California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a research center and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that has approximately 46 million specimens, making it one of the world's largest natural history museums. The Academy was founded in 1853 as a learned organization and continues to do extensive original research. The facility is located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The Academy's main structure in Golden Gate Park, which was completely reconstructed in 2008, encompasses 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2). The California Academy of Sciences had roughly 500 workers and $33 million in yearly income in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Academy of Sciences not only serves as a source of public scientific education through its museum, but it also has a research arm, the Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability (IBSS), which conducts research in taxonomy, phylogenetics, and biodiversity studies. Although one component of the IBSS is visible to museum visitors at the scientific "project lab" display, the majority of the research takes place "behind the scenes" in labs and facilities that are not open to the public. In reality, most patrons are unaware that research and administrative facilities make up approximately half of the Academy's physical structure.

Location: 55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118

Website: calacademy.org