A hot new nightclub? No.
The Water Planet exhibit at the new
California Academy of Sciences.

by Brook Wilkinson

This Saturday, Mayor Gavin Newsom and architect Renzo Piano will cut the ribbon on the brand-new California Academy of Sciences, a state-of-the-art, LEED platinum-certified natural history museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. I'm guessing it'll be a madhouse on Saturday, when admission is free, but judging from a press preview that I attended last week, I can tell you that the Cal Academy is well worth the $25 cost of admission.

If the phrase "natural history museum" conjures up thoughts of dark galleries and dusty dioramas, think again. This place has windows that open (to regulate temperature since there's no heating or air-conditioning system), digital displays that can be changed to reflect the latest scientific research, and the world's largest all-digital planetarium. There are free-flying birds and butterflies in the Rainforests of the World exhibit, and California poppies growing on the roof. Simply put, you have to see it to believe it. And here's the best deal yet: Go on the third Wednesday of the month (October 15 will be your first opportunity), and admission is free.

Further reading:
* California Academy of Sciences
* Responsible Traveler