California Academy of Sciences, Natural history museum and research center in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, United States.
The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum and research center in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, United States, that brings together several scientific facilities. Under a curved roof sit a planetarium, an aquarium, natural history exhibition halls, and a multistory rainforest inside a glass dome.
The institution began in 1853 as one of the first scientific societies on the West Coast and moved to Golden Gate Park in 1916. After earthquake damage, the building was entirely rebuilt in 2008 and fitted with a planted roof.
The institution takes its name from California's early scientific community and continues to link research with public education. Visitors today can watch scientists working in glass-walled laboratories, where they sort specimens and document species.
The complex opens in the morning on most days and closes in the afternoon, with shorter hours on Sunday. Wheelchair-accessible paths run through all areas, and audio guides are available at the ticket desk.
The living roof covers about 100,000 square feet (about 9,300 square meters) and supports native plants that attract bees and birds. This layer of soil and vegetation helps keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter.
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