California Academy of Sciences
vs
The Exploratorium
Which one is better for families with kids?
The California Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium are both great, kid-friendly museums in San Francisco. They both offer hours of fun and entertainment for young, curious minds who might need breaks from famous bridges and crooked streets.
Most families visiting San Francisco might have a limited amount of time on vacation, which brings us to this question.
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Which San Francisco museum is better for families with kids?
In this post, I’ll highlight the similarities and differences between this two great museums, along with the basic information you need to know to help you decide which San Francisco attraction is better for your unique family.
We’ll cover the following categories when comparing the two:
- top exhibits in each museum
- other fun things to do in each museum
- location
- general admission prices
- other things to do in the area in which the museums are located
- parking availability
- food option at each museum
Top Exhibits
Both museums are home to more exhibits than you would have time for in any given day. However, there are some of the top exhibits in each attraction to give you an idea of what you and your kids can see in them.
The California Academy of Sciences:
Since the Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum, it exhibits mostly things from the natural world. Here you’ll see things like animals, plants, rocks, and minerals.
These are some of the more popular exhibits at the Academy of Sciences.
- Philippine Coral Reef
- Planetarium shows
- Butterflies in the rainforest
- Claude the albino alligator
- The Shake Room
- Foucault Pendulum
The Exploratorium:
In contrast to the Academy, the Exploratorium’s exhibits primarily revolve around physics, technology, and mechanics.
Here are some of the more popular exhibits at the Exploratorium:
- Indoor tornado
- Shadow room
- Monochromatic room
- Recollection exhibit
- Colored Shadows Exhibit
- Giant mirror
Other Fun Things
Here are some other features and exhibits in each museum that are just as fun and interesting.
Academy of Science:
- African penguins
- Foucault pendulum
- Animal skeletons & taxidermy
- Tyranosaurus Rex skeleton
- Frogs
- Snakes
- Jellyfish
- Eels
- Rocks & minerals
- Human evolution exhibit
The Exploratorium:
- Touch-sensitive plants
- Great view of the Bay Bridge
- Great view of the San Francisco Bay
- Live cow eye dissections
- Square wheel
- Optical illusions
- Tactile dome
- Pinscreen
- Bike rope squirter
Location
Location matters. The location of an attraction can be the determining factor as to whether or not you actually go see it. Here is where you can find these to family-friendly museums.
Where is the California Academy of Sciences?
Address:
555 Music Concourse Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
The California Academy of Sciences is located in hip and happening part of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: The Music Concourse.
Where is the Exploratorium?
Address:
Pier 15 Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111
The Exploratorium in San Francisco is located right along the San Francisco Bay on the San Francisco’s bustling Embarcadero.
Looking for some fun and budget-friendly ways to explore San Francisco’s
famous Pier 39? Well look no further. Click here to get your guide!
General Admission Prices
When planning a family excursion, prices matter! Here is a general breakdown of the prices you can expect when purchasing daily admission tickets to either the California Academy of Sciences or the Exploratorium.
How much is the Academy of Sciences?
The Academy of Sciences implements a plan-ahead pricing system. With this pricing system, the further in advance you book, the better deal you get.
Prices are also determined based on the time of day the visit and on any other events and/or holidays happening at the time.
The prices listed below are rough estimates of tickets booked a day in advance for a 10:30am entry into the museum. (as of December 2022)
| Adults (ages 18–64) | $48.75 |
| Youth (ages 3-17) | $38.00 |
| Students with ID (18+) | $42.50 |
| Children (under 3 years of age) | FREE |
CLICK HERE to get your family’s tickets to the ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
How much is the Exploratorium?
In contrast to the Academy, the Exploratorium in San Francisco offers set price tickets no mater what day or time you go.
| Adults (ages 18–64) | $39.95 |
| Youth (ages 4-17) | $29.95 |
| Seniors (ages 65+) | $29.95 |
| Children (ages 3 and under) | FREE |
Other Things to do in the Area
When trying to make the most out of a family vacation, it would be smart to try and see as many things as possible on a given day. Below you’ll find some other kid-friendly attractions you can potentially visit on the same day you go to either the Academy or the Exploratorium.
