California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences, at 55 Music Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, combines an aquarium, a planetarium, a four-story rainforest dome and a natural history museum in a single building designed by architect Renzo Piano. The structure opened in 2008 and is known for its living roof, a rolling expanse of native plants dotted with skylight domes that open and close for ventilation. The institution, one of the oldest scientific organizations in California, also runs active research programs.

Visitors move between several major exhibits. The Osher Rainforest is a glass dome in which butterflies and birds fly among tropical plants, with levels that descend from the canopy to a flooded forest. The Steinhart Aquarium holds thousands of animals, from a Philippine coral reef to the Northern California coast and an African penguin colony. The Morrison Planetarium projects shows on a large dome, and the Kimball Natural History Museum features the African Hall, a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex and a living coral reef display. Many visitors also climb to the living roof for views across Golden Gate Park.

A full visit usually takes three to four hours, and the planetarium and special exhibits may require timed entry. The best photographs come from the living roof, the rainforest dome and the Piano-designed central piazza. Visitors can combine the trip with the neighboring de Young Museum and the Japanese Tea Garden, which share the Music Concourse.

Crowds peak on weekends, school holidays and summer afternoons, and the rainforest queue can be long at midday. Weekday mornings are the quietest. On most Thursday evenings the museum hosts NightLife for ages 21 and over, with cocktails and live music, which has a very different atmosphere from daytime family visits. Parking in the Music Concourse garage fills quickly, so public transit or the N-Judah light rail is often easier.