You can easily while away a whole day at the California Academy of Sciences attraction in San Francisco.  I knew I wouldn’t be doing that, so I spent most of my time at the Steinhart Aquarium because 1) I love aquariums, and 2) I didn’t have to stand in any lines. It would have taken hours to see all of the various exhibits. The unquestionable standout is the Philippine Coral Reef, an aquatic habitat showcasing a kaleidoscopically colorful array of reef fish. They’re fed several times a day, and it happened while I was standing there; I didn’t see any food, but suddenly every single fish in the huge tank simultaneously turned tail on a dime, sped to the top and milled about in a frenzy, accompanied by a chorus of “Oohhhh!” from the assembled adults and “COOL!” from the younger set.
Only slightly less impressive is the Northern California Coast tank inhabited by anemones, eels, rockfish and all sorts of other indigenous marine species; it’s fascinating to observe them so close and with such clear visibility.

Water Planet has dozens of different tanks housing amphibians, reptiles and insects in addition to fish. I lingered longest watching the seahorses (so bizarre and at the same time so delicate), an extravagantly striped lionfish (psychedelic!) and a circular tank filled with rhythmically pulsating jellyfish (if you’ve only seen jellyfish washed up dead on the beach you need to see them in action). There’s also a tide pool exhibit where you can touch sea urchins and sea stars. And check out the alligator gars; not only are they huge, they really do look like alligators. A very strange-looking albino alligator resides in The Swamp, also home to frogs, salamanders and alligator snapping turtles.

Here’s a thumbnail history of the California Academy of Sciences: It was founded in 1853 and shuttled to several different San Francisco locations before ending up in Golden Gate Park in 1916. The buildings were significantly damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that wrecked parts of the city, necessitating a major seismic overhaul. Construction of a new facility began in 2005, and this notable natural history museum reopened with great fanfare in 2008.

The building has piled up accolades for its innovative incorporation of sustainable materials, including wall insulation that makes use of recycled jeans, of all things. One of its most intriguing features is the “living roof” (take the stairs or elevator to the roof level). This is no flat rooftop—it undulates, and it’s planted with native perennials like wild strawberry and sea pink, interspersed with miniature lupine, California poppy and other wildflowers. The plants chosen for this green canopy share certain characteristics: they thrive with little water, tolerate windy conditions, resist salt spray from the nearby Pacific and are able to self-propagate.

And what happens when it rains, you ask? What about drainage, and how come the plants and soil don’t slide off? Because underneath the living network are some 50,000 trays made from tree sap and coconut husks; they function both as tiles and as containers for the soil and vegetation, allowing plant roots to entwine as they grow and thus bind the trays together. It’s totally worth a look.

I wish I could tell you about the Morrison Planetarium, but I couldn’t get in. The place was packed early on a Wednesday afternoon, and you have to sign up on a first-come-first-served basis for one of several daily showings. Each time I stopped by there was an hour-plus wait until the start of the next show, so I finally gave up. I can tell you, however, that state-of-the-art digital technology is supposed to create an experience more akin to flying through space than watching a movie about space. It’s top of the list the next time I come.   

The other major exhibit I didn’t see was Rainforests of the World. I wanted to, but again I didn’t feel like standing in a long line to get in. It’s a spherical dome four stories tall, and through the humidity-shrouded glass I could see people slowly proceeding up a spiral walkway. The climate-controlled environment replicates rain forest environments found in Borneo, Costa Rica, Madagascar and the Amazon River basin, complete with tropical plants, free-flying birds and butterflies, and beasties like bats and Old World chameleons. I’ll check this out next time as well. 

I haven’t even gotten around to the dioramas in the African Hall (I passed by them at a brisk trot), the exhibit about climate change in California or the podcasts where you can listen in on the latest scientific news. Those you can discover for yourself.

The Academy Café is a bright, airy space where you can rest your feet, grab some coffee and a snack or have a full lunch. Coffee and a snack is never enough for me, so I had lunch. The choices are impressive—everything from sushi to soups to wraps to main dishes. Always on the lookout for what will offer the most bang for the buck, I got chicken curry ladled over brown rice. In addition to bone-in pieces of chicken, the aromatically spicy curry included potatoes and carrots. Everything is pricey, but it’s all freshly prepared and sure looks tasty.

After one more pass through the aquarium to marvel at that floor-to-ceiling tropical reef tank I split; you really can’t do the whole place justice in one visit. It goes without saying that this is a fantastic place to take kids, but adults will find it just as enthralling. I certainly did. 

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Photos by Greg Weekes