Other attractions around the Academy:
- De Young Museum (.2 miles from the Academy)
- Japanese Tea Garden (.3 miles)
- Botanical Tea Garden (.2 miles)
- Stow Lake Pedal Boats (1.1 miles)
- Conservatory of Flowers (.5 miles)
- Koret Children’s Quarter (.5 miles)
- Irving Street shops and restaurants (.4 miles)
- Shakespeare Garden (.2 miles)
Other attractions around the Exploratorium:
- Pier 39 (.8 miles from the Exploratorium)
- San Francisco Ferry Building (.8 miles)
- Fisherman’s Wharf (.9 miles)
- Coit Tower (1.4 miles)
- Musee Mechanique (1.1 miles)
- Ghirardelli Square (1.5 miles)
- USS Pampanito Museum (1.3 miles)
- SS Jerimiah O’Brien (1.3 miles)
Parking Availability
If you’re planning on driving a car to these museums, easily accessible parking is a must. Luckily, there are plenty of parking options at both.
Academy of Sciences:
You have a couple of options when it comes to parking at the California Academy of Sciences.
- Free street parking: You can easily find street parking around the Academy just before doors open and before the mid-day rush. However, if you park on the street, you will have to take about a 5 to 10 minute walk from your car to the entrance of the museum.
- Paid parking lot: There is a paid, underground parking lot located just outside of the California Academy of Sciences. The entrance is easily accessible on Music Concourse Drive.
Exploratorium:
There is plenty of parking available near the Exploratorium.
- Metered Parking: The surrounding area offers metered street parking which max out at 2 hours. San Francisco meters accept payment via cash, credit car, and pay-by-phone.
- Paid parking lots: There are also a couple of paid parking lots right across the street from the Exploratorium, along with another paid lot down the street at Pier 1.
Food Options
No parent wants to have to struggle to find places to eat when little bellies are growling. Fortunately, bot the Academy and the Exploratorium have a shortage of food in and around them.
Academy of Sciences:
There are many food options in and around the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, both inside and just outside the museum’s doors.
- Food inside the Academy of Sciences: There are a couple of cafes located right inside the Academy so you can grab a snack for the kids or an entire meal for the family without exiting the museum. Both the Academy Cafe and the Terrace Restaurant are open daily during museum operating hours.
- Food in Golden Gate Park: On the weekends, the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse in which the Academy is located, features mobile food vendors serving delicious local foods like Mexican cuisine, warm clam chowder, classic hot dogs, and sweet cafe mochas.
- Food on Irving Street: Just half a mile south of the Academy is Irving Street, which is a busy little strip of shops and restaurants. There are plenty of food options here.
Exploratorium:
There is plenty of food options in and around the Exploratorium as well. There is food sold inside the museum, and, if you’re up for a walk along the Embarcadero, there are more restaurants to dine at just outside the museum.
- Food inside the Exploratorium: There is no need to leave the Exploratorium in search for food. There are to great little cafes located right inside: The Sea Glass Restaurant and the Seismic Joint Cafe.
- Food at Pier 39: While there are a handful for restaurants on the strip where the Exploratorium is, if you walk a little farther to Pier 39 you’ll find a huge selection of eateries to feed hungry bellies.
In conclusion...
Which it better?
The Academy OR The Exploratorium
The straight-forward answer to this complex question is, “It depends.” This is because the Academy of Sciences and the Exploratorium are so different from each other that it’s very hard to pick the best one for every family.
However, to help you decide between the two, below are some of the main things to consider,
The California Academy of Sciences might
be better for you if you…
- Enjoy natural science
- Love animals
- Are fascinated by outer space
- Are interested in human evolution
- Want to experience what an earthquake feels like
- Find joy in watching fish swim around
- Want to walk among fluttering butterflies
- Want to visit Golden Gate Park
- Want to be away from major touristy areas
The Exploratorium might be better for
you if you…
- Enjoy physics, technology, or mechanics
- Love hands-on stuff
- Are mind-blown by optical illusions
- Get a kick out of figuring out how things work
- Like playing around with lights
- Like tricking your brain with mirrors
- Want to tinker and build
- Want to be close to the San Francisco Bay waters
- Want to be close to touristy areas like Pier 39
Here are some more helpful posts to help you plan a great trip to San Francisco with your family!
