San Francisco's most freshly baked (err.. renovated) museum delights with large aquariums, African dioramas, a rainforest, and planetarium all wrapped in a wondrously uber-modern grass covered "green building" with skylights.
The museum is an extremely popular attraction and the semi-permanent collection of wild children is considerable - your best bet is to go early and avoid weekends/holidays. The weekly (Thursdays) NightLife event is 21+ and a great break from the kiddies, but no less crowded or loud :)
Don't miss the frequently active penguins in the otherwise static hall of African dioramas.
The de Young Museum is on the same circle and the Japanese Tea Garden and Botanical Garden just a couple blocks - and Golden Gate Park's other treasures a bit further :)
Address: 55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park, SF, CA
Website: http://www.calacademy.org/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Academy_of_Sciences
