California Academy of Sciences General Admission Ticket
Safety measures
3 to 5 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Overview
Enjoy easy access to the California Academy of Sciences with this pre-paid skip-the-line ticket. Walk right in to enjoy the museum's 4-story rain forest, planetarium, and aquarium. Avoid wasting your precious vacation waiting in the long lines to purchase tickets for this exhibit-packed museum. Your admission includes all shows and exhibits, and is a perfect activity for families.
IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE:
All guests ages 12+ proof of full vaccination required; booster shots strongly encouraged but not required. For ages 5-11, full vaccination strongly encouraged but not required. While some local mask mandates have recently changed. The Academy will continue to require all guests ages 2+ to wear a well-fitted mask indoors at all times, regardless of vaccination status, except while eating and drinking in the Café.
Negative COVID-19 tests are no longer accepted as an alternative to proof of full vaccination.
- California Academy of Science admission ticket includes all shows and exhibits
- Instant-access ticket means no waiting in line at a separate kiosk to redeem your voucher
- Perfect for families—there's something for everyone to enjoy
- Enter the world's largest all digital planetarium for an astronaut's view of Earth
- Step inside the 4-story rain forest and look for frogs, chameleons, and free flying birds and butterflies
- Make friends with the fun and friendly colony of South African penguins in Africa Hall
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Start by making your way to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and then breeze right past the long ticket lines and enjoy a wait-free entrance. Make the most of your vacation time and get started exploring the shows and exhibits right away.
Discover the African Penguin colony; get right up close to the glass and say hello as they swoop and dive through the water. Catch a penguin feeding by the museum's marine biologists, during which they will answer any of your questions about the penguins’ biology or behavior. Visit Claude, the American alligator with albinism, and some of his swamp friends while listening to a Swamp Talk by the museum's staff.
Enter the Morrison Planetarium, an all-digital planetarium, for a show that lets you explore the farthest reaches of the universe. Then descend into the Steinhart Aquarium and see live 40,000 animals from the world over, including octopus, seahorses, and jellyfish. Watch divers as they clean the tank and tend to the fish in the world's deepest living coral reef exhibit.
Peel off your jacket and enter the 4-story rain forest. Watch for free-flying birds and butterflies and listen as the scarlet macaws argue over their toys. Check out the spiders, amphibians, and reptiles in the many glassed-in exhibits that dot the rain forest trail.
Discover the African Penguin colony; get right up close to the glass and say hello as they swoop and dive through the water. Catch a penguin feeding by the museum's marine biologists, during which they will answer any of your questions about the penguins’ biology or behavior. Visit Claude, the American alligator with albinism, and some of his swamp friends while listening to a Swamp Talk by the museum's staff.
Enter the Morrison Planetarium, an all-digital planetarium, for a show that lets you explore the farthest reaches of the universe. Then descend into the Steinhart Aquarium and see live 40,000 animals from the world over, including octopus, seahorses, and jellyfish. Watch divers as they clean the tank and tend to the fish in the world's deepest living coral reef exhibit.
Peel off your jacket and enter the 4-story rain forest. Watch for free-flying birds and butterflies and listen as the scarlet macaws argue over their toys. Check out the spiders, amphibians, and reptiles in the many glassed-in exhibits that dot the rain forest trail.
Itinerary
The California Academy of Sciences is a must-see San Francisco museum. Based in beautiful Golden Gate Park, it’s the only place on Earth to house an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum—all under one living roof.
From the splashing penguins in African Hall to the wildflowers on the roof, the building is bursting with life. A four-story living rainforest and awe-inspiring coral reef ecosystem showcase Earth’s biodiversity, while immersive planetarium shows offer a new perspective on the planet we call home.
Admission Ticket Included
Steinhart Aquarium is one of the most biologically diverse and interactive aquariums on Earth. Home to nearly 40,000 live animals, representing more than 900 unique species, it offers guests an unprecedented view of underwater and terrestrial habitats. From species displayed nowhere else in the world to exhibits about cutting-edge research in little-known ocean ecosystems, a visit to Steinhart Aquarium is full of discovery.
Admission Ticket Free
Morrison Planetarium shows are fueled by cutting-edge scientific data, resulting in stunning visualizations of the latest findings, discoveries, and theories about our Universe. Every star or galaxy a viewer encounters in the planetarium precisely mirrors a real-world counterpart, and when this virtual cosmos is projected onto Morrison's 75-foot-diameter screen, the dome itself seems to disappear, resulting in a uniquely immersive experience.
Planetarium showpasses are included in the price of admission and can be reserved at the planetarium pass pick-up desk across from the planetarium entrance.
Admission Ticket Free
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Traveler Tips
- "Go during the week, ideally later in the day to avoid crowds." See review
- "No reservation time needed to get into the Academy of Sciences." See review
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California Academy of Sciences General Admission Ticket
3 to 5 hours
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