, but then they start talking about planets and boring things. Now, I usually love the planetarium and learning about stars, but I fell asleep through part of show! It was that dull and boring!
What happened to the laser light shows?!
UGH. Terrible. Don't waste your money.
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Admission is pretty expensive for no hands on touchy touchy. The place itself is pretty big theres so much to see and learn. There was tons of kids are over the place and there were lines. IMO its more like a museum or zoo but without live animals. hehe
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Truly underwhelming.
The main exhibit seems to be the Academy Cafe. It's a massive interactive exhibit that presents a field collection of present-day foodstuffs and shows, in real time, numerous examples of contemporary Homo erectus engaged in food consumption.
There are also several Academy Store exhibits, which are ingeniously designed to illustrate the compulsive shopping proclivities of modern-day human families.
If you're one of the hundreds of people who love reading placards, this place will be heaven on earth for you. There are numerous places where you can look at pictures of something and then read corresponding placards.
If you love the lines at Disneyland during peak season, you'll love waiting in line for the rainforest exhibit! While many of the rainforest animals on display were very cool (and I have to assume that the man incessantly taking flash photographs of the animals would agree) you'll have a much better rainforest experience at the Conservatory of Flowers.
I feel bad for the African penguins, all cooped up in that tiny habitat at the end of the Hall of Stuffed Animals. If they could talk, I bet they'd be saying, "Let's get the fudge out of here."
The aquarium was by far the most interesting part of the museum, but its design is not conducive to crowds, and the quality of the exhibit really pales in comparison to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
I feel bad for the African dwarf frog in the "Employee Favorites" section of the aquarium, lying there dead, upside down, apparently having gotten stuck in one of the ill-conceived plants in its habitat. I can't remember which employee had chosen the African dwarf frogs as their favorite, but whoever it was, I'd hate to see how he treats his least favorite animals.
The parking lot is an excellent bargain. You can park there while you visit the Academy of Sciences for only $16.75. You love a good bargain, don't you?
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Comment from Amie W. of
California Academy of Sciences
9/29/2009
Hi, thank you for sharing your comments here. We truly value…
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I really want to like the Academy of Sciences. I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so I figured this would be similar. My main complaint with the Academy is the price- there are no student or senior discounts and a ticket costs $25. For that price I need to see a mammal or two.
The coral reef is really neat and there are some unusual animals, but a lot of the animals are kept in really small containers for their sizes. The eel is about the same size as its tank and some other large fish are in small habitats as well. I'm not a marine biologist, so I can't provide much insight to habitat quality, but it just struck me as a little sad. I also wish that the planetarium could show some galaxy shows instead of power point presentations on the earth.
The crowds are another story. This is not a huge place, at least compared to the Monetery Aquarium. It's super crowded, at least on the weekends it is, and unless you are ok with a million children running around I'd recommend going during the week. I'm all for education and animal exhibits, but the Academy is really overpriced. I'd suggest buying food around the corner on 9th to save a few bucks on your museum excursion.
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Our plan to make short return trips to the California Academy of Science and check out a different portion of the place each time as members is so far working out.
On this, our second visit, the Bay Bridge closure worked to our advantage. While still crowded, the academy wasn't crazy packed. We got into the Morrison Planetarium where we took a digital tour of the solar system with Sigourney Weaver as our narrator. We also managed a visit to the three-story rain forest terrarium that had a three-hour wait wound around it the first time we came to the academy. Home to numerous creatures and lush plant life, butterflies flutter around often landing on patrons and even attempting to accompany them down the elevators to the fabulous Steinhart Aquarium, where visitors can mingle with aquatic life from all over the world.
Unlike our last visit, we ate lunch at the academy this time. It was still organized chaos in the museum's cafeteria but, the food was very good. Made with mainly fresh organics ingredients, the menu offerings are international. I highly recommend the chicken and shitake mushroom buns.
And while this place from its ecology history lessons and studies of living creatures to its living roof and educational displays has a lot of cool factor to it, I just find it overwhelming. There are simply too many people and no crowd control. We have six months left and about 1/3 of the museum to see before our membership runs out and we have yet to come up with a reason to renew. In the end you are simply a number here. There is nothing special about being a member aside from members-only hours that run when most members are working and a pitiful discount at the gift shop along with the education I received during my multiple visits.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/22/2009
If you're headed here anytime soon, pack A LOT of patience with you and prepare for crowds. This… Read more »
I would give this 3.5 stars. I've been here twice, last October which was crazy packed and this year, past March or April.
