SF's Academy of Sciences

The entry to the right, the central atrium cafe space to the left.

The view across the entry to the park.

Hilde and Robert invited us to join them for an inaugural visit to the renovated Academy of Sciences Friday. And what a visit it was. We arrived about 10, and found it uncrowded and no lines. The theme of the museum is everything green, from the space itself, to the literally green roof. Inside there are two huge spheres on either side. One is the planetarium, the other a rainforest, featuring an open aviary of birds and butterflies, and numerous displays of reptiles, insects, and other critters. In the basement level are dozens of fish tanks and displays, including at least two large aquariums (aquaria?). Many features of the past were preserved -- the giant stuffed giraffes stand next to the planetarium, and the African animal dioramas have their own hall, along with the live penguins. The Hall of Man has been sacrificed, with nothing left except a display of skulls in the library and another in the African Hall.The rainforest sphere above, two of the residents below.

The penguin exhibit.

Outside we found the grass roof, which is really various native plants, with hills over the interior rainforest and planetarium spheres, complete with skylights that open and close to help ventilate, heat and cool the interior.

Old friends.

We counted at least three restaurants. Hilde had done her research before we left, and knew that we should head immediately to the white-tablecloth restaurant, the Moss Room, to make a reservation, and got passes for the planetarium. While waiting for our planetarium show time, we went to the lower level to visit the fishes. After the planetarium it was back to the restaurant for a long, luxurious and thoroughly delicious lunch. Everything we ordered was excellent -- i loved the crab salad with a citrus dressing, ricotta ravioli with squash and mushrooms, and a vacherin with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. And the iced tea was a lovely chrysanthemum/lychee fruit black tea....I'm already trying to find it online. This could be a destination restaurant, not just a spot to stop while visiting the museum.

Loved those raviolis!

One of the two or three large fish tanks.

After lunch we went to the rainforest sphere, the refurbished African Hall, then up and out to see the roof. I'm not sure any of us expected that we would be heading home after 4 PM, but there we were. Mahalo, Hilde and Robert, it was a terrific day!

Up on the roof.
If all discard receptacles were labeled this way, would we toss so much?