San Francisco Archaeology Tours

This is a great place to beat the heat or cold while learning a ton and having fun. All ages will enjoy this museum.

Visited with my family because we wanted to get out of the rain. Compared to the museums I have been to, it was reasonably priced (we are out of Boston). We loved the walk up to see the various levels of the rainforest and the butterflies at the top! We also loved seeing all of the aquarium exhibits- much more than what I read in the description.

Although the Academy was excellent there were some problems with the ticketing that should be addressed. Nobody seemed to know about the tickets that were supposed to be issued to us on arrival but the staff did sort out the problem without too many hassles.

It was a fantastic tour - great value for what is included! Only complaint is that we didn't get to see as much as the academy afterwards since it closes at 10pm. Suggest taking the 6pm tour and don't miss the earthquake simulator!

This was so cool. No Kids in sight. This even was made for adults. Drinks and Music make education that much more fun!

Great night, very interesting and much better to have the VIP experience

The academy was amazing, would recommend to anyone, no questions asked. However, just buy your tickets directly from the museum’s website, I had problems scanning mine since I bought it from this sight. The people working there were super chill about it though, no sweat on their part.

Educational an fun. Recommend to go around twice, you might miss something. Unfortunately, couldn't see octopus, he was hiding.

So glad we made it to this exhibit. We saved with the night life option and by using the bus service. The exhibit itself would have been worth the extra money though!!! So much to see for nature lovers. The staff was extremely helpful but the place was easy to navigate even with their really cool layout. Adults and kids alike can learn so much even if what you learn is that you don't want to be near any 6ft fish again in your life!

This was a fun experience. They offered some fun presentations and great drinks at the bars. It was nice to be surrounded by fellow “adults” for more “adult” time to explore the museum. They also played fun music in the background. Buy planetarium tickets early because they sell out quickly.

Me and my grandson had a wonderful time and a great experience. However everything was so expensive and parking was a little bit of a hassle. I would definitely go again but would not buy anything there prices are to high

If you have children, are looking for a rainy-day activity, would enjoy walking through a multi-story indoor rainforest, or like aquariums and big-screen planetarium movies, the California Academy of Sciences might be a good choice.A warning for anyone who is claustrophobic or particularly sensitive to loud noise: you may want to skip the aquarium. It is downstairs in an area with relatively low ceilings, dark surroundings and blue lighting. When I visited, the excited voices of children and adults seemed to reflect off all the aquarium glass, making the noise feel even louder. I found the combination of the crowds, sound, darkness and enclosed space uncomfortable.The planetarium offered several movies at different times throughout the day. I saw Impact, about asteroids, which seemed geared more toward adults, and a Tiny Chef movie about environmentalism.Tiny Chef wasn't for me. I found the character's voice and some of the silly examples annoying, although several teenagers sitting behind me were laughing and obviously enjoying it. For families with younger children, I could see it being a starting point for talking about conservation and connecting its message to real-world examples.One thing to know about the planetarium movies: during my visit, you needed to scan a QR code with your phone, select a showtime and then show your confirmation when entering. I initially found the interface frustrating because it kept telling me there were no available showtimes for my date. After trying several times, I eventually got it to work.The museum exhibits themselves were nicely spaced and included plenty of written information, so there is a lot of educational value here.I didn't visit the rainforest because the line was quite long when I was there. There is also a café and an atrium area where you can sit and eat.Overall, I think the California Academy of Sciences is likely to be a much better fit for families with curious children and adults who enjoy lively, interactive science museums than for someone looking for a quiet museum experience. This museum was included on the Go City pass.

I’ve been accustomed to visiting Golden Gate Park for as long as I can remember. As a child visiting the aquarium with my mom was a highlight of my learning experience. The academy of science has been renewed with many attractions. I was sad that the albino alligator had died but there were still so many attractions to enjoy. The highlight of our experience was the earthquake simulator! Having lived through the earthquake in 1989 I remember all too well of that frightful day! And then to experience the magnitude of the 1906 earthquake was believably real! Plants and outdoor experiences were still breathtaking. Just across the park the de Young museum was the cherry on the experience, as I recommend it to all visitors.

This is an amazing museum and an amazing facility. It’s huge! We visited on a Monday morning and were pleased that the museum was not overly crowded. The ticket price for adults was $55 per person, but this varies with the season. As we only had a few hours to explore, we felt the price was high. But if you are going to spend all day, it’s fair. We also added the VIP tour which was an additional $27 per person because we wanted the behind the scenes tour of the building, It was worth every penny. Dominic was our tour guide, and she was a total professional. The VIP pass also gets you priority access to the planetarium shows. We saw Incoming which was informative and fun. Our main suggestion has to do with parking. There is a parking garage entrance very close to the Science Museum, but it was closed. You find out it’s closed when you get to the entrance! However there is another entrance near the DeYoung Museum which is next to the Science Museum. It’s on the other side of Golden Gate Park. Fortunately we had arrived early enough to make the 10 minute drive to the other entrance and still make our tour. Parking in the garage was $20, credit card only.

Easy purchase and use. Museum was fabulous and good spend multiple hours easily. Make sure to attend as many exhibitions that are available and make sure you use the reservation system for the planitarium show.

Great tour, very informative and good for students. There is a lot to learn about global life styles.