It's gorgeous inside as everything is newly built. My favorite part is the rainforest exhibit. I would advise people to view this first as the line can get really long fast. I like how in the aquarium exhibit downstairs, scientists got to name their favorites and what they worked with. That felt like that was a personal touch and appropriate since they're the ones responsible for putting together and caring for the exhibits. The food in the cafeteria can get costly but it's really good. Everyone is nice there and helpful.
However, I do miss parts of the old aquarium, like the round-about, live tank and the original, evolution of man exhibit. There were parts of the aquarium that just felt like fillers, like the Galapagos Islands exhibit.
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The highlight of my family's visit was exploring the four story
Rainforest...that was darn cool. We adored all the beautiful
butterflies in that exhibit. The ambiance was impressive and
a lot of fun. Look around with sharp eyes...some itsy-bitsy
'lil frogs hang out atop of plant leaves.
Note:
Dress in layers when visiting...it is very warm and humid in
the Rainforest. And the crowds are thick...really thick. Many
exhibit areas heat up with all those bodies.
For underwater world sight seeing, my family agreed that we
all preferred the Monterey Aquarium.
CA of S had some cool fishies in their "deep blue seas" such
as a rock fish, spinny fishies, jellyfish and a smidgen of seahorses.
So, some cool and unusual fishies, yet we found some fish exhibits
to be kind of boring.
Several of the reptile exhibits were empty...reptile-less. :(
Planetarium...
we did not get to see that exhibit as there were no passes available.
That was a big bummer. Even if we had gotten passes, the people
in line waited a long, long time to get into the exhibit.
One thing I thought was neat-o were the small built-in-the-wall
mini exhibits that were at kiddo eye level. The 'lil visitors seemed
to have fun.
Other highlights include the awesome Waxy Monkey Tree Frogs,
the albino alligator and really cool froggies and a ginormous toad.
NOTE:
Parking
is
very
frustrating.
We were at this place for less than 3 hours, parking was $10.
AND there was only
one.
yes
one.
parking ticket paying machine on the entire and huge parking level.
The line was ridiculously long. The machine location is
downright stupid...right in the path of cars driving in the ramp.
We had to drive here as we had other stops to make during the day.
Yet, if you can avoid driving...don't drive.
Would we visit again?
Nope.
For us, it was one of those places that was cool enough to visit
once. No regrets for our visit
at
all.
Just far too spendy to consider revisiting; $24.99 per person.
***Photos are OK to take. PLEASE follow the "NO FLASH" rules
in exhibits. The creatures are sensitive. Sadly, we saw too many
people flashing. ***
I posted several no-flash-fotos so you can see some of what we saw.
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I was back here yesterday for the second time with a friend who is a member. We saw the brand new planetarium show. It was as good or a little better as the previous one that was narrated by Sigorny Weaver. The new show is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and focuses more on stars and is a bit more scientific than the previous one. Kids may have a hard time understanding the concepts and following along but it's well put together and is very visually stimulating.
Because of the Anniversary weekend they had lots of extras going on today. Dancers in large dragon suits dancing out front. African drummers in the garden which were very good. Telescopes were up on the living roof. I got to check out solar flares through a filtered telescope and see sun spots on the sun. Incredible.
We also got to chat with one of the docents about human evolution and chimps downstairs. He has replicas of skulls and was very educated and a lot of fun to talk to.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/25/2009
I have mixes feelings on this place. Okay, yes it's over priced. I likes the butterfly habitat. I… Read more »
What a disappointment!
I was at the "old" Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park about 15 years ago. It was a cool, rainy, winter day. I was by myself. I remember spending hours wandering all the exhibits. I remember being completely enthralled. I remember a well-rounded museum full of fantastic exhibits from pretty much every scientific discipline. I remember the Far Side Gallery.
I remember being sad to leave because I live 800 miles away and could not just go back any time I chose.
I've been to San Francisco several times in the past few years, but could not return to the California Academy of Sciences because it was closed for remodeling. I kept telling my husband about my first visit there and what an amazing place this is and how I could not wait for it to reopen so we could visit together and he could share the wonderment I felt for this place. [We did go to the temporary space they had downtown during the remodel, but that was barely a teaser for the real thing.]
