This is a fantastic museum. First thing to do is book your seat for the show in the Planetarium where a film projected onto the ceiling tells the story of the Earth, Sun and the Universe. You are plunged into total darkness with just the planets spinning around above you - eery! Fascinating, and with some special effects which might... more

From the top (roof deck) to the bottom (awesome aquarium) this is a place you must take time to see whether you are a local or a visitor - you'll want to be after checking out this museum which turns into a social scene on Th nights for Nightlife. The planetarium has an awesome show which I recommend checking out.... more

After making a three hour trip to san francisco we attempted to visit this museum while exploring the city. The center was closed for renovations. I made the drive with my daughter and grandbaby who are visiting from out of state. We arrived at 230 fully expecting to have time to view museum. We were turned away due to closing... more

My 18 month old & I made our 2nd visit today. Great fun as she ran from viewing window to viewing window, excitedly pointing at the fish, turtles, and jelly fish. A few tips specific to families with young children: - Cafeteria staff is super helpful. They will carry your tray while you carry your child, bring your food to... more

My wife and I and our 15 year old daughter spent half of a weekday in mid-August at the Academy of Sciences. The museum has an aquarium, rain forest and planetarium show. The aquarium had the most detailed presentation. The rain forest was pretty good, because you walked up a ramp and were able to see different sections of the... more

Based at the golden gate park, this is one of the highlights of our visit. There is so much to do with some very informative shows such as 'fragile earth' which is in the dome shaped theatre with the projection to the roof which make it look like you are flying around!!!! There is different areas around such as the... more

We visited the California Academy of Sciences on Tues., Sep. 1st after I had read all the reviews and made note of all the tips given. Couldn't have done it without the research! Overall, we enjoyed the experience very much. We knew not to go on a designated free day for SF residents, a weekend or before the school children... more

The new Academy of Sciences is an amazing building with great exhibits. Our family has been there many times and it is sooooo much better than the old, dark, dated building. Our son loves all the interactive exhibits and the lagoon with the sharks and rays. The food selection at the cafe is great and the food is very good... more

I have very fond memories of the old Academy. From childhood on into my 40s, I'd visited literally hundreds of times, practically memorized every fascinating exhibit, loved each visit and each addition to the whole, and then shared those trips with my own children as we wandered those wonderful old halls together. We even visited the 4+ year "temporary" SOMA... more