Robust seasonal programming runs daily, Nov. 22-Jan. 5

  • Two juvenile reindeer with antlers are pictured nuzzling each other
    7 month-old reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) will be on view at 'Tis the Season for Science from Nov. 23 - Dec. 5. The reindeer make their debut at Welcome Winter Night on Nov. 22, where guests can help name the babies.
  • Two juvenile dromedary camels are pictured in profile
    6 month and 11 month-old dromedary camel ( Camelus dromedarius ) will be on view at 'Tis the Season for Science from Dec 6-19.
  • Two fuzzy black and white juvenile Tibetan yaks are pictured
    4 month and 6 month-old Tibetan yaks ( Bos grunniens ) will be on view at 'Tis the Season for Science from Dec 20-Jan 5.
  • Several children admire falling snow inside the museum
    Flurries are in the forecast for San Francisco! Twirl under falling snow in the Piazza, twice an hour (non-toxic, non-staining, biodegradable).
  • A mother and baby play on a penguin themed statue photo backdrop
    Grab a photo with seasonal penguin and polar bear themed photo opps.
  • A performer is pictured on stage with a penguin puppet, performing for an audience set against a living green wall.
    The popular interactive live puppet theater and musical extravaganza "P is for Penguin" returns, with performances daily at 11 a.m. Meet penguin species from around the world and learn what makes them unique birds through groove-worthy songs and captivating puppetry.
  • A blue eyed baby dromedary camel is pictured in profile.
    One of two juvenile dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) on view Dec. 6-19 is a 6 month-old blue eyed girl with a sweet temperament. 
  • Musicians perform violin and percussion in front of a green plant wall
    Enjoy live music, dance, vocal, and magic performances from over a dozen local cultural groups throughout 'Tis the Season for Science, Nov. 23- Jan. 1. 
  • A dad and his two young children pose atop a polar bear statue photo op.
    Snap a festive photo atop a polar bear statue with an Arctic backdrop.
  • A small child is held up by her parent to catch falling snow inside the museum.
    Tap into holiday wonder with rare falling snow flurries inside the Piazza, twice an hour.
  • A presenter reads a book to guests
    Catch Interconnected Storytime, featuring four book selections which highlight Indigenous ways of knowing and connecting to the natural world through seasonal weather changes.
  • A magician performs in front of seated children.
    Daily performances throughout 'Tis the Season for Science include magic shows.
  • Two reindeer are pictured
    For one night only, at Welcome Winter Night on Nov. 22, guests will be able to help name the two juvenile reindeer pictured.
  • A woman wearing a santa hat paints the face of a small child.
    During Welcome Winter Night on Nov. 22 guests can get a delightful glow-up from face-painting artists.
  • A young girl holds up a tree shaped cookie she decorated with frosting
    At Welcome Winter Night on Nov. 22, kids can engage their creative side and tap into their sweet tooth at cookie decorating stations. 
  • Two little girls in green and red elf costumes make paper snowflakes.
    At Welcome Winter Night on Nov. 22, guests can create their own snowflake crafts and make custom buttons.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 24, 2024) — This holiday season the California Academy of Sciences will be buzzing with wintry activities for all ages, including adorable four-legged animals, a holiday marketplace, and icy science experiments. At ‘Tis the Season for Science, from Saturday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 5, the museum will welcome pairs of baby reindeer, camels, and yaks, along with music, dance, and magic performances from over a dozen diverse troupes; falling snow inside the museum; engaging public programs all about animal adaptations to the cold; and seasonal science experiments and crafts. Guests can get a first peek at (and help name!) the young reindeer at Welcome Winter Night on Friday, Nov. 22.

From the tundra to the Himalaya to the desert, come meet some of the cutest baby animals from across the world at the Academy this winter. As you take in their adorable antics, learn all about their winter survival adaptations and unique characteristics of their species as they play and frolic the days away. (Sneak peek: The yaks love to be read a good book, and the reindeer enjoy playing with evergreen trees!). Return every two weeks to see a new pair of babies, with reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) debuting on Nov. 23, camels (Camelus dromedarius) on view starting Dec. 6, and yaks (Bos grunniens) beginning Dec. 20. Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime chance to connect with* some of the cutest critters of the season!

For the 21+ crowd, the Academy will also host a holiday marketplace at NightLife Santa Claude's Workshop on Thursday evening, Dec. 5. Those who prefer to shop from home can still give their holiday shopping a science twist with sustainable stocking stuffers and colorful gift ideas via the Academy’s Holiday Gift Guide, sure to make your loved ones merry while supporting the museum you love. And folks looking to channel their holiday cheer into community science can participate in the free Solstice Sea Star Search throughout the month of December to help find and document sea stars (including endangered animals!) along our coast.

Read on for programming details:

Welcome Winter Night
Friday, Nov. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $24.99-49.99

Winter festivities at the California Academy of Sciences kick off with a one-night-only, all-ages event to explore the museum after hours.

