Cal Academy opens at 9:30 a.m. Mon.–Sat. and 11 a.m. Sun. Learn about our charismatic African penguin colony from an Academy biologist. Daily, 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Watch as a diver plunges into one ...

Research staff in the Academy's Ornithology and Mammalogy Department are working to answer fascinating and challenging questions about birds and mammals. Through field research, morphological ...

To learn more about sharks visit your local library, the web, such as The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), and natural history museums and aquariums. The following publications are useful for ...

This is a recurring event. Check the daily calendar for more schedule information.

In Phase I of Hope for Reefs, launched in 2016, Academy scientists and partners worked tirelessly to understand, protect, and restore global reefs. We were the first to explore some of the Earth’s ...

This is a recurring event. Check the daily calendar for more schedule information.

The world right outside your door is surprisingly wild. Become a backyard naturalist with over two dozen activities for kids ages 4-8. No backyard (or local park) expedition is complete without this ...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 19, 2024) — Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences described 138 new animal, plant, and fungi species in 2024, enriching our understanding of Earth’s ...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (February 18, 2025) — Academy researchers and partners made the first discovery of both a new genus and species of plant in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years. The ...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 2, 2025) — It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Claude, our beloved albino alligator, has passed away at the age of 30. Claude was an iconic California ...

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 16, 2021) — In 2021, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 70 new plant and animal species to the tree of life, enriching our understanding of Earth’s ...

“These papers present the most exhaustive isotope-based studies on early human diets to date,” says the Academy’s own Zeresenay Alemseged, Senior Curator and Chair of Anthropology, and co-author on ...