The
California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth century.
Completely rebuilt in 2008, the building totals 400,000 square feet and is among the newest natural history museums in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The primary building in Golden Gate Park reopened on September 27, 2008.
Public education
Prior to being replaced, the old academy building attracted approximately half a million visitors each year. As has been the case from the start, the main thrust of the exhibits is natural history. As such, the public areas of the academy are divided into three general areas.
- Steinhart Aquarium - which takes up most of the basement area, as well as a four-story dome that emulates a rainforest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
.
- Morrison Planetarium - which is devoted to things astronomical.
- Kimball Natural History Museum - which, in addition to its African Hall and a Foucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
, includes a variety of changing displays covering a variety of subjects.
Research
The academy conducts research in numerous fields, largely, but not exclusively, in
anthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
,
marine biologyMarine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
,
botanyBotany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
,
entomologyEntomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
,
herpetologyHerpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
,
ichthyologyIchthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
, invertebrate
zoologyZoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
,
mammalogyIn zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems...
, and
ornithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, all branches of
biologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
.
Geological researchGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
also has a long history at the academy, with a concentration on
paleontologyPaleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
. There also is a strong emphasis on environmental concerns, with all the various departments collaborating closely to focus on systematic
biologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and
biodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
History
The
California Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1853, only three years after California joined the United States, becoming the first society of its kind in the
Western U.S..The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
Its stated aim was to undertake "a thorough systematic survey of every portion of the State and the collection of a cabinet of her rare and rich productions". It was renamed as the more inclusive
California Academy of Sciences in 1868.
The academy had a forward-thinking approach to the involvement of women in science, passing a resolution in its first year of existence that the members "highly approve of the aid of females in every department of natural science, and invite their cooperation." This policy led to several women being hired into professional positions as
botanistsBotany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
,
entomologistsEntomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, and other occupations during the nineteenth century, when opportunities for women in the sciences were limited, and often, those that existed were restricted to menial cataloging and calculation work.
The academy's first official museum opened in 1874 at the corner of California and Dupont Streets (now Grant Avenue) in what now is Chinatown, and drew up to 80,000 visitors a year. To accommodate its increasing popularity, the academy moved to a new and larger building on Market Street in 1891, funded by the legacy of
James LickJames Lick was an American carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest man in California, and left the majority of his estate to social and scientific causes.-Early years:James Lick was born in Stumpstown Pennsylvania on August...
, a nineteenth century San Francisco real estate mogul,
entrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, and
philanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. Only fifteen years later, however, the Market Street facility fell victim to the
1906 San Francisco earthquakeThe San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, which also wiped out large swathes of the academy's library and specimen collections. In the widespread destruction occurring in the aftermath of the quake, academy curators and staffers only were able to retrieve a single cart of materials, including academy minute books, membership records, and 2,000 type specimens. Fortunately, an expedition to the
Galápagos IslandsThe Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
(the first of several sponsored by the academy) already was underway, and it returned seven months later, instantly providing replacement collections for those lost.
It was not until 1916 that the Academy moved to the North American Hall of Birds and Mammals in
Golden Gate ParkGolden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, the first building on the site that was to become its permanent home. In 1923, the Steinhart Aquarium was added, followed in 1934 by the Simson African Hall.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the academy contributed to the American war effort by using its workshop facilities to repair optical and navigational equipment for
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ships; San Francisco was a major port for the
Pacific WarThe Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
arena.
The post-war years saw a flurry of new construction on the site; the Science Hall was added in 1951, followed by the Morrison Planetarium in 1952. The Morrison Planetarium was the seventh major
planetariumA planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
to open in the United States and featured a one-of-a-kind
star projectorA planetarium projector is a device used to project images of celestial objects onto the dome in a planetarium.The first modern planetarium projectors were designed and built by the Carl Zeiss Jena company in Germany between 1923 and 1925, and have since grown more complex. Smaller projectors...
, built by academy staff members (in part using the expertise gained doing the optical work for the U.S. Navy during World War II).
The Academy Projector produced a remarkably natural-looking star field. It projected irregularly shaped stars, rather than the circular stars projected by many optical star projectors. The irregular shapes were created by placing variously-sized grains of
silicon carbideSilicon carbide , also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive...
onto the glass star plates by hand, then aluminizing the plates, and brushing away the silicon carbide grains.
In 1959, the Malliard Library, Eastwood Hall of Botany, and Livermore Room all were added. Throughout the 1960s, universities concentrating on the new field of
molecular biologyMolecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
divested themselves of their specimen collections, entrusting them to the academy and leading to a rapid growth of the academy's holdings.
