California Academy of Sciences Reviews

Stunning exhibitions. A must go attraction wheb visiting San Francisco. Tickets are a bit pricey but totally worth it.

It is the Smithsonian of the West Coast. Although 4 times smaller than the Smithsonian, it houses an impressive number of exhibits, rainforest, planetarium and aquarium. The differences between the 2 museums is that Cal Academy of Sciences has big live exhibits (albino alligators, sting rays, etc vs butterflies/insects in the Smithsonian) and a very high entry fee compared to the free admission of the Smithsonian.

It costs about $35. Student IDs are not exactly helpful as they just knock off $5 from the entry fee. Definitely worth one visit.

Awesome! This place is awesome!

I was very nearly deterred by the price, but decided to splurge a little. Let me assure you that this place is worth every single penny. Make sure you see a show at the planetarium and check out the nautilus and the virgin shark eggs in the aquarium.

Absolutely AMAZING place to really think and get to know who you are as a person, how you came to be and the wonderful world we inhabit. My 5yr old son's eyes just lit up soon as we walked in and he saw the full Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Every exhibit is breathtaking especially the Rainforest

I love the new skin exhibit both for the information it conveys about how different species' skin work and the way it talked about how skin color has been used to justify structural racism not only in the past but in the present. The portion about racism is probably most appropriate for older children, teens, and adults given that a lot of the information is presented through text and statistics and given how disturbing the subject matter may be for young children.

I also appreciate how much effort Cal Academy puts in to accessibility. They not only had a free wheelchair available to borrow but the model had removable armrests to make it easy to push the wheels. They also had free earmuffs available to reduce the noise from the crowd for autistic and other sensitive people. I especially appreciate that Ashley from the planetarium asked before touching the wheelchair I was using when she noticed that I was having an issue getting off the elevator due to the wheel getting stuck in the gap. Michael and another staff member whose name I unfortunately do not remember also explained to me what they were doing before strapping the wheelchair to the ground for safety. I am used to people touching my chair without permission or asking the able-bodied person who is with me so I am glad to see that the staff members are treating people who use wheelchairs with respect. I also appreciate that the exhibits are easily viewable from a wheelchair.

I bought an annual pass and visited every month
Enjoy a wide range from kindergarteners to adults

The planetarium is especially recommended, but this is more than an elementary school student

A lot smaller than I thought it would be, went through the exhibits in an hour, though didn't do the 30 minute planetarium show. Cafeteria had some good options at ok prices. Is worth about $25 IMO but they charge $36.

Great place full of interesting things. Make sure you have at least 5 hours of time to discover everything.

To get the most out of your California Academy of Sciences experience (especially since it's not cheap) you need to make a day of it. Plan for a day when it's not too packed with people and take your time touring the exhibits. Check out the calendar on the website before you go to see what events they have planned for the day. It's an awesome place. You'll learn something and be entertained. I particularly recommend the planetarium. Also, know that the staff, scientists and volunteers who are part of it are really dedicated to knowledge and conservation, so by visiting you're supporting something really important.

So much science! The food is a little expensive but that is to be expected when convenience is part of the experience.

Favorite science place in the whole bay. Kinda pricey to get in but they have an indoor rain forest, an aquarium, space exhibits, fossils, microbiology, all sorts of stuff.

We took the ticket hoping to see amazing exhibitions and we were extremely disappointed. The entrance fee was $45 per adult, and the museum has 4 main areas : the africain hall, the planetarium, the rain forest and the aquarium.

None of those areas were worth the time and money spent there. I had the feeling that only superficial and basic details were given, therefore the exhibitions and the shows were mainly for kids.

The african consisted in just a few posters and moqups of wild animals, with no real variety. The part about human evolution said nothing that we did not already know.

We had great expectations about the planetarium (the moon show), but it turned out to be was boring and gave only basic information.

The rain forest was the worst part, a real joke. A few butterflies and 1 or 2 trees were supposed to represent a whole forest ecosystem...

The aquarium contained one small basin with a small number of fishes, no variety in species.

In the end, this museum may be good for kids, but certainly not for adults and certainly not worth $45.

An incredible place with a lot of things to do for kids. I took my 3, 5 & 9 and 19 year old's and they all had a blast. We made it through a couple of hours before three of them fell asleep in an afternoon planetarium show. Plenty of parking and food was available on site though we did not eat there.

If you like science just this place out, there's a lot to learn and score.

Worth every penny! So many beautiful, extremely well thought-out exhibits and interactive activities for everyone. I was so pleased with how great this place is overall. If you go, you absolutely have to check out the planetarium (esp. the "dark universe" one), the aquarium, the earthquake simulator, the pterosaur exhibit - pretty much everything, really! It's a really fun and fascinating place with many well-informed staff.

My bike remained here for multiple days. Fantastic bike rack they have here, tremendous. They could add a rent-a-cop for extra security.

