NightLife
Celebrate your Birthday at NightLife!  Entrance is free within 7 days of your birthday (see below for details).
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Every Thursday, the Academy is transformed into a lively venue filled with music, provocative science, mingling, and cocktails, for visitors 21 and older. Activities and performers change week to week. See below for program details.

 

Next NightLife - Thursday, March 11th


 

“Scientific Oddities” with Paxton Gate

Local retail treasure Paxton Gate is well-known around the city for featuring a diverse collection of "treasures and oddities inspired by the garden and the natural sciences".  For this week’s NightLife, they will be showcasing such wondrous oddities as fossils, plants and taxidermy and relating them to specimens and science that we have here at the Academy.  Learn the history and significance of taxidermy with a live demonstration by San Francisco-based artist Jeanie M, explore fossils that are millions of years old and see a truly bizarre and beautiful plant selection that will highlight the interdependence of plants and animals in their natural habitats.  It should prove to be a truly unique experience!

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B. Smiley

Also, The Academy is excited to welcome B. Smiley back to NightLife. A veteran DJ and producer in the San Francisco music scene, B. Smiley's spin styles range from Funk-Breaks, House, Electro, World Electronica, Trip-Hop & Downtempo. Currently holding residencies at the Levende Loundge and Supperclub in the city, his past performances include Glastonbury, LoveFest, HowWeird Street Faire, Harmony Festival and Burning Man Decompression. Get ready to dance the night away.

B. Smiley’s set at NightLife will feature special live accompaniment with percussion and Jeff Straw from Breakshop on saxophone.

 

Planetarium Shows

Fragile Planet

6:30 pm, 7:30 and 8:30 pm

Seating is limited. Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the planetarium podium.

 
 
 

Birthday offer is good for a single, non-transferable entrance to NightLife, within seven days of your Birthday.  Bring a Valid ID to the ticket window to recieve your complimentary ticket.  Offer is not applicable to daytime entrance to the Academy.

NightLife VIP Tour

Want an entirely different NightLife experience? Join us on our NightLife VIP Tour. Tickets include admission to NightLife, a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour with a private viewing of the Academy's renowned gem and mineral collection and interaction with Academy researchers in the lab, express entry into the building, an open bar in a reserved cocktail area prior to the tour, VIP access to the Rainforest, and a reserved pass for the 8:30 Planetarium show.

$59.00/person – limited tickets available each week

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm (building closes at 10:00 pm)

For more information, please click here.

 

NightLife Private Lounge

Looking for a great space to celebrate landing that big account, throw a birthday party, or just gather with all your old friends, all while enjoying San Francisco’s most exciting Thursday night event?  Rent out the NightLife Private Lounge. You’ll get early access to a premium private room with catering and bar service and access to our Thursday NightLife event. For more booking information contact Dan Kalin at (415) 379-5837 or dkalin@calacademy.org.

 

Aaron Axelsen

Aaron Axelsen, Live 105's music director, is also the host of two music radio shows: Subsonic, Saturday's 12-3am, and Soundcheck, Sunday's 7-10pm. Aaron, along with fellow DJ Omar Perez, founded the long-running SF indie club Popscene, where bands like Killers, Amy Winehouse, Muse, Bloc Party and Arctic Monkeys all played their first local shows.  He also throws club LEISURE: a classic britpop/60s soul/90s indie dance club, which is held on the first Saturday of the month at its new home the Paradise Lounge.

 

Jeff Stallings

DJ Jeff Stallings' fixation with club music blossomed in New York in the 1980s, where the hardcore dancers arrived late to move to the sexy atmospheric grooves that DJs played well after sunrise. Jeff started DJing in the late 1990s, largely inspired by the lovely, edgy sounds synonymous with his musical Mecca, the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.

Jeff's sets feature Balearic, African, Bedouin and Latin beats and range from chill-out and electronic lounge to start the party, then nu-disco, deep house and chill-house to keep the dancefloor cooking. He is a resident on the downtempo internet radio show Below Zero and has played Mezzanine, 1015 Folsom, Swig and Harlot in San Francisco, as well as various venues in Los Angeles. Jeff also co-founded the renowned “REAL BAD” party now in its 22nd year Folsom Street Fair weekend.

 

Aaron Pope

“Music is all about drawing energy out of people in a positive way.” This is Aaron Pope’s belief, and that’s what most people remember about his DJ sets - his incredible energy.

Currently living in San Francisco, Aaron has been a professional DJ there for eight years. He has played at almost every venue in San Francisco and currently holds several local residencies. He has played in New York, Miami and Chicago, as well as abroad in Brazil, the Caribbean and Ibiza, and is currently exploring other international opportunities.  He has spun alongside the likes of Roger Sanchez, The Chemical Brothers, Jo Mills, Michael Anthony, Derrick Carter, Felix the Housecat, Scumfrog, The Breakfastaz, Adam Freeland, Nick Thayer, Stanton Warriors, Lorin and Freq Nasty.

His style encompasses many types of music, and he is just as likely to be found playing funky breaks at an underground party, or bouncy mid-tempo in a lounge environment as he is to be found playing peak-hour, uplifting house on a huge system.

Aaron on facebook
www.myspace.com/aaronpope

 

NightLife Promo

Check out this NightLife playlist or subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see all of the latest videos from the Academy.

 
 

NightLife Video

Check out this NightLife playlist or subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see all of the latest videos from the Academy.

 
 

Facebook Fans

Become a fan of Nightlife on Facebook. Share your comments and experiences and get the latest updates.

 
 
 

Upcoming Installments

   

3-11 - Scientific Oddities with Paxton Gate and music by B. Smiley


3-18 - NightLife Craft Night with SCRAP SF and music by shOOey and Shissla

3-25 – “The Science of Love” with Scientific American and music by Zach Moore and Deckard

Other Events »

NightLife Tickets

   

Thursdays, from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm.

Tickets are $12 ($10 for Academy members). Last entry is 9:00 pm.

21+ with Valid ID.

Food and Cocktails are available for purchase.

Please Note – outside beverages are not allowed into the museum during NightLife.

Tickets are date specific, and cannot be transfered to another date once purchased.

To purchase tickets by phone, call 415-379-8000

Please note: Academy memberships and membership renewals will not be sold at the door.


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Facebook

   

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Email List

   

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Rainforests of the World

   

Please note that the Rainforest of the World exhibit is only open until 8 pm.  The animals need the cycle of day and night to mimic their natural environment to stay healthy.