Man looking at large sea bass in Steinhart Aquarium.

Though we work on a global scale—championing biodiversity, sharing new knowledge, modeling sustainability in the world’s largest LEED Platinum public building—many of the most important changes we effect happen right here at the Academy, one life at a time. They begin with the kinds of immersive experiences that spark curiosity and wonder—interactions between visitors, our living collections, and researchers passionate about studying and protecting life on Earth. 

One Visitor at a Time

Visitors watch fishes swim over their heads in the rainforest tunnel.

Approximately 1.5 million visitors (including more than 150,000 young field trip-goers) explore the Academy each year. Through our exhibits, living collections, and accessible staff, we seek to inspire wonder, curiosity, and the desire to protect this planet in each person who walks through our doors. 

 

 

 

Digital Outreach

A man giving a lecture at the Academy.

The Academy’s reach extends far beyond its walls. Our award-winning planetarium shows can be seen on screens around the world, and our growing array of online channels make Academy courses, interactives, and other educational resources available to people worldwide. We host dozens of lectures by experts in astronomy and the biological sciences each year, all of which are recorded and made available for free through Fora.tv and iTunes University. In addition, our education team partners with leading digital learning platform Khan Academy to create courses on critical topics such as biodiversity.

Citizen Science

A woman surveying her surroundings in the field.

From bioblitzes to beach surveys to ongoing projects, the Academy's citizen science programs offer great ways for people of all ages to get more involved with the world around them. By exploring local tide pools, lakes, mountains, and even backyards, citizen scientists collect observations that help scientists to answer questions—and address challenges—about our environment today.

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Experience the wonder

Visit an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum—all under one living roof.

A Year in Review

Explore our 2013 "Perspectives" annual report to see all that we’ve accomplished in the past year—and where we're headed next.