Natural History Museum of San Francisco - California

Address:875 Howard St.
San Francisco, California
Tel: (415) 321-8000

The Natural History Museum of San Francisco is located within the California Academy of Sciences, one of the largest museums of natural history in the world. The Academy contains thousands of fascinating exhibits of natural history, including a planetarium and a walk-thru aquarium!

At the aquarium, you can walk through and watch the fish and marvel at the beautiful coral, while being guided by a tour guide in scuba gear, swimming alongside you! There is also an African Hall, a version of Foucault's Pendulum, the device that first proved the rotation of the Earth, and a swamp exhibit. If that's not enough, the museum carries all the regular stables of any natural history museum worth its salt, with an assembled T-Rex skeleton, and an enormous 87 foot blue whale.

The new Academy building is a tremendous achievement in ecologically green architecture. There is a 2.5 acre "living roof," with over 1.7 million native plants growing on it. A solar canopy with over 60,000 photo voltaic cells powers the building, which is in turn insulated entirely with recycled denim. The main lobby has a breathtaking view of Golden Gate Park through its gigantic floor to ceiling windows.

Shows and events are constantly being updated, but on most days you can see a planetarium show, watch them feed the penguins, and watch a 3D film about bugs! There are enough displays and exhibits to keep you and your entire family occupied for an entire day – and then some!

Every third Wednesday of the month is free admission, but beware of the long lines!

'Welcome to the Natural History Museum. We promote the discovery, understanding, enjoyment, and responsible use of the natural world. Explore our world-class collections, fantastic exhibitions and cutting-edge research online, or visit our landmark buildings.'