1969 saw another new building, Cowell Hall, added to the site. In 1976 several new galleries were opened, and the following year saw the construction of the "fish roundabout".
In 1985,
Howard the DuckHoward the Duck is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and produced by George Lucas. It is loosely based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, created by Steve Gerber and quoting scripts by Bill Mantlo, the film focuses on Howard, an alien from a planet...
was filmed using the museum; the exhibition of
Jim Gary's Twentieth Century DinosaursJim Gary was an American sculptor popularly known for his large, colorful creations of dinosaurs made from discarded automobile parts...
was featured prominently in the movie.
Prior to the old building being torn down in 2005, there was a Life through Time gallery, housing a large display on
evolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and
paleontologyPaleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
. There was a Gem & Mineral Hall, a section on Earthquakes, and a
Gary LarsonGary Larson is the creator of The Far Side, a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to newspapers for 15 years. The series ended with Larson's retirement on January 1, 1995. His 23 books of collected cartoons have combined sales of more than 45 million...
exhibit as well.
Earthquake damage and new building
The academy buildings were damaged significantly in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Subsequently, the Bird Hall building was closed to ensure public safety. The
inadequately engineeredEarthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
Steinhart Aquarium suffered dramatic seismic damage from the 1989 earthquake as well.
As plans were made to repair the damage and make the
buildingIn architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s seismically stable, it was realized that a considerable amount of work would be needed to bring the buildings
up to modern standardsSeismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. With better understanding of seismic demand on structures and with our recent experiences with large earthquakes near urban centers,...
. This led to the idea of giving the academy a complete overhaul, thus motivating the closing of the main site.
Construction began on the new $500 million dollar building on September 12, 2005, while the exhibits were moved to 875 Howard Street for a temporary museum.
The academy reopened with a free day on September 27, 2008. For most of the day the line for admittance was over a mile long, and although over 15,000 people were admitted, several thousands more had to be turned away. Admission to the Academy is free the third Wednesday of each month, and there also are "San Francisco Neighborhood Free Days" based on
postal codeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
.
New building's environmental design
The design
architectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
for the museum replacement project was
Renzo PianoRenzo Piano is an Italian architect. He is the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize...
. His design was given the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Award for Excellence: The Americas in 2008, considered the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition program, and it won the
Holcim AwardThe Holcim Awards is an international competition that seeks projects and visions in sustainable construction – irrespective of scale. A total of USD 2 million dollars in prize money is awarded in each three-year cycle....
Silver for sustainable construction projects for the of region North America in 2005. One critic praised the building as a "blazingly uncynical embrace of the
EnlightenmentThe Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
values of truth and reason" and a "comforting reminder of the civilizing function of great art in a barbaric age."
The new building is at the forefront of environmentally-friendly design, in keeping with the academy's focus on ecological concerns and environmental sustainability. It received Platinum certification under the
LEEDLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
program. As a result of its environmentally-friendly design and other unique features, this project was featured on the
Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
Extreme EngineeringExtreme Engineering is a documentary television series that airs on the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel. The program features futuristic and ongoing engineering projects. As of April 2011, the show is airing its ninth season. Danny Forster first hosted the series in season 4 and has been...
series in 2006 and on the
National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
Man-Made series in July 2008.
The new building includes a remarkable array of environmentally-friendly features.
- Produces 50 percent less waste water than previously
- Recycles rainwater for irrigation
- Uses 60,000 photovoltaic cells
- Supports a green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
with an area of 2.5 acres (1 ha)
- Uses natural lighting in 90 percent of occupied spaces
- Was constructed of over 20000 cubic yards (15,291.1 m³) of recycled concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
- Construction includes 11 million pounds
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(5,000 t) of recycled steelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
- Wall insulation made from scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
s of recycled denimDenim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
Removed features of new building
- Insect room
- Fish roundabout
- Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
cartoons
- Crystal and mineral hall
- California animals diorama hall including plankton display and sea lion display
- Earthquake simulator
- Reptile and amphibian displays in central court
- Space exhibitions
- Dinosaur forest display with velociraptors
- Dinosaur holograms
- Black pilot whale fountain
- Ancient seas diorama
NightLife
Since February 12, 2009, the academy hosts a
NightLife event every Thursday night, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., open to adults aged 21 and older. In addition to the regular snacks, alcoholic beverages are served, the evenings are occasionally themed with guests and vendors and music is played throughout the event.
Further reading
External links