  • Be the first to see the two visiting baby reindeer, and help determine their names in a voting contest, with the winning moniker to be revealed by our magician.
  • Be dazzled by winterful magic shows, and enjoy a specialty seasonal menu from the cafe.
  • Decorate holiday cookies and create your own unique snowflake craft.
  • Get a delightful glow-up from face-painting artists.
  • Meet an Academy penguin biologist and learn how they care for our penguin colony.
  • Dash and dance through your favorite exhibits or sit back and stargaze during a planetarium show.
  • Pick up a free book courtesy of the San Francisco Library, and listen in during a storytime reading of Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator.
  • Get $5 off admission for early bird registration between Oct. 26-Nov. 1, purchase tickets using promo code EARLYWWN24.

*Members enjoy half-price admission; early entry beginning at 5:30 p.m.; early access to face painters, reindeers, and cookie decorating; and a Member Happy Hour with special prices on drinks and snacks.
*Please note that the Music Concourse Garage will remain open until 10 p.m., parking not included in ticket price.

 

‘Tis the Season for Science
Saturday Nov. 23 - Sunday, Jan. 5, daily during regular museum hours
Included in price of museum admission

Science lovers of all ages will revel in a festive array of winter-themed activities throughout the museum, from jolly live shows to falling snow and adorable baby animals, here for a limited time!

  • See pairs of visiting baby animals in the East Garden. Learn about their species’ cold weather adaptations and the habitats they call home.
    • Nov. 23 - Dec. 5: Baby reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), 7 mos
    • Dec. 6-19 - Baby dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), 6 mos and 11 mos
    • Dec. 20-Jan 5 - Baby Tibetan yak (Bos grunniens), 4 mos, 6 mos
      • Daily animal programs, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Sidle up to our li’l hoofers and learn all about them from knowledgeable presenters. Discover how reindeer travel up to 3,000 miles per year in the wild thanks to some unique adaptations, or how camel calluses are a genius adaptation that protects them from blazing hot sand. Hear how these animals are cared for (including what books the baby yaks like to be read!), and unearth the significance of reindeer, camels, and yaks to human populations all over the world. Learn about the climate threats impacting not just these animals and their native habitats, but also the humans who depend on them.
  • Flurries are in the forecast for San Francisco! Twirl under falling snow in the Piazza, twice an hour (non-toxic, non-staining, biodegradable).
  • Take in festive holiday decor, twinkling lights, and seasonal polar bear and penguin photo ops.
  • Visit the Naturalist Center for hands-on exploration. Learn about arctic Indigenous climate leadership, and get up close to touchable specimens, including a real wolf pelt, caribou antlers, and a replica narwhal tusk.
  • Enjoy live music, dance, vocal, and magic performances from over a dozen local cultural groups:
  • Engage your winter curiosity through captivating interactive daily public programs:
    • Ice Lab, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., featuring hands-on crafts, experiments, and demonstrations:
      • Partake in self-directed crafts, including folding your own origami penguin, pinning legs onto an elegant caribou, or interpreting arctic seasonal changes.
      • Guided by our knowledgeable presenters, take part in icy experiments that explore how salt impacts freezing water and the role cold temperatures play in the formation of currents.
      • Peer into a microscope to get an up-close look at snowflakes’ crystalline structure.
      • Form your own comet using dry ice, dirt, and sand.
      • Take in real scientific specimens including a polar bear pelt, bear skulls and paw prints, plus reindeer pelts, antlers and lichen. Volunteers will be on hand to share their knowledge and answer questions.
    • Interconnected Storytime, 10:15 a.m.: Gather round to read one of our four book selections, which highlight Indigenous ways of knowing and connecting to the natural world through seasonal weather changes.
    • Children’s Puppet Theater: P is for Penguin, 11 a.m.: Our popular interactive live puppet theater and musical extravaganza returns!Meet penguin species from around the world and learn what makes them unique birds through groove-worthy songs and captivating puppetry.
    • Wild Winter Trivia, 1 p.m.: Team Polar Bear faces off against Team Penguin in this friendly game show-style trivia contest that explores the winter survival strategies of animals from pole to pole, featuring acting challenges, true or false questions, and specimen-based factoids.

 

NightLife: Santa Claude’s Workshop
Thursday, Dec. 5, 6-10 p.m., 21+
Tickets: $22.95-30

NightLife’s beloved holiday marketplace returns, featuring a selection of local vendors curated in collaboration with SF Bazaar. Peruse art, wares, and gift-worthy goods from approximately 40 Bay Area businesses and cross holiday shopping off the list. Grab a specially themed cocktail, groove to the DJ’s tunes, and explore the museum’s exhibits and animals after-hours.

 

MEDIA ASSETS:

  • Photos of baby animals, credit Nicole Ravicchio © California Academy of Sciences
  • Photos of ‘Tis the Season for Science and Welcome Winter Night, credit© California Academy of Sciences

*Note: The animals will be for viewing only

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution with a mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Based in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it is home to a world-class aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum, as well as innovative programs in scientific research and environmental education—all under one living roof. Museum hours are 9:30 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Saturday, and 11:00 am – 5:00 pm on Sunday. Admission includes all exhibits, programs, and shows. For daily ticket prices, please visit www.calacademy.org or call (415) 379-8000 for more information.

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