October 2016: Programs and Events at the California Academy of Sciences

Halloween’s Hottest Party—SuperNatural—is Back!
Friday, October 28
​Benefactor Party: 5 to 6:30 pm
​General Admission: 6:30 to 9 pm
​Grab your silliest, spookiest costume and head over to the California Academy of Sciences for an evening of spine-tingling thrills and trick or treating! This fun-filled family event lets you get up-close-and-personal with Halloween’s best creepy crawlers—carve a giant pumpkin, see live animal shows, be dazzled by magicians, and dance the night away—plus much more. Children in costume receive a complimentary trick or treat bag, plus all proceeds benefit the Academy’s education initiatives.
Tickets for General Admission: Member price is $45 adult/$30 child; Non-member price is $50 adult/$35 child. See website for VIP family packages and benefactor pricing. To purchase tickets, visit calacademy.org/Halloween or call (415) 379-5411.

Gems and Minerals Unearthed​
Back by popular demand! Explore the Academy’s renowned gems and minerals collection in a whole new way. Gems and Minerals Unearthed features nearly 400 dazzling geological specimens in this fresh new display. From amethyst and azurite and silver and jade, marvel at the enormous diversity of colors, textures and chemical properties found in pieces both raw and refined. While marveling at their beauty and brilliance, learn about the cultural significance of gems and minerals with artifacts from the Academy’s anthropology collection.

Benjamin Dean Astronomy Lecture
​Cassini to Saturn: The Journey and the Legacy
​Monday, October 24 | 7:30 pm
​Morrison Planetarium
​Dr. Carolyn Porco, Cassini Imaging Central Library for Operations, Space Science Institute, and Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley
​Twenty-six years ago, the U.S. and Europe joined forces to launch a mission named Cassini, comprised of a journey across our solar system and a comprehensive look at Saturn. Now in its 13th year in orbit around Saturn, Cassini has revealed a planetary system rich in scientific wonder. The planet itself has been a lavish source of meteorological detail, with its moons offering environments that may help unlock mysteries of how life has arisen on our own planet. Reservations required. $12 members and seniors, $15 non-members.

Leakey Lecture
​Evolution and Spread of the Most Cooperative and Invasive Species: Us
​Monday, October 10 | 7 pm
​African Hall
​Dr. Curtis W. Marean, Arizona State University
​In partnership with the Leakey Foundation, this Leakey Lecture presented by Dr. Marean explores the milestones of human evolution in relation to food gathering and consumption and how they have impacted our biology, behaviors and cultures over time. Dr. Marean also argues for another food-related milestone: the turn toward foraging dense and predictable food sources, and how it led to territorialism and conflict, which in turn may have paved the way for hyper-cooperative behaviors possessed solely by modern humans. Reservations required. $12 members and seniors, $15 non-members.

Closing Soon!
BigPicture Nature Photography Exhibit
​Through October 30
​Piazza
Featuring the stunning work of award-winning nature, wildlife, and conservation photographers from 27 countries around the world, this exhibit reveals perspectives of our natural world never seen before.

Ongoing Events at the California Academy of Sciences

3D Universe
​Forum
Daily | Showtimes vary
​Take a 3D tour through our universe and discover Earth’s place in the cosmos. In this live presentation, you’ll travel faster than light to faraway galaxies, then safely back home to Earth—all in the span of 20 action-packed minutes.

Family Nature Crafts and the Coral Reef Wall
​In celebration of the new Gems and Minerals Unearthed exhibit, October’s family nature crafts will focus on rocky and sparkly creations—egg carton geodes, sand art, make-a-fossil and pet rocks. Plus, the Coral Reef Wall is back! Guests of all ages can make a coral reef animal of choice and add it to the blue wall in the Children’s Gallery. Please note: Children participating in this craft must be supervised by an adult caregiver at all times.

Special Reminder: Please note the Academy's planetarium will be closed for upgrades from September 6–October 20, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience. The planetarium will re-open on October 21 with an all-new projection system, providing a richer, more immersive experience inside one of the world’s largest all-digital planetarium domes.