This is a great place to take your kids or family. I remember coming here on field trips when I was a kid and I loved it. As a science buff, I want to encourage my kids to learn about nature and the science behind it. My kids were so excited to see the exhibits. The aquarium was spectacular, although not as big as MBA. It was still breathtaking. The indoor rainforest was really awesome as well, it's amazing how they can replicate a complete walkable biodome for thier guest. My kids had a blast with everything and I'm sure any family would enjoy it. It's also located in the heart of Golden gate Park, across from the de young museum. So even if you are finished early, there is plenty to explore. Enjoy!

it's big , it's clean and very very informative place

We loved this place. Our kids were too young for the planetarium but everything else got great attention from them because of the kids-friendly viewing design. Great integration from rainforest to the aquarium to swamp exhibition. The white alligator was symbolic. The penguins tank and the hall of animal models were nice and comfortable.

We had great time here with our 2 yo. Our kid appreciated African hall and aquarium. Entrance is free for Google workers (in 2017). Usually is very crowded and cafe is very expensive, so don't forget to bring your lunch with you.

An amazing place to spend a whole day, because you will need the whole day. Excellent educational and attention-grabbing stuff for kids, and adults alike. Only issue is: just too darn expensive for most American families. Also, parking can really be another issue.

So big lots of things to see here parking a little hard definitely worth going

I've been here twice, once during the day and once for the nightlife. I really enjoyed the nightlife because they had music playing through the entire place, it wasn't as crowded and they had food & bars!

This was my main station in San Fransisco. This is a good academy for children to open their knowledge. And, a good place to spend time with family. They have all the facilities. Their 3-D space tour was amazing. The aquarium is fascinating.

Pretty amazing, I'm grateful I could bring my kids for the second time now. I wish it was more affordable so more people could have access to it. Prices at the restaurant were embarrassing.

Goodness - $40 for an adult ticket so prepare yourself for the bill shock if you re paying for more than one person! The museum; however, is beautifully designed giving guests a diverse and rich learning experience. The aquarium sections were absolutely stunning and the location was great - it meant you could visit the modern art gallery across the way as well as exploring golden gate park to see the Bison

It's a nice place to explore even it's surrounding's is a plus!:)

Educational & Interesting. Something for all ages. A bit pricey but everything is included.

Very beautiful educational place....I really had a good time there

Great place to go when visiting San Francisco specially if your traveling with kids.

This place is a gift to SF. We love bringing our family here to explore the aquarium, rainforest, and special exhibits. We especially love the members only hour on Sunday morning. My three year old and one year old LOVE coming here. We enjoy it too and are thrilled to be getting our kids excited about science at such a young age.

Fantastic complex, it's easy to spend an entire day here. Make sure to get to the rooftop garden for a great view. If you want to partake in the theater experience, be sure to get a ticket right away, and early in the day. The earthquake simulation is a neat experience for anyone not from areas that actually get them.

The people who works at the 3D theater were very rude with ZERO caring.. My little kid wanted to use the restroom they lock the door and they wouldn t let you in. I had to leave rest of family members inside of the movie theater until the show ended..They were trying to be difficult and strict, I guess it s easier and good for themselves but making the members very unhappy.

lots of different stuff, but a bit lacking in details. do the greenhouse, and the planetarium.

This is a San Francisco institution that every visitor/local must see. 2300+ reviews and consistent 4 stars don't lie!

Your highlights are probably different than mine, but I'll give it a try anyway:

- the mysterious green frog with the yellow eyes at the tropical house
- the coral reefs down at the aquarium
- my long-term friend, the albino crocodile
- the earthquake simulator (and no, I do not want to be in a 7.XX quake)

Plenty of food options and parking in the garage below. Especially "Nightlife at the Academy" on Thursday night is a popular event and is highly recommended.

Obviously, the albino crocodile is not going anywhere so make sure to say hi.

Hit the aquarium(bottom) or top floor first if you want to explore right away or aren't in the mood for extensive lines(mostly for the 2 ground floor attractions). Also...no teacher discount for my cousin for some reason! We were told that most offered discounts come with sponsored bus trips to there and whatnot. But yeah. Albino alligator.

Beautiful, educational and interesting. Really loved the rainforest

Overpriced indoor zoo, but nothing scientific could be found. A great selection of video screens does not count as informative. Very disappointing.

My kids loved it! I would give more stars but for the cost I expected more. It is not a large museum and that works great for kids. Overall we loved it and worth going with kids that love science. Took taxi to get here as parking can be difficult.

Awsome too have seen so much ;still need to see the other half, great exhibits !

Very large and well organized museum, with aquarium, planetarium, reproduction of the Amazon forest, living rooth and a part dedicated to seismology, with a simulator of the last two great earthquakes that hit San Francisco. However, the cost is very high and the target audience always seems to be that of children, as is the case with the Exploratorium.

There was enough material to keep us entertained for a full day and we learned interesting facts about earthquakes, hominids, and pterosaurs. The admission was however relatively pricey and the place crowded with young children. It is actually cheaper to buy tickets on the internet than at the entrance.

