California Academy of Sciences

Love love loved the academy of sciences ever since I was a kid and I’m happy to share the experiences with my own little ones. Their dinosaur exhibit is totally worth it as there are some places just charging for dinosaurs. Aquariums are well kept and a great option if you like marine life and other animals. The rainforest still is well maintained but I didn’t notice as many butterflies on this trip as we saw previously. We were lucky to snag some tickets for their Academy Day which brought the price down to $5 per person or whatever you can donate and kids under 3 are free! Definitely will make the trip out here again!

Worth visiting once, but not something you’d return to multiple times. Well-maintained and good for spending half a day, though the interactive zone only includes fossils and bones. Full review: It’s worth checking out if you’ve never been, but it’s not the kind of place you’d want to visit two or three times. They advertise an “interactive zone,” but it mainly consists of touching fossils, bones, or models of dead creatures — not live animals. It’s more interesting than a basic petting zoo, but it still falls short compared to larger or more famous zoos. That said, the facility is well-maintained and has enough to keep you occupied for half a day.

Best place in SF for: nature,museum, aquarium, no stress environment. Learn something new each time you go. You can spend hours here and still want to come back. Get yourself a family plus membership if you want to bring another family with you each time (kids are free). So 4 adults means your kid will be hosting a lot of free museum visits for others. This is good for people wanting to make friends in preschool and Kindergarten. Don’t pay for parking- walk across the baseball field and park for free. It’s a beautiful walk.

We visited the California Academy of Sciences, located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco recently and we had an incredible afternoon. There are so many outstanding exhibits, animals, and interactive displays that it would be impossible to list them all, but here are some that we really enjoyed: the spectacular Morrison Planetarium, Tusher African Hall, Steinhart Aquarium, Osher Rain Forest, Kimball Natural History Museum, Philippine Coral Reef, The Swamp, with Claude the albino alligator, and the Living Roof, a rolling green roof with spectacular views of Golden Gate Park. And believe it or not, there is still so much more to see and do at the California Academy of Sciences that we would recommend more than one visit. And don't forget the kids!

A truly impressive and diverse science museum located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. From the living rainforest dome and mesmerizing aquarium to the planetarium and natural history exhibits, everything is top-notch. It’s an educational and entertaining experience for all ages. The architecture is stunning, especially the living roof. Allocate at least half a day to explore thoroughly. A must-visit for anyone interested in science, nature, or simply a great day indoors.