California Academy of Sciences - wikipedia California Academy of Sciences Not to be confused with California Science Center. California Academy of Sciences Location within San Francisco County Location within San Francisco County Location within San Francisco County Show map of San Francisco County Show map of California Show map of the US Show all Established 1853 Location Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States Coordinates 37 ° 46 ′ 12 '' N 122 ° 27 ′ 59 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.7701 ° N 122.466407 ° W ﻿ / 37.7701 ; - 122.466407 Coordinates : 37 ° 46 ′ 12 '' N 122 ° 27 ′ 59 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 37.7701 ° N 122.466407 ° W ﻿ / 37.7701 ; - 122.466407 Type Natural history Accreditation AAM ASTC Director Jonathan Foley Architect Renzo Piano Website www.calacademy.org The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 26 million specimens. 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 20th century. Completely rebuilt in 2008, the building covers 400,000 square feet ( 37,000 square metres ) and is among the newest natural history museums in the United States. The primary building in Golden Gate Park reopened on September 27, 2008. Contents 1 Governance 1.1 Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability ( IBSS ) 2 Public education 3 Research 4 History 4.1 Early years 4.2 Golden Gate Park site 5 Earthquake damage and new building 6 Environmental design of new building 6.1 Green roof 7 Gallery 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Governance The California Academy of Sciences, California 's oldest operating museum and research institution for the natural sciences, is governed by a forty - one member Board of Trustees who are nominated and chosen by the Academy Fellows. The Academy Fellows are, in turn, `` ( n ) ominated by their colleagues and appointed by the Board of Trustees... the Fellows remain members of the Fellowship for life. '' The Board of Trustees are then responsible for appointing the executive management of the Academy, who in turn are responsible for overseeing the Academy 's overall operation and the hiring of its other managers and employees. Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability ( IBSS ) Besides its world - renowned function as source of public science education through its museum, the California Academy of Sciences also operates the prestigious Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability ( IBSS ) as its research arm, contributing some of the world 's most important research in the fields of taxonomy, phylogenetics, and biodiversity studies. Although one aspect of the IBSS is available for view by museum patrons at the science `` project lab '' exhibit, most of the research happens in laboratories and facilities `` behind the scenes '' and not observable by the public. In fact, unbeknownst to most patrons, research and administrative facilities occupy nearly 50 % of the Academy 's physical structure. Public education The 90 - foot ( 27 m ) diameter spherical glass dome enclosing the rainforest exhibit View of the Amazonian flooded forest in the rainforest exhibit. Arapaima, arowana, catfish, pacus, cichlids and other fish species can be seen from a submerged acrylic tunnel. 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. The main venues of the museum include the following : Kimball Natural History Museum - generally encompasses the entire museum outside the planetarium, rainforest, and aquarium, and comprises Africa Hall ( the Academy 's oldest running exhibit ), the East Wing ( which includes the Foulcault pendulum, also a carry - over exhibit from the older, pre-2008 renovation of the Academy ), the West Wing ( which currently houses several geophysical exhibits ), the science `` Project Lab '' which features real, live scientists working on real, live research projects and who can be viewed doing their work from outside the lab by public visitors, as well as several smaller exhibits distributed throughout the remainder of the Academy building. Morrison Planetarium - features the world 's largest completely digital planetarium dome measuring in at 27.5 metres ( 90 ft. ) in diameter with a 23 - metre ( 75 - foot ) diameter screen Rainforests of the World - rainforest exhibit enclosed in a 90 - foot ( 27 m ) glass dome Steinhart Aquarium - includes exhibits of coral reef, tidepool, and swamp habitats ; as well as a colony of African penguins A rare albino American alligator named Claude An albino reticulated python named Lemondrop One of the smaller coral exhibits in the aquarium Besides its famous museum programs, the California Academy of Sciences offers many educational and community outreach programs to members of the public at large. Research Academy scientists, under the Academy 's Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, conduct systematic and conservation research in several different fields, including anthropology, marine biology, botany, entomology, herpetology, ichthyology, invertebrate zoology, mammalogy, ornithology, geology, and paleontology. There also is a strong emphasis on environmental concerns, with all the various departments collaborating closely to focus on systematic biology and biodiversity. Academy researchers study life around the world : a 2011 expedition to the Philippines discovered an estimated 300 species new to science. The Academy publishes the peer - reviewed journal Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, as well as Occasional Papers, Memoirs, and Special Publications. History This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2012 ) Early years 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 US. 