Finally, a few weeks ago, we went back to SF. I made sure we had several hours to spend here as, if the old place was good, the new, huge, remodeled place had to be a thousand times better, right? Sadly, notsomuch.
We jumped on MUNI from our hotel downtown and took the N line to just a few blocks from the Academy's doors. My husband got into the long line to get in while I got into the very short line to buy tickets. Somehow, he managed to get to front of his line of couple of hundred people before I got to the front of my line of five. Go figure. BUT, tickets got bought, we rejoined the main line, and soon we were ready to go in.
But wait. First we are stopped by some museum folks offering to take our picture (for a price, of course) in front of a blank backdrop, that, through the magic of Photo Shop, would be transformed into a Coral Reef. The guy in front of us told them he was from Hawaii and, therefore, had no reason to want to photo of himself in front of a fake coral reef. Tee hee.
Finally, we are inside and I see the directory. Rain Forest. Climate change. Silly living roof.
That's IT??? What about physical sciences? What about medical sciences (my personal highest interest)? Chemistry? Computer science? Mathematics?
Just about every inch of this museum is focused on some aspect of environmental science. I certainly realize this is important and needs to be studied and the public needs to educated so we can make informed decisions in our daily lives and encourage our lawmakers to make the right decisions on more global issues.
But, the whole museum? Even the planetarium show was on "our troubled earth" and not a larger astronomic topic. This place really needs to change its name because "academy of sciences" is no longer apropos.
The exhibits they do have are ok. I always enjoy wandering aquariums and theirs is quite nice. Not so crazy about the African Hall. (Giant stuffed animals don't really do it for me.) While I understand the reason behind the living roof, the foliage itself was not particularly impressive. (Perhaps in a few years as it has time to develop more it will become more so.)
If I hadn't had such high expectations going in, I might be rating this place higher. BUT, honestly, there was such a giant gap between what I was expecting and what I got. Very much a letdown. Oh, well, at least we used the extra time we did not spend at the museum to jump back on the N line and go visit the ocean. Now, THAT was a good thing!
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$25 entrance fee per person is too expensive.
I enjoyed the visit on the fee admission day (once a month).
Parking fee: Around $9 at the garage
Note: On the free admission day, don't worry about the long line. You will get in there in no time, the staff just want to make sure the place will not be overflow.
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Underwhelmed. It would be unfair to compare CAS Reloaded with the CAS of my youth so I won't go there. The CAS of my youth was captivating, better at creating the illusion of being worlds away, had more package vs. packaging.
I waited in line on a free day. I knew that I had to brave a long wait in line. Much to my chagrin I had to endure the "Wave" which was initiated by a cheerleader at the museum entrance. Great for the baseball fans. Not great fun for me. In addition, it boggled my mind why picture taking was taking place in the line entering the museum. It undoubtedly increased the wait time.
I do agree that a cafeteria that greets the visitor is an unwelcome site. Not a great design choice.
I will say that there were odd juxtapositions of vestiges from the museum's past. For example, in CAS Classic the alligators had beautiful pythons, boas, and reptiles surrounding them. Now, they seem so lonesome and in time-locked isolation. The pendulum doesn't have the benefit of now extinct physical science displays.
The rainforest exhibit was good and also the walkway below the Amazon rainforest which featured critters that swam above. I do appreciate the care taken to erect a LEED building. This is progressive and should be lauded.
Although I'm a climate change practitioner, I wasn't impressed by the climate change exhibit. In addition, it's a bit hypocritical to have 3 dining areas, and a large parking garage to serve the high carbon footprint patrons.
Will have to return to verify if my initial response will be modified by a better experience.
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I had so much fun with my daughter. My last time there was prob 10. It was a whole new experience for me. The only disappointing thing was I missed the planetarium. Don't be late because they won't wait for you.
Aquarium and planetarium area were awesome.
I'm also in love with white crocodile @ CAOS as well!
She looks so cool.
I think it's a little expensive for the ticket.
But I bought citypass ($59) so it didn't matter.
In fact, it's a real deal when you get a ride on Golden and fleet cruise ($25)/ MOMA/ De Young/ Aquarium at the bay and MUNI 7 day pass.
I recommend to get here in the morning so you can get 10:30AM ticket for the planetarium. Plus you should prepare to spend at least half day in this place!
