San Francisco Citizen

You see these people queueing up on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park? They all want to go to the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) on a day when admission is free. But the line to get in at the beginning of the day is a bit long so they can’t even see the place from the end of the line. That’s the problem with getting something for nothing.

But, depending on where you live, you might be able to get in during a less-crazy San Francisco Neighborhood Free Day and you can always go on a Thursday evening at a discounted rate.

Click to expand. (Ignore the overexposed area on the bottom – that’s just the white katana of death indicating your five year old Canon, after taking 140,000 shots, needs a new shutter.)

Let’s review.

1. FREE WACHOVIA WEDNESDAYS

“Free admission is available to visitors on the third Wednesday of every month, presented by Wachovia. Admission is on a first come, first served basis, and early arrival is recommended due to the likelihood of high demand. Also, please note that final entry to the museum on free days is 4pm and, finally, that there will be no members-only entrance on free days.”

The photo above is from a recent W.W. If you pine for the spectacle of Opening Day, then you’re in luck. For people with time on their hands, it’s a perfect way to spend half of the day. But you might have to wait a bit to get into the fabulous Rainforest and you might not be able to get into the Morrison Planetarium all that easily.

No matter how you’re coming in, you’ll want to approach from the North, close to the Conservatory of Flowers. So that means taking the 5 Fulton bus or parking near the Conservatory and hoofing it a bit. And of course, you can always park outside of the park on Fulton Street and/or use the Fulton and 10th Avenue entrance to the underground garage. The southern approaches near the Sunset District can get more than a little congested. 

2. SAN FRANCISCO NEIGHBORHOOD FREE DAYS

The advantage here is that you can chill with folks from your own hood over the course of six days per year. So let’s say you live in the Mission District. On May 1-3, 2009, you can get in for free when everybody else has to pony up full admission price. Que beuno!

Look for your ZIP Code and mark your calendars, but make sure you can prove where you live in S.F. A driver license is probably not going to cut it, so read the rules below and be prepared: 

3. NIGHTLIFE ON THURSDAY NIGHTS

The new Nightlife program that runs every Thursday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM is off the hook. And it’s just $10 ($8 for members), so that’s almost like you’re getting in for free. Buy your tickets onlineif you can – the debut soiree had thousands of attendees and remaining nights this year should prove popular.

But here’s the deal – you need to be 21 or over go. You kids aged 18-20 who love the Nightlife and got to boogie will have just one more chance to see the CAS under moonlight – February 26, 2009. That’s it, ’cause after that it’ll be strictly 21+.  

An attractive gal is approached by yet another ugly customer – Nightlife could be called a kind of a single’s scene, don’t you know. 

NightLife Basics
 
What:   NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences
 Featuring music, cutting-edge science, and food and cocktails available for purchase
 NightLife is for adults ages 21 and over
When:   Every Thursday 6-10 pm
 February 12 – October 29, 2009
Where: California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Cost:    $10 per person ($8 for Academy members)
            Tickets available at the door or online at https://www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/
Details: Visit www.calacademy.org/nightlife for a schedule of upcoming events, and to subscribe to the NightLife email list.

4. BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CAS

Check out the general policies and also the prices of memberships. Chances are, you might find something appealing. Membership has its priveleges, as they say.  

Deets after the jump.

So there you have it. The new CAS is a smash success - check it out when you have the chance.

See you there!

Jump into Something Special
   The launch of the new Academy is not just an historic moment in the history of the Bay Area, it’s a unique opportunity for individuals to connect and reconnect with the institution. Join the Academy community by becoming a member today. There’s a long list of benefits, including free admission year-round, special membership hours, and more. You’ll also be kept up to date on Academy news and activities with our dedicated Member publication, Live.
 
What Your Membership Supports
   Interactive exhibits, educational outreach, and groundbreaking research will make the new Academy a leader among natural science museums. Your academy membership will show your support for the Academy’s long tradition of scientific discovery, as well as its crucial task to inspire the next generation of children to cherish and protect our planet.
The Academy Guild
   A scavenger hunt in Steinhart Aquarium? How about a backstage museum tour with an evolutionary biologist? Guild members can enjoy a year-round schedule of family-focused parties, behind-the-scenes tours, hikes, exhibit openings, and other special events for families with children. Plus, Guild members enjoy academy family member benefits.

 
Friends of the Academy
   Take a step closer, and consider joining Friends of the Academy, our highest level of donors, who support the Academy’s exciting new era of scientific discovery and education. Our Academy Friends enjoy exclusive donor benefits, and memorable behind-the-scene experiences.

 
All membership packages include these benefits:
Free unlimited admission
Personalized member card
Members only entrance (not applicable on the monthly third Wednesday free days)
Members-only hours
Subscription to the Academy member publication
Free admission to Pritzker Members’ Lectures
Discounts on additional lectures and special programming
10% discount at the Academy Store
Access to the international members’ travel program
Please pick the membership plan that works best for you:
Children 6 years old and under receive free general admission.

Individual $99
(Fully tax-deductible)
Includes admission for you and one guest each time you visit, plus all membership benefits.

Family $159
(Fully tax-deductible)
Includes admission for two adults and all your children or grandchildren 18 years of age and under each time you visit, plus all membership benefits.

Family Plus $250
(Fully tax-deductible)
Includes all Family membership benefits, plus admission for two guests. Guests must accompany members at time of visit.

Associate $500
(All but $20 is tax-deductible)
Includes all Family Plus membership benefits, plus an invitation to the annual Curators’ event and recognition in the Academy member publication.

Academy Guild $750
(All but $100 is tax deductible)
A special family-focused membership group. Enjoy three events each year, including the Family Spring Picnic and nature hikes

Well, it was huge. Most of all those people eventually made it into our fabulous new California Academy of Sciences museum-type thing over the weekend.

This is what it looked like.

The mise-en-scene, as seen from the de Young Museum. Click to expand:

Saturday’s opening was a crowning achievement for Executive Director Dr. Greg Farrington.

Released monarch butterflies briefly filled the skies above Golden Gate Park:

And then they went to the roof of the CAS to warm up and make more butterflies:

Mayor Gavin Newsom was there to promote the CAS. He didn’t get “roundly booed”, unlike the time he showed up to promote the Contemporary Art Museum of the Presidio a few months back:

Speaking of politicians, there were lots there, including Eric Mar, Melanie Nutter and Aaron Peskin:

San Francisco Chief of Protocol Charlotte Schultz under the rainforest:

And of course, you could let your kid play with snakes while waiting to get in:

That’s all for now. Congratulations, CAS!

Oh my. Today’s gala opening of our fabulous new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park attracted an enormous number of people.

On and on the line stretched. From Concourse Drive to JFK to Middle Drive East to South Drive to Ninth Avenue to Lincoln Way – that’s almost 1.5 miles (the long way) to the start of one of the Penguin Trails at Ninth Avenue and Irving in the Inner Sunset.

Click to expand:

Happily, they’re not making you wait in line all day. It’s all alphabetized based upon how early you showed up. Some got there at 5:30 AM. What’s your Entry Group name?

Dinosaur? Gorilla? Iguana? Yawn. What’s wrong with Darwin, Gaia, or Intelligent Design?

But what does the New York Times have to say about all of this?

The academy building is the last in a series of ambitious projects to be conceived in and around the park’s Music Concourse since the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Herzog & de Meuron’s mesmerizing de Young Museum, enclosed in perforated copper, opened three years ago. Scaffolding is to come down at the concourse’s neo-Classical band shell this week after a loving restoration.

You see? It’s all coming together.

This special day will go on until 9:00 PM tonight. See you there!