California Academy of Sciences

Ever thought that an aquarium was just not enough? Ever wondered how we can live on the Earth and all the different parts that go into humans’ survival? Well, the California Academy of Sciences has it all. A coming together of aquarium, planetarium and natural history museum, the academy walks visitors through various stages of life on the Earth. They also provide a centre for innovative programs and research projects.

Exhibits explore weird and wonderful creatures and their habitat in the Osher rainforest. For example, visitors can visit the four stories of lush tropical rainforest filled with 1,600 free-flying birds, lizards and butterflies. The Osher rainforest represents a real-life rainforest and allows visitors to interact with its various pieces as they plunge through the rainforest ceiling, through to the lush ground covering. Visitors even head below to the sub-level flooded forest walk and view fish and water insects via the secret underwater tunnel.
The planetarium has a 75 ft digital display of the sky, allowing guests to stare up into the dome and visualize the galaxy via state of the art digital data. You can also head up stairs for a 3D tour of the galaxy during one of the 25 minute shows. The natural history museum ties to all together with several exhibits based off 150 years of research. For those nature buffs- this is a must see during your visit to SF (even on a sunny day!).