California Academy of Sciences

In Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is both an architectural marvel and a multifaceted museum. This cutting-edge "green" building has a 2.5-acre Living Roof covered in native plants and even rolling hills to match the natural surroundings. Solar panels on the roof generate electricity, and the soil acts as natural insulation. The walls are mostly made of glass, allowing for plenty of natural light.

There's a fantastic natural history museum, planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, and more inside. The Steinhart Aquarium houses 38,000 live specimens as well as a 25-foot-deep coral reef. The Osher Rainforest is four stories tall and has a fantastic layout for animals and amphibians. You can descend to the deepest depths in a glass elevator and look up through an acrylic tunnel to see fish swimming overhead in the flooded forest. The Kimball Natural History Museum houses T-Rex and blue whale skeletons, as well as a variety of interesting exhibits.

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