I recommend giving yourself at least 4 hours to check everything out and take in a movie or two. Our family of four loved this place and it was worth every penny. Aquarium exhibit was exceptional with all the different points of view and various aquatic species. My only regret is not going earlier in the day....somfor those reading get there early enough to enjoy it all.

Back in the day it was fun coming here before the rennovation when they tried to make the place fancy by spending $1 billion. And in 1989, we got to go behind the scenes because we had a museum pass. There was a cute cuttle fish hanging out in a rubber maid that wanted some attention. I used to like the crocodile open area. There was a Giant Pacific salamander in a tank my mom said she saw one when she was a kid in 1950s. Back then the Giant Pacific salamander was rare too.

A bit expensive, but this has a rainforest (with butterflies), aquarium, gem exhibit and planetarium. Not the best of each component, but still good and spent the day here and enjoyed it. Take BART to the N Judah, then is only a few blocks walk. Better than driving and parking.

Very expensive for what is offered, especially during the quiet times of the year. Often enough it's easy to have seen most everything within an hour, though offsets in different displays stretch the time it takes to see most of it. Many displays are interactive (being able to touch smaller exhibits: snakes, starfish, etc), but much is not -- as well as being static. In contrast to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, the outside area doesn't have much to do/look at.

The cafe/cafeteria is quite decent, but the price is high unless you are a member (10% off).

Variants on membership types really hit or miss the experience, community membership is more limiting than one might think, basically forcing you to come on non-holiday weekdays and non-holiday sundays. Every other day is a "black day", requiring advanced membership to enter.

The advanced option is far higher in price but gives basically unlimited visitation freedom.
However, considering the exhibits don't change much, the best value would be to visit during extra special event days (reindeer visits, holidays, etcl). Of course, your mileage may vary.

For either, you may find yourself wondering if multiple visits in a single year is truly worth it.

Finally, parking is difficult to get to given the location of the museum and the popularity of Golden Gate Park to it's local clientele.
It is also expensive.

The butterfly garden and planetarium are nice.

Academy of sciences it fun.we go today with Ms ,Glidden and Angel .V Mom it was 2nd in Washington Elementary School

They never change the exhibits, so if you go once, you've seen it all.

An excellent place for science.

I recommend taking at least one full day to do all the tours in the same way if you have already entered you can not stop going to the planetarium, it is one of the amazing experiences that exist here.

The cafeteria is very good. Take advantage of shopping at the souvenir shop since you will not always be here.

Overrated. Exactly like any other zoo or aquarium and it's a bit pricey. It wasn't as interactive as I thought it'd be, but I will admit some exhibits were pretty interesting. I was a bit disappointed that you had to buy sperate tickets to go into the planetarium. If you have small children or children who don't like to read, they probably won't enjoy this museum. Other than that, it's not too bad, but it could be a lot better.

Quite nice but relatively small. The lower floors offer a very nice aquarium, also the planetarium with the 20 min. Film is ok. But for the price of $ 36, there is definitely too little on offer; in my view max. $ 20 would be correct. If: absolutely go to the roof!

Really expensive to get in. The aquarium was quite good and it was fun to have a diver talking to us from in the big tank. Sadly the audio wasn't good enough to be understandable over the general noise of kids. The tropical dome could have been so much better. The temporary exhibition was not great.

The planetarium is awesome (see my separate review for that if you're interested). On top of that there are a good selection of aquatic creatures including sharks and rays. There's also a huge pendulum that proves the world actually rotates. You know, in case you were doubting it.

My bike was not stolen. 5/5. Would chain stuff to it again.

One of the scientific research and academic centre in San Francisco, CA. Please visit once.

The California Academy of Sciences is truly a great experience. Whether you're going alone, with friends, colleagues, kids, parents or your date, the California Academy of Sciences has something for you. The academy has a planetarium with amazingly educational and imersive shows that are sure to make you feel smarter by the end.

Went for a Nightlife event (21+ only, Thursday nights). Wow! Was a really cool way to go to a museum! Plus, the night I went was Star Wars themed - very cool and extremely nerdy.

Presentation of the planetarium very interesting, even exciting!
Other exhibitions very well prepared and explained.

Wonder, a show of beauty and technology. Highly instructive for children and adults

It was beautiful and amazing. Clyde is my favorite exhibit (he doesnt do much though)

Interesting place that has an aquarium, a rainforest, a planetarium, and a section to learn about earthquakes. Great activity for families.

Wonderful amazing adventurous experience. Love the wall of bones! Everybody should learn the story behind them!!!!

The best planetarium I have ever been.
Other stuff are good too but the planetarium was real deal. The guy who was giving the presentation was awesome.

Crazy museum, well maintained, very interesting and full of people who believe in what they do !!!

I grew up coming here as youngster and really enjoyed it. I was a curious kid and this just fueled my imagination. I returned after they did the remodel and added the "bulbs" and it was even better! I think its a great addition to the city and I highly recommend it.