Steinhart Aquarium

📍 Golden Gate Park, CA

★4.7(175 Google reviews)

Steinhart Aquarium houses nearly 60,000 live animals across 800+ species, including a four-story rainforest, a twilight-zone deep-sea exhibit, and a colony of endangered African penguins.

✓ biodiverse exhibits✓ rainforest canopy✓ deep-sea zone✓ penguins✓ Golden Gate Park✓ all-ages

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★★★★★Featured review by Po Shin Huang

Inside the Academy of Science

🏆 Family Action Verdict

Best for school-age kids and curious toddlers who can handle dim lighting in the deep-sea zones. The rainforest and penguin colony are reliably crowd-pleasing at any age. Stroller-accessible throughout. Busy on weekends—weekday visits move at a more relaxed pace.

ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go

💡Book Academy of Sciences tickets online in advance—walk-up availability is sparse on weekends

⏰The four-story rainforest has timed entry windows; grab yours when you first arrive

🎟️Combine with the planetarium and natural history museum included in the same admission

🚗Parking in the Music Concourse garage fills fast—consider arriving by Muni or rideshare

💬 What Families Are Saying

View all reviews →

4.7

★★★★★

175 Google reviews

Exhibit variety & quality55%

Staff & education25%

Venue & accessibility12%

Overall experience8%

Po Shin Huang

★★★★★

“Inside the Academy of Science”

Reviews from Google

Overview

Steinhart Aquarium sits inside the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Since 1923 it has racked up firsts—first public aquarium to display flashlight fish and coconut octopuses, and now a pioneer in exploring the ocean's twilight zone. Current highlights include the Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines exhibit with over a dozen species, a bioluminescent deep-sea section, and the four-story rainforest canopy filled with butterflies. Entry includes access to the full Academy campus.