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This place was pretty neat, it was included in our CityPass coupon book for San Francisco. They have an aquarium, several interesting science exhibits...and penguins! Everybody loves penguins, right?
When I went they had a leafcutter ant exhibit, which pretty much grossed me out. It was really neat, but I had goosebumps the entire time I was looking at it!
I recommend this place for children, kids would love it. It's relatively affordable, and always entertaining!
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Well, it wasn't worth $25. Maybe for $10-$12 more like it.
Yeah, they have lots to see. But it's nothing really special. I seen better rain forests and aquariums...try the one in Monterey, Ca. So many kids running around and crowded. Food is really expensive. Go outside and walk in any direction and find something better fill your stomachs.
Living roof idea has been around for centuries since the time of the Romans and Greeks. Seems like the museum just jam packed itself w/ 21 century tech. stuff and went green.
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We've been to the Moss Room for a BMW event and then nightlife for an hour or so and it was ok. Nice ambiance in the Moss Room but the food was not anything memorable. We got free tickets ($25 value) to come back to the academy so we went this past weekend since the tickets were expiring. Even though our tickets were free, they got us on parking ($22.75 for 6-7 hours since we also went to the Tut exhibit) and lunch ($28 for 2 spring rolls, fish and chips and an iced tea).
Compared to the past two nightlife events I've been to, going during the day was better since ALL the exhibits were open. This included the Living Roof (overrated - it's just a roof with a garden and windows) and the Rainforest (if you don't get in right when nightlife starts, you will not see the rainforest). Rainforest was humid and stuffy, but I liked it. The Planetarium was one of my favorite exhibits b/c I was able to take a 15 min power nap and it was very relaxing. Get your tix to the Planetarium right when you get into the place - otherwise, you will be there all day waiting for the show. Coat check is free. We also got to pet a blue-tongued lizard from Australia, which was cool. The workers here are very nice and informational. Lots of tree huggers (think, fleece and teva sandals with backpacks) and strollers during the day.
Would only visit once when all the exhibits are open. Bring your lunch. Parking is highway robbery so park in the city and walk a couple of blocks.
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Soo.. I never heard of this place before. (I'm a SoCal kid)
My girlfriend and I took a weekend trip to SF a few months ago and upon returning home.. we learned of this place thanks to Anna D and her amazing pictures. So of course, you all know what that means...
... another trip to SF.
So last week, we decided to take another weekend trip to SF. Wish I could say it was JUST so we could see what the Cal Academy of Science was all about.. but it was also our 2 yr anniversary, so it was a win-win.
Anywho.. this place was interesting and amazing. Amazing from an architectural aspect and interesting to which the Cal Academy of Science had to offer from an educational standpoint. The only thing that was a little deceiving and I was a little, LITTLE bit disappointed on.. was the size of the place. I had an impression that it was HUGE, but it wasn't HUGE.. it was just, big. Not sure if that made any sense..
But, nonethless.. it was something unique. The bio-dome that enclosed a rain-forest environment was WAY cool.. despite the 90degrees and 200% humidity inside that was reeking havoc on my sweat glands and my camera.. haha. The bio-dome was basically a huge butterfly exhibit, which was quite neat. I wish there were more free-roaming reptiles and animals within the bio-dome, but I suppose that would be hard to maintain. They do however, house animals, insects and reptiles within their own respective enclosed exhibits throughout the rain-forest self-guided tour.. which is neat. If I remember correctly, the rain-forest theme surrounds the Madagascar environment.
The downstairs aquatic environment is quite neat too. A wide variety of aquatic creatures and animals are housed in exhibition on the lower levels.. and the coolest thing would be the tube that extends through the lagoon that can be seen at the bottom of the rain-forest.
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stick around for the planetarium show.. but I'm pretty sure that was something to experience as well.
The architecture of the building was unique. Indescribable really. It was very.. bare-bones -- consisting of mostly pipes, metal frame work and glass.. giving the building a very open-air feeling.
My recommendation, get there early and gingerly walk-through all of the exhibits once.. just to get an idea of what the place has to offer, because it gets QUITE crowded in there and with all of the kids and overbearing adults that are in there.. it'll be easier to quickly see everything.. then go back later and review points-of-interest in greater detail once you get somewhat familiar with the place.
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