March 2020: What's On at the California Academy of Sciences

New exhibit!
Venom: Fangs, Stingers, and Spines
Opening March 27, 2020
Venom is one of nature’s most powerful tools—packing both the power to paralyze and the potential to heal. In this new Academy exhibit, get up close (from a safe distance!) with an eye-catching array of live venomous scorpions, jellyfish, snakes, and more. Discover how these often-feared yet biologically important animals use venom to capture prey and defend against predators. Then, venture to the East Garden to marvel as larger-than-life animatronic models of scorpions, spiders, ants, and bees move and come to life! See below for details on select exhibit offerings and visit here for all of our Venom programming.

Venom Craft
March 28 – 31
Join local artist Danielle Zorn to make venom-related crafts—such as hanging egg yolk jellies and sea anemones made from recycled materials—that you can take home!

Planet Bee Live Hives
March 29 – 31
Discover what all of the buzz is about as Planet Bee Foundation brings live beehives to the Academy to discuss the ecological importance of healthy bee colonies!

Insect and Arachnid Arcade
Begins March 27
Do you have what it takes to capture prey like a venomous insect or arachnid? Test your predatory prowess with several insect and arachnid-themed activities—including scaling a spiderweb and tossing ‘prey’ beanbags to a stingray-painted target.

Events
Neighborhood Free Weekends in March
February 29 – March 1 & March 13 – 15 | All Day
The Academy is celebrating its neighbors! If you’re a San Francisco resident from select zip codes, don’t miss your chance to visit for free. Each visiting adult must show a valid photo ID with proof of residency. Visit here for more information and to see which weekend corresponds with your zip code.

Women in Science NightLife​​​​
Thursday, March 5 | 6 – 10 pm
Celebrate National Women’s History Month with women in science from the Academy and beyond. Explore a dozen scientific fields with pop-up lightning talks, panel discussions, and more! NightLife is 21+ with ID. Visit here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Lectures
Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture
Unlocking the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Worlds
Monday, March 2 | 7:30 pm
Morrison Planetarium
Learn about the incredible discoveries that have emerged from exploring the atmospheres of exotic extrasolar worlds with planetary scientist Tiffany Kataria, PhD, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Tickets are $15 per person ($12 for Academy members and seniors). Advance reservations required. Visit here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Ongoing Events, Exhibits, and Daily Programming
New program!
Saving the Night
Begins March 27
Hohfeld Hall
Join a planetarium presenter in this live 15-minute presentation to explore how light affects humans, wildlife, and astronomy around the world—and what we can do to bring back dark skies. Visit the daily calendar here for more schedule information.

Osher Rainforest
Open 365 Days a Year
Spend your spring break under the warming lights of our wildly beautiful, four-story tropical rainforest! Now featuring ‘free-ranging’ golden silk orb-weaver spiders along the ramp to the second floor.