Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
178
Cable Car Museum
All ages.
It won't take long to peer down at the machinery that
allows the cable cars to travel up and down the city's hills, but this seemingly simple piece
of engineering is very cool. The car barn displays inventor Hallidie's original model from
1873, and there's a short video explaining ho w the cable cars wor k, plus a gift shop for
those must-have mini cable cars.
1201 M ason St. (at Washington St.).
&
415/474-1887.
w ww.cablecarmuseum.com. F ree admission.
Daily 10am-5pm, until 6pm Apr 1-S ep 30. Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas. Muni: Powell-Mason or Powell-Hyde cable car.
California Academy of S ciences
All ages.
The greenest museum in the
world opened in its spectacular ne w home in G olden G ate Park in S eptember 2008.
Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano and awarded platinum certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council, the Academy of Sciences building is not merely ecological
in its use of natural r esources; its v ery composition ev okes a ne w relationship with the
natural world. G one are the imposing stone walls of old, r eplaced by special glass that
reduces both heat absorption and the need for ar tificial lighting, while also connecting
the building mor e closely to the outside surr oundings. E thereal, 36-foot-tall columns
made of recycled steel hold up a living r oof, a gently undulating mar vel covered in 1.7
million verdant plants, which in turn attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, butterflies, and
other animal life.
While you savor the building's remarkable architecture, your kids will be delighted by
the Academy's many offerings. F irst off, get tickets to a P lanetarium show, as these sell
out quickly. Then take a stroll through the neo-classical African Hall, which was partially
recreated from the old building, with its almost quaint dioramas of African animals. A t
the end of the hall y ou'll see the African penguin colony; the bir ds ar e fed daily at
10:30am and 3:30pm. Next wind your way up four flights of cir cular stairs through the
Rainforests of the World exhibit, with glimpses of Borneo 's bat cav es, M adagascar's
geckos, and Costa Rica's tropical butterflies, before heading down into the flooded Ama-
zonian rainforest. Now pop up to the r oof for a good look at it befor e catching y our
Planetarium show. After the film, take y our time visiting the wonders of the museum 's
Steinhart Aquarium, including the world's deepest living coral reef display. Scuba divers
feed the fish here daily at 11am and 2pm.
Curious kids should also visit the N aturalist Center, where experts and r esources are
available to answer any other questions they may have. The Academy has surprisingly few
interactive exhibits; the touch pools with star fish and other sea cr eatures ar e a small
exception. No matter. It's such a lovely place and the exhibits so w ell designed that your
kids are sure to enjoy it as much as y ou.
55 Music Concourse Dr. (in Golden Gate Park btw. John F. Kennedy and South drives).
&
415/379-8000.
www.calacademy.org. Admission $25 adults; $20 seniors , children 12-17, and students; $14 childr en
7-11; $3 kids 6 and under; free for all the 3rd Wed of the month. $3 discount with public transportation
ticket. Planetarium sho ws ev ery half-hour 11:30am-4:30pm. M on-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm.
Muni: 74X C ultureBus or N- Judah streetcar to 9th A ve., then walk nor th on 9th A ve. into the park ; no.
44-O'Shaughnessy bus to Concourse Dr.
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Ages 3 and up.
Constructed as
a memorial to California 's soldiers lost in World War I and opened to the public on
Armistice Day in 1924, this neoclassical str ucture is a r eplica of the Legion of H onor
Palace in P aris. The exquisite setting inside Lincoln P ark alone makes it wor th a visit.
Take in the expansiv e lawn, M onterey cypress trees, and br eathtaking western vista of
the Golden Gate Bridge. The museum's fine collection spans 4,000 y ears and includes
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