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 direction 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 botanists, entomologists, and other occupations during the 19th century, when opportunities for women in the sciences were limited, and often, those that existed were restricted to menial cataloging and calculation work. In 1892, Alice Eastwood, a botanist, was hired by the Academy and worked there until she retired in 1949. She created the collection of rare plants, which was saved when the Academy was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake The Academy 's first official museum opened in 1874 at the corner of California and Dupont Streets ( now Grant Avenue ) in what is now 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 Lick, a 19th - century San Francisco real estate mogul, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. However only fifteen years later, the Market Street facility fell victim to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and three days of fire, which also wiped out all but a wheelbarrow full 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, the 1905 - 1906 scientific collecting expedition to the Galápagos Islands ( the first of several sponsored by the academy to the archipelago ) already was underway, and it returned seven months later, providing replacement collections for those lost. Golden Gate Park site In 1916, the Academy moved to the North American Hall of Birds and Mammals in Golden Gate Park, 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 II, the Academy contributed to the American war effort by using its workshop facilities to repair optical and navigational equipment for United States Navy ships ; San Francisco was a major port for the Pacific War 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 planetarium to open in the United States and featured a one - of - a-kind star projector, built by Academy staff members ( in part using the expertise gained doing the optical work for the US 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 carbide 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 biology divested themselves of their traditional specimen collections, entrusting them to the Academy and leading to a rapid growth of the Academy 's holdings. In 1969, another new building, Cowell Hall, was added to the site. In 1976, several new galleries were opened, and the following year, in 1977, the `` fish roundabout '' was constructed. Prior to the old building being torn down in 2005, there was a Life through Time gallery, housing a large display on evolution and paleontology. There was a Gem and Mineral Hall, a section on Earthquakes, and a Gary Larson exhibit. Earthquake damage and new building Academy of Sciences in 2003, two years before reconstruction began 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 engineered Steinhart Aquarium suffered dramatic seismic damage from the 1989 earthquake, as well. As plans were made to repair the damage and make the buildings seismically stable, it was realized that a considerable amount of work would be needed to bring the buildings up to modern standards. 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 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 ( nearly two kilometers ) long, and although over 15,000 people were admitted, several thousands more had to be turned away. Environmental design of new building The piazza behind the main entrance is flooded with natural light The design architect for the museum replacement project was Renzo Piano. His design was awarded the Urban Land Institute ( ULI ) Award for Excellence for the Americas region in 2008, as well as the Holcim Award Silver for sustainable construction projects in the North America region in 2005. One critic praised the building as a `` blazingly uncynical embrace of the Enlightenment 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 LEED program. As a result of its environmentally friendly design and other unique features, this project was featured on the Discovery Channel Extreme Engineering series in 2006 and on the National Geographic Channel Man - Made series in July 2008. The new building includes an 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 with an area of 2.5 acres ( 1.0 hectare ) Uses natural lighting in 90 percent of occupied spaces Was constructed of over 20,000 cubic yards ( 15,000 m ) of recycled concrete Construction includes 11 million pounds ( 5,000 t ) of recycled steel Wall insulation made from scraps of recycled denim Green roof The California Academy of Science green roof has several environmentally friendly features, as well as sustainable design. Renzo Piano was inspired by seven major hills of San Francisco, which typically refers to : Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, Twin Peaks and Mount Davidson. The living green roof was planted with 1.7 million California native plants. The museum 's central piazza lies beneath a massive glass ceiling in the roof, which opens to allow cool night air to flow into the building below ; by using this kind of natural ventilation instead of air conditioning to regulate interior temperature, the building becomes more energy efficient. Renzo Piano and SWA Group won the American Society of Landscape Architects ( ASLA ) Award in design in 2009. Gallery California Academy of Science, viewed from the tower of the de Young Museum Panoramic roof view across the Music Concourse to the de Young Museum is underscored by an array of solar