California Academy of Sciences050

NOTE: The Academy is currently closed at this address, as renovations are scheduled through 2008. A temporary "Academy" is open as of in May 1, 2004 at 875 Howard Street in downtown San Francisco. This huge complex amounts to one of the more satisfying ways to spend time indoors in this city. It is actually three places in one - an aquarium, a planetarium, and a natural history museum. At the Natural History Museum one of the world's 10 largest, you can view dioramas of African animals in their natural habitat, step into the Earthquake exhibit, and get a real feel for the City's seismic significance, and visit the Human Cultural Center for fascinating glimpses into our history. At the Steinhart Aquarium, kids come face-to-gill with over 15,000 different types of fresh- and seawater fish, and can view the antics of penguins and dolphins. Visit the Touch Tidepool, which contains sea stars, anemones, and sea cucumbers, and you'll discover what some of these sea creatures feel like. Also within the Academy is the dark and magnificent Morrison Planetarium. Step into the velvety quiet, settle yourself into a chair, and enjoy one of several multimedia presentations it shows off in the course of a week. The music and special effects accompany a narrative description of what the sky looks like at different points during the year. Parties: Children's birthday parties are held at the California Academy of Sciences on Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations must be made at least three weeks in advance. For more information, send an email to birthday@calacademy.org, or call 415.750.7462, or visit http://www.calacademy.org/geninfo/birthdayparties. Camp: The CAS offers a unique series of Summer Science Camps for children ages six to 16. Groups are kep small, with a ratio of one instructor to every five or six campers. Instructors are science educators. Camp activities include nature studies, professional instruction, and field trips. Rates range from $175-$300/week. Call the education dept. for information: 415.750.7100 or edregistrar@calacademy.org. You can also register directly on the Academy Web site.