The Academy's Natural Habitat
55 Music Concourse Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 379-8000
Come experience the new Academy — from the rainforest to the aquarium to the planetarium to so much more.
Admission
Admission includes access to all museum and aquarium exhibits, the rainforest, the living roof, and the planetarium shows.
Please note that due to popular demand, the California Academy of Sciences may be full and at our occupancy capacity on the day of your visit. Should this occur, we may be unable to sell you tickets at that time. Please pre-purchase your tickets online to confirm your preferred admission date.
Tickets and Free Days
| Visit Free of ChargeThere are numerous opportunities to visit the Academy free of charge, including:
Please note admission is on a first come, first served basis. See full details on all free days » | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Become a Member
Your membership can pay for itself within just two visits, giving you:
- Free unlimited admission
- Express entrance (not applicable on the monthly third Wednesday free days)
- Members-only hours
- Free lectures
- Discounts at the Academy Store
Ticket Discounts
Visitors can receive $3 off their general admissions tickets in one of two ways:
- Take public transportation to the Academy
- Bike to the Academy
Getting Here
To optimize your visit, we strongly encourage taking public transportation. You’ll save $3 on admission without the hassle of parking. Get driving directions or view public transportation options »
Parking
During the summer tourist season, the Academy has arranged for parking at two additional garages in the vicinity.
Accessible parking is available in the Music Concourse Parking Facility. There are 15 wheelchair accessible spots near the elevator. The front entrance to the museum can be accessed from the garage by elevator.
For a real time parking garage capacity report, visit m.calacademy.org on your cell phone. The status of the Academy's parking garage is regularly updated. In the event the primary garage is full, the mobile site provides recommendations for additional parking locations.
Complete parking information, including map »
Accessibility
The Academy experience has been designed with diverse visitors in mind. In addition, the Academy provides a wide variety of services and information for individuals with disabilities.
Among the services offered are:
- A set number of wheelchairs are available at the Coat Check on a first come, first served basis.
- Accessible parking is available in the underground garage.
- Assistive listening devices are available for visitors who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
- Audio tours are available for visitors who are blind or partially sighted.
In order to protect the public and the collections housed at the California Academy of Sciences, no animals, other than most service animals for disabled persons, are permitted at the Academy. Please note that no service birds, reptiles, or amphibians, are permitted at the Academy, but all other types of service animals are permitted.
Permitted service animals may accompany a disabled person in most public areas of the Academy. In order to maintain the interactive nature of the Academy while protecting the health and safety of its living and preserved collections, no service animals of any kind are permitted in the Rainforests of the World exhibit, in or around the Raptor Mews exhibit and Early Childhood area, or in any part of the back of house areas. The Academy may additionally exclude service animals from other areas where there is no physical barrier between the public and an exhibit, whether living or preserved.
Service animals must be restrained and under the control of their handler at all times during their visit to the Academy. Service animals must be leashed. At the discretion of an Academy staff member, if a service animal displays disruptive or aggressive behavior, its handler may be asked to remove the animal from the facility. The handler may return to the Academy without the animal.
For further inquiries, please contact the Academy’s Contact Center line at (415) 379-5230.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact an ADA assistant via email at accessibility@calacademy.org.
To download a PDF version of the Accessibility Guide, please click here.
A representative may also be contacted by mail:
c/o: Academy Accessibility
California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park
55 Music Concourse Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
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Hours |
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Monday - Saturday
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
PLEASE NOTE:
The building closes at 5 pm sharp. Visitors can enter the building until 4pm.
The Academy is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Members-only Hours |
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Tuesdays: 8:30 am - 9:30 am
Sundays: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Members may only bring the number of guests allowed by their membership level. No additional guests tickets are sold during Members-only hours.
Plan Your Expedition |
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Check out our new interactive exhibit map. We're still tinkering with it but it's available to explore. Let us know what you think!
NightLife |
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When the lights go down, fun begins. Every Thursday, the Academy opens its doors to adults from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Attendees can explore the museum and enjoy world-class music, talks, and activities. Food and cocktails are available for purchase.
Daily Programs |
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Your ticket gives you free entry to regularly scheduled events each day. These include:
- Planetarium Shows
- California Coast Dive
- Penguin Feeding
- Coral Reef Dive
Dining Reservations |
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The Moss Room does not accept reservations for lunch. Dinner reservations can be made by calling (415) 876-6121 or www.opentable.com.
