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California academy of science and a crowd
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Jellyfish in the round
I was really looking forward to my trip to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Everything I’d read about and the fabulous pictures I’d seen promised a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, world-class experience. Besides that, I really enjoy science museums and the discovery and childlike wonder. The massively renovated building is cathedral-like inside, with four-story high ceilings, the glassed-in rainforest reaching up to the roof. Below ground are large and small aquarium tanks of coral reefs and the attendant fish life, and some unusual creatures like the tiny fish that jump out of the water and suction themselves onto the side of their tank, then slowly slide back down into the water. It’s like watching the evolutionary leap in action. It’s part of the collection where Academy staff pick their favorite creatures.
Coral reef sans snorkel
There’s the albino alligator that sat so motionless I wondered if it was real. The tree frogs that excreted a waxy covering that also sat so motionless they looked like plastic curious you’d pick up in the gift shop. And then the famous living rooftop with 2.5 acres of native California plant species.
Academy floor with rainforest left
Unfortunately much of my time in the museum was spent elbowing my way through huge crowds of people that made viewing anything a challenge. The lines for the rainforest were prohibitively long, and even though I came at 1pm, the free tickets for the planetarium had all been given out for the day. After about an hour of jostling, there was that overwhelmed museum feeling that set in and I just wanted to leave. At $25, it’s an expensive ticket to fight crowds and not be able to see all the exhibits.
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