From deep sea to deep space, your Academy ticket is your passport to science adventures. Explore our exhibits, public programs, events, and more.
New & featured
Dino Days
The Academy goes Cretaceous: Moving, roaring, life-size animatronic dinosaurs have taken over our gardens!
Unseen Oceans
Unexplored depths. Unusual creatures. See how strange species thrive in darkness and pressure—now open daily.
Finding and Understanding Exoplanets
Looking towards the center of the Milky Way, blue rings encircle stars, with at least one confirmed exoplanet. This image was generated using OpenSpace open-source software.
Explore the significant progress in exoplanet research, including detection methods and our understanding.
NightLife x Carnaval SF
Carnaval is taking over! Join the party to celebrate Latin American, Caribbean, and Afrodiasporic cultures.
Spark: The Universe in Us
Explore the explosive origins of life in the Academy's newest original planetarium film—now playing daily.
Iconic exhibits
Steinhart Aquarium
Come face-to-fin with nearly 60,000 animals—from deep-sea oddities to Claude, our alligator with albinism.
Morrison Planetarium
The interior of Morrison Planetarium—one of the world's largest all-digital domes.
Experience the cosmos from the Academy's all-digital, 75-foot planetarium dome. Reservations required.
Osher Rainforest
Journey through a living 4-story rainforest, home to free-flying butterflies and birds and giant Amazonian fish.
Kimball Natural History Museum
Explore hands-on exhibits, fascinating specimens, and the latest research conducted by Academy scientists.
Ongoing exhibits
Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed
Life in technicolor: Neon-hued fish and corals abound in Twilight Zone’s vivid habitats.
Candy colors. Ingenious adaptations. Extreme conditions. Meet the unusual animals that inhabit deep reefs.
California: State of Nature
A colorful new exhibition reveals the surprising ways people, places, and species are connected in California.
Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines
Encounter an eye-catching array of 12+ venomous species, from scorpions and jellies to spiders and snakes.
Shake House
Step in and hang on as our earthquake simulator recreates California's powerful 1906 and 1989 quakes.
The Swamp
Explore a Southeastern swamp habitat, home to snapping turtles and our beloved alligator with albinism, Claude.
Hidden Wonders: Inside the Academy's Collections
"Kitty," our California saber-toothed cat (Smilodon californicus) fossil, was collected from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.
Peek into the past in an interactive exhibition of nearly 800 objects from the Academy's research collections.
Gems and Minerals Unearthed
Marvel at nearly 400 dazzling and dramatic gem and mineral specimens from the Academy's geology collection.
Academy in Action
Our colorful new mini-exhibition brings our three regeneration initiatives out of the field and into the museum.
Color of Life
Live animals and hands-on exhibits reveal the significant role color plays across a vibrant spectrum of species.
California Coast
Get a glimpse of the richness right off our coast and gaze at rockfish, eels, anemones, sharks, and more.
New Science: The Academy Exhibit
Celebrate LGBTQ+ women and gender minorities of color working in STEMM in an exhibit kiosk and online gallery.
Philippine Coral Reef
Watch reef fish dart through colorful forests of coral while giant rays sail gracefully under your feet.
Tusher African Hall
Explore our evolutionary history while surrounded by dioramas of African wildlife and splashing penguins.
Living Roof
Rolling hills and 1.7 million plants create an oasis for native species atop the Academy's 2.5-acre living roof.
Human Odyssey
Trace the milestones of our species’ fascinating history by studying skull casts, interactive maps, and more.
Water Planet
Discover how animals have evolved fascinating methods of living in and out of water.
Hands-on exhibits
Wander Woods
Activate your kids' curiosity about the natural world in our outdoor nature play and exploration space.
Curiosity Grove
Young imaginations soar in this colorful, California forest-themed playspace. Open daily, 10 am-4 pm.
Naturalist Center
Welcome to the Academy's hub for exploration, with books, games, specimens, and more. Open daily; hours vary.
