The California Academy of Sciences calls itself the only place on Earth with an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum all under one living roof. The Golden Gate Park institution is also one of the oldest scientific organizations in the West, and it's in the middle of its busiest week of the year. Tonight, Oct. 29, is Fright NightLife, the adults-only Halloween edition of its Thursday-night series, hosted by Peaches Christ. Whether you go tonight or on a quiet weekday in November, here's what to know.

What's inside

The Academy says it is home to nearly 60,000 live animals. They include a colony of African penguins and Methuselah, which the museum calls the world's oldest fish in human care. The main attractions are:

  • Steinhart Aquarium: more than 1,000 animal species, a 212,000-gallon living coral reef, over a dozen venomous animals and a section on the ocean's twilight zone.
  • Morrison Planetarium: a 75-foot, all-digital dome that the Academy calls one of the largest in the world.
  • Osher Rainforest: a four-story rainforest inside a glass dome, with free-flying birds and butterflies above and large Amazonian fish below.
  • Kimball Natural History Museum: dioramas of African landscapes and exhibits about the past, present and future of life on Earth.

Planetarium tips

Planetarium passes are required and handed out first come, first served. When you arrive, scan the QR code posted in the lobby to reserve a showtime. The Academy says shows may not be appropriate for children under 7, and children under 4 are not allowed in at all. If you're visiting with toddlers, plan your day around the aquarium and rainforest instead.

Halloween and after-dark events

The Academy's Halloween calendar this year included a Día de los Muertos NightLife on Oct. 22, which unveiled an alebrije sculpture honoring Claude, its late albino alligator, and an all-ages SuperNatural night on Oct. 24. Two events are still on:

  • Fright NightLife (Thursday, Oct. 29): ages 21 and up, with the museum transformed for Halloween.
  • Behind-the-Screams Tours (through Nov. 1): trips into the research collections to see what the Academy calls ghastly specimens, deadly creatures and other oddities. Ages 8 and up.

After Halloween, NightLife continues every Thursday for adults 21 and up, with live music, cocktails and the whole building open after dark. The Academy also offers 45-minute VIP tours of its research collections, private gem vault and Living Roof (ages 8 and up, with stairs and unpaved paths), and Penguins+Pajamas sleepovers for kids and their families.

Before you go

  • Buy tickets in advance, especially for weekends and holidays. The Academy now sells an Anytime Admission ticket for more flexibility and skip-the-line perks.
  • Check the Hours & Admission page before you go, since the schedule can change for holidays, special events and exhibit maintenance.
  • The Academy asks guests to go scent-free because some visitors and staff are highly sensitive to fragrances.

A short history

The Academy began in 1853 as a learned society. It was renamed the California Academy of Sciences in 1868, and in its first year it passed a resolution welcoming "the aid of females in every department of natural science." Its first official museum opened in 1874 at California and Dupont streets (now Grant Avenue), in what is now Chinatown, and drew up to 80,000 visitors a year. In 1891 it moved to a larger building on Market Street funded by the legacy of James Lick.

That building was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Botanist Alice Eastwood, hired in 1892, saved the Academy's collection of plant type specimens and later rebuilt the herbarium to more than 300,000 specimens. In 1916 the Academy moved to Golden Gate Park. The Steinhart Aquarium followed in 1923 and the Morrison Planetarium in 1952. The building you visit today was completely rebuilt in 2008. It covers 400,000 square feet, and the Academy holds more than 46 million specimens, making it one of the largest natural history museums in the world.