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We had a great time! We had difficulty rescheduling after a possible covid exposure, and they tried to charge us more to go at the same time on the same day of the week. I thought that was a shame because it seems as if you would want to encourage people to do the right thing. But the museum was very cute, my husband had to work on a Saturday so we had a later admission and could book any times for the rainforest experience or the shake room so that was another disappointment. The last problem we had was that this museum was by far the most crowded of all museums we have visited during covid. So crowded that there were spaces where we had to avoid completely because it was packed inside. I think that it would be a better experience to go first thing, but I will definitely go back! An awesome museum overall, just needed some tweaks to make the museum feel safer.…
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1 Helpful vote
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Response from CalAcademyofSciences, Manager at California Academy of Sciences
Responded Nov. 16, 2020
Hi Kayohh7, thanks so much for visiting, and for your feedback! Wanted to respond to it more specifically in case helpful for future visits, so please know that our capacity is always limited to 25%, but we're absolutely aware that people do tend to bunch up in some of our aquarium areas, so we've taken steps to address this. Among the ways we're responding: Staffing up to improve guest flow in all areas of the museum (especially in the aquarium) and to better encourage distancing and mask-wearing; installing even more floor markers for spacing and distancing reminders; continuing to identify places we can implement more one-way traffic; and keeping attendance capped at 25%. We're also actively escorting out anyone not wearing a mask. And with limited space inside closed exhibits like the Rainforest it's definitely a challenging time right now, but we're working hard to keep access as open as we can while still keeping everyone safe, hence the reservation system. Some helpful tips: You can make Rainforest reservations the moment you walk in (on your phone or with a guest-experience person); earlier ticket times can always help; and if it makes sense for you, picking up a membership means you can make exhibit reservations online in advance too. Re. your rescheduling issue, dynamic pricing does mean ticket prices can be a bit different at specifics days/times, but feel free to give us a call at 415-379-8000 if you have any other questions or concerns—we're happy to help, and so glad to hear you're headed back! Thank you again.
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We live fairly close to the city, and the academy is a place my family and I have gone to a couple times. However, no matter how many times we visit, it never gets old. There is so much interaction in the museum and a diverse array of wonders for those of all ages. Simply staring up at the unique ceiling is sure to put one at awe. The exhibits are all engaging and family-friendly, from the amazing albino alligator to the huge aquarium exhibits. The ways in which you encounter animals are truly unique, whether it be walking under a water tunnel or walking through a rainforest exhibit. The building is nestled into Golden Gate Park and truly blends with its surroundings. It is a wonderful creation and is sure to teach anyone something new!…
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Date of experience: December 2019
1 Helpful vote
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Response from CalAcademyofSciences, Guest Relations Manager at California Academy of Sciences
Responded Oct. 27, 2020
Thank you so much for this lovey review! Hope to welcome you back again soon.
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Don't rush through this site. Take your time and enjoy the science and wonders around you. People tend to rush through and just look at objects and pictures but there is so much more available than that. There are pop up demonstrations and exclusive exhibitions and although this was a single visit I am sure these change throughout the year so people continue to return. I loved the time clock and the aquarium section was a nice touch didn't know that was there until a bit later! What really did it for me were the different planetarium shows. These are state of the art presentations and compared with the UK ones this blows the out of the water! I had heard how amazing they were but didn't know how good they actually are until we visited. The restaurant food range is very good, so much so that it took us a while to choose a meal. It was expensive for what it is but that is normal for locations like these as they cash in quite a few $$ to keep the place going. There is a free water dispenser located by the cutlery area.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
1 Helpful vote
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I took a trip to San Francisco for the first time in my life from November 28 to December 3, 2019. On December 2, I left my Airbnb accommodation to get to a hotel proximate to San Francisco International Airport for the flight home the next day. I had more than half of the day to look around after checking into my hotel. A receptionist at the hotel recommended going to the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the de Young Museum. These attractions are about a 3-minute walk from each other. Getting to the Academy was easy. I took a BART train followed by a transit bus that stopped in front of the CAS. There was really no lineup to speak of. The ticket price was $36.75. That's not cheap, but after experiencing the CAS, I can genuinely say that it was worth it. You can reduce that price by taking advantage coupons that can be found in the lobby of most hotels where they keep all of the tourist attraction information for guests. I was shown a $5.00 discount by the receptionist in my hotel. The highlights of my walk around the entire exhibition were: (i) the aquarium, including the albino American alligator, the reef lagoon, etc. (ii) the spectacular Osher rainforest (iii) the Tusher African Hall, which included live penguins and (iv) an earthquake simulator wherein you could experience what it felt like during the earthquakes of 1906 and 1989. There is lots more to see and you could comfortably spend about 2.5 hours there. There are lots of great eating places very close to the CAS on Lincoln Way, 19th Avenue, etc.. After being at CAS I ate excellent Thai food restaurant on 19th Avenue that I was able to walk to. Although the California Academy of Sciences is a fairly expensive tourist stop, I consider it to have been money very well spent. It would recommend it to anyone visiting San Francisco. The next time I go to San Francisco I will pay another visit to CAS.…
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Date of experience: December 2019
2 Helpful votes
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We had the best day visiting this extraordinary place. The exhibits are very engaging and family-friendly. I highly recommend a visit.
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Date of experience: November 2019
1 Helpful vote
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