California Academy of Sciences
About
The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is one of the most extraordinary science institutions in the world — an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and scientific research center combined under a single living roof planted with native California plants. Designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 2008, the building itself is an architectural and ecological statement about the relationship between human structures and the natural world. Steinhart Aquarium holds over 1,000 species and 60,000 animals across 212,000 gallons of water, including one of the largest living coral reef exhibits in the world. African penguins, giant Pacific octopus, tropical fish, and white alligators are among the highlights. The four-story Osher Rainforest dome encloses a living tropical ecosystem where free-flying birds and butterflies move through multiple forest levels; visitors walk a spiraling ramp to the canopy. The Morrison Planetarium features a 75-foot seamless dome — the largest all-digital dome in the world — with shows ranging from guided sky tours for children to cinematic explorations of the universe for all ages. Kimball Natural History Museum presents the Academy's collections in context, connecting specimens to ecosystems and evolutionary history. Thursday NightLife (21+ only, 6–10pm) transforms the museum into an adult science social event with live music, cocktails, and themed programming — a model replicated by science institutions worldwide. The Academy also supports active research by over 100 scientists and runs the Citizen Science program to engage public contributors in data collection. Extensive school programs, family memberships, and homeschool days make the Academy accessible to a wide audience, though its Golden Gate Park location in a major city means it serves an international audience as well as local learners.
🏠 Homeschool Programs
This institution offers dedicated programming for homeschooling families. Visit the website for details.
Subject Areas
Best For
Hours of Operation
Monday–Saturday 9:30am–5pm, Sunday 11am–5pm
Hours change seasonally — verify before visiting.
Admission
Paid admissionGeneral admission required. San Francisco residents receive discounts. Members free. Thursday NightLife (21+) is separately ticketed.
✓ Membership available
AZA Reciprocity Program
Some AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums offer reciprocal admission benefits to members of other participating institutions. Participation varies by institution.
Learn more →32 other places in our directory accept this membership:
Museum of Science
Boston, MA
New England Aquarium
Boston, MA
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
Bridgeport, CT
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Providence, RI
Smithsonian's National Zoo
Washington, DC
Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia, PA
Bronx Zoo
Bronx, NY
National Aquarium
Baltimore, MD
Tennessee Aquarium
Chattanooga, TN
High Desert Museum
Bend, OR
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Colorado Springs, CO
McWane Science Center
Birmingham, AL
Museum of Life and Science
Durham, NC
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Virginia Beach, VA
Seattle Aquarium
Seattle, WA
Minnesota Zoo
Apple Valley, MN
Oakland Zoo
Oakland, CA
Oregon Zoo
Portland, OR
Georgia Aquarium
Atlanta, GA
North Carolina Zoo
Asheboro, NC
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Kansas City, MO
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
Denver, CO
Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix, AZ
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle, WA
San Diego Zoo
San Diego, CA
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Newport, OR
Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach, CA
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
La Jolla, CA
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Columbia, SC
The Florida Aquarium
Tampa, FL
Mystic Aquarium
Mystic, CT
ASTC Travel Passport Program
Members of the Association of Science and Technology Centers' Travel Passport Program offer free or discounted admission to members of other participating institutions. Over 300 science centers worldwide participate.
Learn more →47 other places in our directory accept this membership:
Museum of Science
Boston, MA
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Cambridge, MA
EcoTarium
Worcester, MA
Connecticut Science Center
Hartford, CT
Yale Peabody Museum
New Haven, CT
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Norwalk, CT
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Burlington, VT
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
Concord, NH
The Franklin Institute
Philadelphia, PA
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Delaware Museum of Nature and Science
Wilmington, DE
New York Hall of Science
Queens, NY
Maryland Science Center
Baltimore, MD
Liberty Science Center
Jersey City, NJ
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston, TX
Adventure Science Center
Nashville, TN
Science Museum of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN
COSI
Columbus, OH
Saint Louis Science Center
St. Louis, MO
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver, CO
Museum of the Rockies
Bozeman, MT
Pacific Science Center
Seattle, WA
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Portland, OR
Science Museum of Virginia
Richmond, VA
Exploreum Science Center
Mobile, AL
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Dallas, TX
Discovery Place Science
Charlotte, NC
Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago, IL
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee, WI
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Arizona Science Center
Phoenix, AZ
Exploratorium
San Francisco, CA
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Miami, FL
McWane Science Center
Birmingham, AL
Museum of Life and Science
Durham, NC
Science Center of Iowa
Des Moines, IA
The Tech Interactive
San Jose, CA
Witte Museum
San Antonio, TX
Orlando Science Center
Orlando, FL
Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati, OH
Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum
Denver, CO
Space Center Houston
Houston, TX
Louisiana Children's Museum
New Orleans, LA
Great Lakes Science Center
Cleveland, OH
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago, IL
Maine Discovery Museum
Bangor, ME
Virginia Museum of Natural History
Martinsville, VA