• Main Page
• Homes by Email
• Listings
• Meet Adam Golden

A Day at the New California Academy of Sciences

On a recent stormy Saturday, my family and I met up with my uncle and cousin to explore the newly reopened California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.  We were all very excited and had read up on the many awe-inspiring experiences the new Academy has to offer.  Here are a few that we were looking forward to:

• The world’s deepest living coral reef exhibit
• A four-story rainforest
• A 20 member African penguin colony
• A 21^st Century planetarium
• A reinvented natural history museum
• The living roof

My uncle had heard that the museum gets very crowded (and may even sell out) and to buy our tickets online before we got there.  This route is highly recommended!  It is so easy and really saved the day for us.  The line to purchase tickets was pretty long (even the parking garage was extremely crowded that day), but we simply went up to the employee standing at a podium who was able to print our tickets for us at the steps.  We didn’t have to wait in line at all and just walked right up to the ticket-taker. 

The museum was so full, but we managed our way through a lot of their amazing exhibits.  The kids very much enjoyed the Philippine Coral Reef and the many smaller free-standing exhibits, including Altered State: Climate Change in California.  A big-time hit with both my daughter and son was a game that was housed near the line to the planetarium.  The player holds a “net” and tries to catch butterflies (or various creepy crawlies) on the screen.  Many turns were taken at this station!  We also decided to get our passes early to the 3-D movie all about bugs.  It was an interesting movie about the life cycle of a caterpillar and a praying mantis.  Watch out for the sad, but realistic ending!  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see all that we wanted – there was just so much to explore.  With little ones, I think that we will try to avoid weekends next time and make sure to get to the Academy right when it opens.  It all works out, though… we get to make a second trip and spend another wonderful day at the California Academy of Sciences.

If you decide to go, make sure to also direct some of your curiosity towards the building itself.  I understand that it is the “World’s Greenest Museum.”  Stated in their brochure, “Designed by award-winning architect, Renzo Piano, the California Academy of Sciences sets a new standard for sustainable architecture.  Supported by recycled steel, insulated with recycled blue jeans, powered in part by solar panels, and topped with a living roof, the building is the epitome of energy-efficient design.”  It was a remarkable building, perfectly suited for the remarkable experiences housed within.

Comments