The Academy’s mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Every visit supports our work. The Academy’s mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. …

Please note: Morrison Planetarium will be closed for annual maintenance Feb. 24-26. We apologize for any inconvenience. Morrison Planetarium shows are fueled by cutting-edge scientific data, resulting in stunning visualizations of the latest observations, discoveries, and …

Steinhart Aquarium is one of the most biologically diverse and interactive aquariums on Earth. Home to nearly 60,000 live animals, representing more than 1,000 unique species, it offers guests an unprecedented view of underwater and terrestrial habitats.

Your Academy adventure starts here! Bundle Academy admission with 3 more top SF attractions and save 46% with San Francisco CityPASS®.; Visit for free all year long by becoming a member.; Discounted admission is available at the ticket window for EBT/CalFresh, WIC, Lifeline Pass, and Medi-Cal cardholders; Please note: Morrison Planetarium will be closed for annual maintenance Feb. 24-26.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 3, 2024) — Submissions for the California Academy of Sciences’ 2025 BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition will be accepted through March 1, 2025. In its 12th year, the competition focuses a visual lens on the extraordinary diversity of the natural world and aims to inspire action to protect and conserve it.

The first part of the Shake House experience takes you back to October 17, 1989, when the 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake struck near Santa Cruz at 5:04 p.m. 63 people were killed, and damage was widespread throughout the Bay Area—including at the Academy.

Fault: A fracture in the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust. Epicenter: The point at the surface of the Earth above the focus. Plates: Massive rocks that make up the outer layer of the Earth’s surface and whose movement along faults triggers earthquakes. Seismic waves: Waves that transmit the energy released by an earthquake. Focus (Hypocenter): The …

Alligator gar are considered “living fossils” because they have changed very little in over 100 million years.Learn more at Science magazine >> Covered in thick, tough ganoid scales, alligator gar bodies are semi-rigid and well-protected against their only non-human predator: alligators.Learn more at U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service >> Alligator gar …

Creatures + cocktails. Music + movements. Science + spectacle. Culture grows in the dark—Thursday nights at the Academy. For adults 21+.

A returning favorite from the original Steinhart Aquarium, the Swamp is best known as the home of Claude, the startlingly white Alligator mississippiensis that's become one of the Academy's most-famous residents. Go below for underwater, eye-to-eye views of Claude and the Swamp's other creatures, then explore surrounding tanks filled with fearsome-looking alligator gars and a fascinating array ...