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Palace of Fine Arts TheatrevsCalifornia Academy of Sciences
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre and California Academy of Sciences are both rated very highly by writers. Overall, California Academy of Sciences scores significantly higher than Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. California Academy of Sciences comes in at 95 with endorsements from 13 sources such as Atlas Obscura, Afar Magazine and Condé Nast Traveler.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Condé Nast Traveler
Not For Tourists
Michelin Guide
Where
Atlas Obscura
Afar Magazine Afar Magazine Show All Reviews
3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
From $0/night
Fodor's "At first glance this stunning, rosy rococo palace seems to be from another world, and indeed, it's the sole survivor of the many tinted-plaster structures." Full review
Concierge "A mock-classical ruin erected for the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in 1915, the Palace of Fine Arts was originally fashioned from wood, plaster, and burlap."
Lonely Planet "Like a fossilized party favor, this romantic, ersatz Greco-Roman ruin is the memento San Francisco kept from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "A mock-classical ruin erected for the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition... was eventually recast in concrete in the '60s." Full review
Not For Tourists "Designed for the 1915 World's Fair by Bernard Maybeck, the Roman ruin's grandeur is strikingly beautiful."
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"Ranking among San Francisco's best-known landmarks, this grand rotunda and peristyle were replicated from structures designed by renowned architect Bernard Maybeck." Full review
Where "Featuring a lagoon with swans, today this is a popular spot to stroll and take photos." Full review
Atlas Obscura "The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. " Full review
Afar Magazine "Standing out in San Francisco's Marina District, this historic landmark is a leftover from the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Expo and was designed by Bernard R. Maybeck." Full review
Afar Magazine "One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to walk on the Bay Trail from the parking lot by the Beach Hut Cafe west to Torpedo Wharf." Full review
California Academy of Sciences Fodor's Concierge Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure Condé Nast Traveler Afar Magazine Where Atlas Obscura Atlas Obscura Travel + Leisure Show All Reviews
55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118
From $0/night
Fodor's "The Cal Academy is one of the city's most spectacular treasures." Full review
Concierge "The California Academy of Sciences is as renowned for its collection—over 26 million specimens gathered over the past 150 years—as it is for the building that houses them."
i
Be sure to pick up tickets for the hourly shows at the state-of-the-art Morrison Planetarium, the world's largest all-digital planetarium; sit up high for the best perspective on the 75-foot-diameter dome.
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"Architect Renzo Piano's 2008 landmark LEED-certified green building houses 38,000 weird and wonderful animals in a four-story rainforest and split-level aquarium." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The Museum, in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, extends green, sustainable architecture in unprecedented ways." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "Renowned for its collection—over 26 million specimens gathered over the past 150 years—as it is for the building that houses them." Full review
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Even on a foggy day, when mist twirls in the treetops, the park views from atop the roof are stupendous.
Afar Magazine "The California Academy of Sciences is an unfortunately stuffy name for an institution that is anything but staid." Full review
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) It would be easy to spend an entire day or more seeing all of the Academy's exhibits, so be prepared to pick and choose among them.
Where "The academy is an international center for scientific education and research and the only museum in the world to house an aquarium, planetarium and natural history museum under one (living) roof." Full review
Atlas Obscura "Over 315,000 preserved amphibians and reptiles in jars. " Full review
Atlas Obscura "A century and a half of research in the sciences and natural history, still going strong. " Full review
Travel + Leisure "The California Academy of Sciences covers a broad reach, blending innovative and interactive exhibits that make this a local favorite." Full review
