Alright! I went. I know I should have waited a while until the crowds waned, but we could not resist. As I mentioned before. This building is on the forefront of green technology. Never mind the treasure of knowledge beyond the doors.
So we braved Saturday afternoon traffic into the City and made our way slowly but surely over to Golden Gate Park(AKA the Outside Lands). Of course the line was long but I was able to cut our wait in half by going down the the little kiosks that were lined up about 75 yards out from the main entrance.
After shelling out $50 for two tickets, we cruised right in. The interior architecture was very modern with sky lighted rooftops, glass domes, white concrete walls and supports. The main attractions seemed to be the Morrison Planetarium, the rainforest, and the aquarium. For the planetarium, you need to buy tickets. It seems that getting the tickets in advance is the way to go seeing as it was all sold out. The line to the rain forest seemed have a hundred people waiting, so we did not bother. We did however check out the African Exhibit where they had a live South African Penguin environment and many replicated animals in their respective settings as well. In the main lobby, there were many interactive displays that let patrons guess and learn about evolution, listen about extinct insects, and watch blazing California forest and brush fires.
Then we went down below to to check out the aquarium. Talk about a mad house. New rule here. If your baby is in a stroller, chances are you baby is too young to appreciate the science that surrounds them. So... No Stroller! But back to nature at hand. The aquarium did not disappoint. They have the "Philippine Coral Reef" with all the fish and animal life playing the parts. They have a deep see exhibit where all you could see is the luminescence of the fish. To be honest I could not discern if the deep sea dwellers were real or fake. There were so many people down there that I couldn't get to the plaques that explained and describe what one was looking at. But is was cool nonetheless. Oh. I cannot forget the petting pond where you can pet starfish and the like. I remember the previous one as more aesthetically pleasing, but this one was obviously more functional.
Up to the roof. This is "the spot". Besides the rain forest and the planetarium (which I did not see on this round) here was where the most obvious changes were. With a large observation deck surrounded by native California ground cover, it was like looking over a green rolling hills with strange ocular like protrusions rising up every so often. There was a very cool view of the Sunset district to one side and a stunning gaze of the recently rebuilt De young Museum to the other. Oh and that reminds me. Your $25 admission to CAS also get you in the the De Young. So get an early start.
All in all, the Academy was a good experience. This was just a taste for me. I will go back after the new year and maybe on a weekday so that I can truly enjoy all that it has to offer.
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