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
BigPicture: Natural World Photography
Grand Prize winner: The Forest of the Monarchs by Jaime Rojo
Embark on a visual odyssey of the year's best nature, wildlife, and conservation photography—now open daily.
NightLife: Puppies & Puppets
NightLife just got a whole lot cuter! Join us for a night of fuzzy fun with Muttville, Ramon Puppetry, and more!
California: State of Nature
A colorful new exhibition reveals the surprising ways people, places, and species are connected in California.
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Sun's Atmosphere
A large eruption in the low solar atmosphere caught in the act by NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), a solar telescope orbiting Earth since 2013. Earth is shown for scale. When these types of events propagate into interplanetary space they can impact space nearby Earth, causing space weather.
How does the Sun's magnetic field drive the heating of its 10,000-degree chromosphere and million-degree corona?
Spark: The Universe in Us
Explore the explosive origins of life in the Academy's newest original planetarium film—now playing daily.
Iconic exhibitions
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 exhibitions
Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines
Encounter an eye-catching array of 12+ venomous species, from scorpions and jellies to spiders and snakes.
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 all-new 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 exhibitions
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.
