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NightLife: IRL

Get ready to drop out of the digital world as NightLife goes phone-free*.
*Please note: NightLife will ask every guest to temporarily unplug and place their phone in a small Yondr pouch during this event. Guests will maintain possession of their phone at all times and there will be several “unlock” stations set up around the museum for easy phone access.
Sounds by DJ ‘66 & DJ Zeke spinning only vintage Jamaican vinyl
Featured Cocktails:
- Liquid Sunshine – Vodka and Light Rum Infused Oranges, Orange Juice
- Street Lights on Cosmo – Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Lime Juice, Triple Sec, Simple Syrup
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sounds of the Sea
Philippine Coral Reef
8:30 - 9:30 PM
- Experience a concert without the pressure of posting, featuring a string duo from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music performing live in front of the iconic Philippine Coral Reef.
Family Game Night
Curiosity Grove
6 - 10 PM
- Pull up a chair with San Francisco’s own The Game Parlour and play a variety of tabletop games including Codenames, Bananagrams, Jenga, Battleship, and other familiar favorites.
Friends on Film
Swamp
6 - 10 PM
- “No phones” ≠ “no pics”. Make some magnetic memories with a roaming, human photo booth from the Museum of Craft and Design, where you can snap a photo and pop it into your own customizable magnetic frame.
Free Play
Piazza
6 - 10 PM
- Check out a selection of rare and themed pinball machines from Pacific Pinball Museum. Pick your favorite and enjoy this vintage pastime from yesteryear for an IRL #ThrowbackThursday.
*Please note: NightLife will ask every guest to temporarily unplug by placing their phone in a small Yondr pouch during this event. Guests will maintain possession of their phone at all times and there will be several “unlock” stations set up around the museum for easy phone access.
A few don't-miss NightLife details:
- To help keep staff and guests safe, proof of full COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative test result from within 48 hours of the event is required for entry, and boosters and indoor masking are strongly encouraged. Feeling under the weather? Please NightLife another time! View health and safety information here.
- Last entry into the rainforest exhibit is 7:30 pm—our animals need their sleep.
- Morrison Planetarium is now open at NightLife with 4 showtimes. To maximize staff and guest safety, planetarium passes are required and capacity is limited. Passes are available online in advance for an additional $5 while supplies last to reserve a seat at a 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, or 9:30 pm planetarium show. Please see our FAQs for more details. (Please note: A limited number of standby seats will be available for all showtimes as space allows on a first-come, first-served basis. Food and drink are not permitted inside the planetarium.)
- Beverages are available at various bars throughout the building, but food must enjoyed outdoors or in the Academy Cafe only.
- NightLife is for adults 21+ only. Photo ID required.
- Still have Qs? See our FAQs here.
Music
Upcoming ticketed museum events
Join us for an evening dedicated to the inspiring intersections of science and art.
From fossil-inspired Pokémon to classic games & a Super Smash Bros. tournament, this NightLife it’s Game On.
Explore the Academy at night alongside nearly 40,000 live animals. For adults 21+.
Behold as both humans and animals use the power of illusion to mystify your senses for one magical night.
Upcoming free virtual events
Animals don't use GPS to navigate the world around them, so how do they do it?