cells Main entry Entrance lobby lit from skylights Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex Gardener reveals scale of the roof landscape Native vegetation, during the dry season Roofscape resembles a hilly meadow Overhead solar cells shade the entry facade Solar cells, viewed from outdoors visitor waiting area Visitor line on a monthly free admission day Rainforests of the World enclosure Interior of Rainforests of the World African Hall Exhibits on climate change Exhibit about evolution Nature resource center Whale skeleton above large raised relief globe Nature Hacking Playshop Steinhart Aquarium Philippine coral reef tank Part of the Philippine coral reef Giant clams in reef shallows See also San Francisco Bay Area portal 49 - Mile Scenic Drive Green museum References ^ Jump up to : California Academy of Sciences. `` About Us ''. California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ California Academy of Sciences. `` Academy History ''. California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Wollan, Maria ( September 24, 2008 ). `` Academy of Sciences reopens with green theme ''. NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Board of Trustees Jump up ^ The Academy Fellows Jump up ^ Fellows of the California Academy of Sciences. Jump up ^ Academy Leadership Jump up ^ Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability Jump up ^ `` Rainforest of the World Species List '' ( PDF ). California Academy of Sciences. 2010. Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ California Academy of Sciences. `` Exhibits ''. California Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ California Academy of Sciences community education programs ^ Jump up to : `` Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability ''. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 December 2013. Jump up ^ Olney, Jennifer ( June 23, 2011 ). `` Academy researchers make underwater discoveries ''. KGO - TV. Retrieved 30 December 2013. Jump up ^ `` Scientific Publications ''. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 December 2013. Jump up ^ Bernstein, Leonard ; Winkler, Alan ; Zierdt - Warshaw, Linda ( 1996 - 01 - 01 ). Multicultural women of science : three centuries of contributions : with hands - on activities and exercises for the school year. Maywood, NJ. : Peoples Pub. Group. ISBN 1562567020. Jump up ^ James, Matthew J. ( September 15, 2010 ). `` Collecting Evolution : The Vindication of Charles Darwin by the 1905 - 06 Galapagos Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences '' ( PDF ). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 61 ( Supplement II ) : 197 -- 210. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ James, Matthew J. `` The boat, the bay, and the museum '' ( PDF ). Routledge, London. Retrieved March 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` What is the California Academy of Sciences ? ''. Wisegeek.net. 2013 - 10 - 29. Retrieved 2013 - 11 - 06. Jump up ^ `` A Bridge Between : California Academy of Sciences and Steinhart Aquarium Transition Facility by Melander Architects ''. ArchNewsNow. Retrieved 17 December 2015. Jump up ^ Perlman, David ( September 28, 2008 ). `` Mile - long line for Academy of Sciences opening ''. San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Lobo, Daniel. `` ULI awards for excellence : winners through the years ''. Urban Land Institute. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Rochon, Lisa ( October 6, 2005 ). `` Quelle surprise ! Uber - building shutout ; A low - income housing project in Montreal has won a prestigious prize ''. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. R3. Jump up ^ Ouroussoff, Nicolai ( September 23, 2008 ). `` A building that blooms and grows, balancing nature and civilization ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ California Academy of Sciences ( October 8, 2008 ). `` New California Academy of Sciences receives highest possible rating from U.S. Green Building Council : LEED Platinum '' ( Press release ). Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` California Academy of Sciences ''. Extreme Engineering. Season 5. Episode 5. November 8, 2006. Discovery Channel. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Hi - Tech Museum ''. Man - Made. Season 1. Episode 11. July 17, 2008. National Geographic Channel. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Jump up ^ Simons, Eric ( September -- October 2008 ). `` Concrete and strawberries ''. California Magazine. University of California Alumni Association : 52 -- 53. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Chino, Mike ( September 22, 2008 ). `` The new green California Academy of Sciences unveiled ! ''. inhabit : design will save the world. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013. Further reading `` Natural Phenomenon '', by Matt Tyrnauer, Vanity Fair, May 2008 Cutting Edge Construction -- National Geographic Channel `` Concrete and Strawberries '', California magazine, September 2008 `` Beyond Green '', California Home + Design, September 2008 `` A Look at the Cal Academy of Sciences of 1891 -- 1906 ''. Bearings ( blog ). Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 19. