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California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences, based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, is home to an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum — all under one living roof! Inside one of the greenest museums in the world, visitors can find captivating experiences including nearly 60,000 live animals, with new exhibits added every year. Every visit supports the Academy’s mission to regenerate the natural world.

San Francisco CityPASS includes:

Daytime Admission — Entry includes all exhibits and shows at the world’s only aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum under one living roof.

San Francisco C3 includes:

Daytime Admission — Entry includes all exhibits and shows at the world’s only aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum under one living roof.

San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz includes:

Daytime Admission — Entry includes all exhibits and shows at the world’s only aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum under one living roof.

Sensory Odyssey Studio

Sensory Odyssey Studio

Interact with animal avatars that unlock hidden worlds and unexpected perspectives in the special exhibit Vivid: Immerse Your Senses, on view May 22-Sept. 6.

Sensory Odyssey Studio

Sensory Odyssey Studio

The special exhibit Vivid: Immerse Your Senses, on view May 22-Sept. 6, uses ultra high-resolution video projections, ambient soundscapes, and nature-inspired scents to awaken the senses.

Highlights

  1. 01.

    New Exhibit May 22-Sept. 6 Descend from a lush rainforest canopy to the pitch darkness of a bat cave. Journey from the golden grass of the prairie to an invisible underground realm teeming with life. Sink from creaking ice floes to the frigid depths where whales dance. Vivid: Immerse Your Senses transports visitors to six different ecosystems, revealing Earth's mysterious, magical worlds through ultra high-resolution video projections, ambient soundscapes, nature-inspired scents, and interactive animal avatars. Step into an unforgettable, embodied experience that will awaken your senses and unlock hidden worlds and unexpected perspectives.

  2. 02.

    Meet nearly 60,000 animal residents, from a colony of playful African penguins to colorful Caiman lizards.

  3. 03.

    Learn how scientists are studying venom to harness compounds that could hold the key to curing human disease in Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines.

Visit California Academy of Sciences with CityPASS®

CityPASS® tickets offer multiple great ways to see California Academy of Sciences. No matter which you choose, you'll save.

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Advice for Visitors

Tips

Best Time to Visit

Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Upon arrival, be sure to reserve your time for the Planetarium.

The free Academy Insider iPhone App is a great way to enhance and plan for your visit; details and download.

To get the full experience, allow about four hours for your visit. If you're short on time, don't miss: Steinhart Aquarium, where you'll see the Philippine Coral Reef, home to the deepest indoor display of living coral in the world; Osher Rainforest, a glass dome that houses the four-story living rainforest where birds and butterflies fly freely among lush tropical trees, plants, and other animals from around the world; and the adorable colony of African penguins in African Hall.

Learn more on the CityPASS Blog about what you'll see at California Academy of Sciences.

Attraction Features

Amenities

Dining: Academy Café, The Terrace

Gift Shops: Academy Store

Accessibility

Wheelchairs and assistive listening devices upon request. Service animals allowed. Get more information on accessibility.

Parking/Transportation

Get information on parking, transportation and directions.

Offers & Upgrades

15% off Your Purchase

15% off your purchase in all Academy stores.

VIP Tours for Ages 3+

Purchase on day of visit, or book online. Cost for CityPASS guests: Ages 8+, 24.95 (subject to availability).

NightLife

On Thursday nights, explore the nocturnal side of the Academy at NightLife and see what's revealed. With live DJs, weekly themes, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and nearly 60,000 live animals, the night is sure to be wild. For adults 21+. Price varies.

Contact Information & Hours

  • California Academy of Sciences
  • Golden Gate Park
  • 55 Music Concourse Dr.
  • San Francisco, CA 94118
  • Mon-Sat, 9:30am-5pm
  • Sun, 11am-5pm

Last entry is one hour before close.

Holiday hours may apply on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas Day; please check website before visiting.

Closed for a special event on Feb. 25, 2026.

Read reviews from CityPASS® travelers.

San Francisco CityPASS
Amazing
So happy I bought the citypass in San Francisco. It helped make my trip there unforgettable. Would definitely do it again!
Great
I bought Citypass for my boyfriend’s birthday to show him some cool places in the city and I thought it was perfect. We went to four different places, and it was extremely affordable. 10/10 would recommend.
Great Deal
Easy to use and save you quite a bit of money. Our family had a trip to San Francisco and didn’t know what to do out there and this gave us a great option to enjoy activities as a family while still getting to know parts of San Francisco.
Great value for money!
It was a great trip and we loved the city pass . Will definitely recommend !!
NorCal CityPASS
We had an amazing experience visiting Northern California and much of it had to do with the activities included within the San Francisco CityPASS we purchased. Thank you, CityPASS, for helping to create lasting memories for my family!
San Francisco CityPASS is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 3348.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Perfect Bought citypasses because my daughter and grandkids would be in town. Much cheaper and easier than buying individual tickets and making individual reservations. Will definitely do again.
Date published: 2026-04-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great service I purchased CityPASS for a trip to San Francisco. My granddaughter and I ran into timing issues and were unable to use the reservation we had made for one of the attractions. The customer service was excellent and my granddaughter was thrilled that we were able to enjoy the Exploratorium after all.
Date published: 2026-04-09
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Tons of Family Fun I bought a CityPASS for my family trip to San Francisco. It was a great decision! My family said that we did some much and had tons of fun. We made a lot of great memories! I will be doing this again soon.
Date published: 2026-03-02
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Good Experience CityPASS is worth to buy for the travellers, which can save a lot money comparing to buy tickets for each single attraction, however, it would be better if more attractions are included into the CityPASS for travellers to select
Date published: 2026-02-25
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good price on a selection of attractions Good price on a selection of attractions. Be aware that they will continue to pester you for a review, even after you have posted.
Date published: 2026-02-10
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All images courtesy of California Academy of Sciences / Header image: Tim Griffith