The last word in green architecture, the bastion of science, the fun link between nature’s eternal wonders and never ending educational process—California Academy of Sciences opens its new building free to the public this Saturday, September 27. A 155-year-old museum is a treasure trove of rare specimens, world-renowned collections and live animals, displayed side-by-side in more than a dozen exhibits. In its spacious transparent glass-faceted new home, awashed in sunlight and filled with fresh air, Academy is crowned with a unique roof, modeled after surrounding hills, covered with native grasses and succulents. It sports breath-taking views of the Golden Gate Park and close by neighborhoods, and attracts small birds and butterflies like a nature-made flowerbed. Plan a whole day visit if you go, because not to be missed stops include Claude, the albino alligator in The Swamp; a crew of small penguins watching people watching penguins in African Hall; Islands of Evolution; Rainforests of the World; thousands of tropical fish in Philippine Coral Reef, and an amazing journey from the Academy to the edge of Milky Way at Morrison Planetarium. California, as a world of its own, with its marine and coastal life, diversity of species and climate changes is extensively explored and covered in multiple displays and educational programs. To make your visit sustainable, two SF celebrity chefs opened their restaurants here. Loretta Keller (of COCO500) serves lunch and dinner at The Moss Room, and Charles Phan of The Slanted Door keeps his academycafe open for the whole day, and offers kid-friendly meals. The new Academy, designed by award-winning architect Renzo Piano, is located at 55 Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park, SF, and can be reached at 415-379-8000 or http://www.calacademy.org/Photo by Yuri Krasov: Your correspondent knows these gorgeous animals were here first.
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