The California Academy of Sciences is home to an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and research and education programs, which engage people of all ages and backgrounds on two of the most important topics of our time: life and its sustainability. Admission to the Academy is: $34.95 for adults; $29.95 for youth ages 12 to 17, Seniors ages 65+, and students with valid ID; $24.95 for children ages 4 to 11; and free for children ages 3 and younger. Admission fees include all exhibits and shows. Hours are 9:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Saturday, and 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on Sunday. During peak periods, including some holiday weekends, extended hours may apply. Visit www.calacademy.orgor call (415) 379-8000 for more.
A spookily scientific Halloween party, sparkly gems, and Saturn’s unveiled mysteries are the highlights this month at the Academy
![SuperNatural](https://docent.calacademy.org/sites/default/files/styles/manual_crop_standard_960x540/public/assets/s_1.png?itok=ZJTefg1F&c=92d4a68efec566a4d792774e86f94cb7)
Halloween’s Hottest Party—SuperNatural—is Back!
Friday, October 28
Benefactor Party: 5 to 6:30 pm
General Admission: 6:30 to 9 pm
Grab your silliest, spookiest costume and head over to the California Academy of Sciences for an evening of spine-tingling thrills and trick or treating! This fun-filled family event lets you get up-close-and-personal with Halloween’s best creepy crawlers—carve a giant pumpkin, see live animal shows, be dazzled by magicians, and dance the night away—plus much more. Children in costume receive a complimentary trick or treat bag, plus all proceeds benefit the Academy’s education initiatives.
Tickets for General Admission: Member price is $45 adult/$30 child; Non-member price is $50 adult/$35 child. See website for VIP family packages and benefactor pricing. To purchase tickets, visit calacademy.org/Halloween or call (415) 379-5411.
Gems and Minerals Unearthed
Back by popular demand! Explore the Academy’s renowned gems and minerals collection in a whole new way. Gems and Minerals Unearthed features nearly 400 dazzling geological specimens in this fresh new display. From amethyst and azurite and silver and jade, marvel at the enormous diversity of colors, textures and chemical properties found in pieces both raw and refined. While marveling at their beauty and brilliance, learn about the cultural significance of gems and minerals with artifacts from the Academy’s anthropology collection.
Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture
Cassini to Saturn: The Journey and the Legacy
Monday, October 24 | 7:30 pm
Morrison Planetarium
Dr. Carolyn Porco, Cassini Imaging Central Library for Operations, Space Science Institute, and Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley
Twenty-six years ago, the U.S. and Europe joined forces to launch a mission named Cassini, comprised of a journey across our solar system and a comprehensive look at Saturn. Now in its 13th year in orbit around Saturn, Cassini has revealed a planetary system rich in scientific wonder. The planet itself has been a lavish source of meteorological detail, with its moons offering environments that may help unlock mysteries of how life has arisen on our own planet. Reservations required. $12 members and seniors, $15 non-members.
Leakey Lecture
Evolution and Spread of the Most Cooperative and Invasive Species: Us
Monday, October 10 | 7 pm
African Hall
Dr. Curtis W. Marean, Arizona State University
In partnership with the Leakey Foundation, this Leakey Lecture presented by Dr. Marean explores the milestones of human evolution in relation to food gathering and consumption and how they have impacted our biology, behaviors and cultures over time. Dr. Marean also argues for another food-related milestone: the turn toward foraging dense and predictable food sources, and how it led to territorialism and conflict, which in turn may have paved the way for hyper-cooperative behaviors possessed solely by modern humans. Reservations required. $12 members and seniors, $15 non-members.
Closing Soon!
BigPicture Nature Photography Exhibit
Through October 30
Piazza
Featuring the stunning work of award-winning nature, wildlife, and conservation photographers from 27 countries around the world, this exhibit reveals perspectives of our natural world never seen before.
Ongoing Events at the California Academy of Sciences
3D Universe
Forum
Daily | Showtimes vary
Take a 3D tour through our universe and discover Earth’s place in the cosmos. In this live presentation, you’ll travel faster than light to faraway galaxies, then safely back home to Earth—all in the span of 20 action-packed minutes.
Family Nature Crafts and the Coral Reef Wall
In celebration of the new Gems and Minerals Unearthed exhibit, October’s family nature crafts will focus on rocky and sparkly creations—egg carton geodes, sand art, make-a-fossil and pet rocks. Plus, the Coral Reef Wall is back! Guests of all ages can make a coral reef animal of choice and add it to the blue wall in the Children’s Gallery. Please note: Children participating in this craft must be supervised by an adult caregiver at all times.
Special Reminder: Please note the Academy's planetarium will be closed for upgrades from September 6–October 20, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience. The planetarium will re-open on October 21 with an all-new projection system, providing a richer, more immersive experience inside one of the world’s largest all-digital planetarium domes.
Press Contacts
If you are a journalist and would like to receive Academy press releases please contact press@calacademy.org.
Digital Assets
Hi-res and low-res image downloads are available for editorial use. Contact us at press@calacademy.org to request access.