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to California Academy of Sciences. Official website Calacademy.org : PDFs on national media reports of Academy 's construction California Academy of Sciences at Google Cultural Institute ASLA 2009 Design Award http://www.bayareaparent.com/Article/Best-Museums-in-the-Bay-Area/ Science museums in California California Academy of Sciences ( San Francisco ) California Science Center ( Los Angeles ) Chabot Space and Science Center ( Oakland ) Columbia Memorial Space Center ( Downey ) Discovery Cube ( Orange County and Los Angeles ) Exploratorium ( San Francisco ) Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science Lawrence Hall of Science ( Berkeley ) Reuben H. Fleet Science Center ( San Diego ) Zoos of California Zoos Charles Paddock Zoo ( Atascadero ) CuriOdyssey ( San Mateo ) Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary Fresno Chaffee Zoo Happy Hollow Park & Zoo ( San Jose ) Living Desert Zoo and Gardens ( Palm Desert ) Los Angeles Zoo Micke Grove Zoo ( Lodi ) Moonridge Animal Park ( Big Bear Lake ) Oakland Zoo Orange County Zoo Sacramento Zoo Safari West ( Sonoma County ) San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Francisco Zoo Santa Ana Zoo Santa Barbara Zoo Sequoia Park Zoo ( Eureka ) Aquariums Aquarium of the Bay ( San Francisco ) Aquarium of the Pacific ( Long Beach ) Birch Aquarium at Scripps ( La Jolla ) Cabrillo Marine Aquarium ( San Pedro ) California Academy of Sciences ( San Francisco ) California Science Center ( Los Angeles ) Monterey Bay Aquarium Ocean Institute ( Dana Point ) Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium ( Manhattan Beach ) Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland California ( Carlsbad ) Animal sanctuaries Shambala Preserve ( Acton ) Wildlife WayStation ( Angeles National Forest ) Animal theme parks SeaWorld San Diego Six Flags Discovery Kingdom ( Vallejo ) Defunct zoos Gay 's Lion Farm Griffith Park Zoo Jungleland USA Marineland of the Pacific Marine World / Africa USA San Francisco attractions Landmarks 49 - Mile Drive Alcatraz Bay Bridge Cable Cars The Castro Chinatown City Hall Cliff House Coit Tower F - Market Streetcar Fairmont Hotel Federal Reserve Bank Ferry Building Fisherman 's Wharf Fort Mason Fort Point Ghirardelli Square Golden Gate Bridge Grace Cathedral Haight - Ashbury Jack Kerouac Alley Lombard Street Mark Hopkins Hotel Market Street Mission Dolores Nob Hill North Beach Old U.S. Mint Painted ladies Palace of Fine Arts Pier 39 Public Library Sutro Baths Sutro Tower Transamerica Pyramid Treasure Island Union Square Museums and art Asian Art Museum Aquarium of the Bay Cable Car Museum California Academy of Sciences Cartoon Art Museum Children 's Creativity Museum Chinese Historical Society Museum Conservatory of Flowers Contemporary Jewish Museum The Walt Disney Family Museum de Young Museum Exploratorium Haas - Lilienthal House Legion of Honor Musée Mécanique Museo ItaloAmericano Museum of Performance & Design Museum of the African Diaspora Precita Eyes Randall Museum Ripley 's Believe It or Not ! San Francisco Art Institute Diego Rivera Gallery San Francisco Museum of Modern Art San Francisco Maritime Railway Museum USS Pampanito Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts Parks and recreation Alamo Square Bay Area Ridge Trail Candlestick Point Corona Heights Crissy Field Dolores Park Glen Canyon Golden Gate National Recreation Area Golden Gate Park Lafayette Park Lake Merced Marina Green McLaren Park Mount Davidson Mount Sutro Ocean Beach The Presidio San Francisco Bay Trail San Francisco Zoo Stern Grove Twin Peaks Yerba Buena Gardens Views Coit Tower Twin Peaks Seal Rocks / Ocean Beach Baker Beach Golden Gate Bridge Fort Funston Hamon Observation Tower at the de Young Museum Strawberry Hill Crissy Field Pacific Heights Alamo Square / Painted Ladies Top of the Mark Alcatraz Treasure Island Lombard Street Powell - Hyde Cable Car Ferry Building Bernal Hill 49 - Mile Scenic Drive Hawk Hill Fort Baker Entertainment American Conservatory Theater Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Cow Palace The Fillmore War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Sports San Francisco Giants AT&T Park Candlestick Park Kezar Stadium Food and drink Anchor Steam Boudin Bakery Buena Vista Cafe Dungeness crab Ghirardelli Square Tadich Grill Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar Top of the Mark Shopping Metreon Stonestown Galleria Union Square Westfield San Francisco Centre National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California_Academy_of_Sciences&oldid=815687183 '' Categories : California Academy of Sciences 1853 establishments in California 2000s architecture in the United States Aquaria in California Association of Science - Technology Centers member institutions Buildings and structures burned in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake Buildings and structures completed in 2008 Expressionist architecture Futurist architecture Golden Gate Park Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Museums in San Francisco Natural history museums in California Organizations established in 1853 Ove Arup buildings and structures Planetaria in the United States Postmodern architecture in California Renzo Piano buildings Research museums in California Science and technology in the San Francisco Bay Area Science museums in California Scientific organizations based in the United States Scientific societies Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2013 Articles needing additional references from May 2012 All articles needing additional references Articles with unsourced statements from May 2012 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015 Talk Views Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Català Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 December 2017, at 12 : 01. 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Question: when was the california academy of sciences built
Answer: 1853