Bay State Area Trip

[MOG2012]

During early May of next year, I'm travelling back to California before my Japan trip with ~1 full weekday there. I'm going to be in San Francisco and I don't want to be that rushed. I'm going to revisit (after over 7+ years) San Francisco Zoo & Steinhart Aquarium (possibly Aquarium of the Bay). What would be the best order to go in, any additional facilities (I thought about revisting Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo but it's collection isn't that unique) I should go to, and any advice for visting them?

 

[Coelacanth18]

I don't want to be that rushed. I'm going to revisit (after over 7+ years) San Francisco Zoo & Steinhart Aquarium (possibly Aquarium of the Bay).

Honestly, just doing San Francisco Zoo and California Academy of Sciences alone... it'll likely be pretty rushed already. They're only open 7 and 7.5 hours per weekday respectively, both take ~3 hours to fully see, and you have to account for travel time between (which could be up to an hour, whether it's taking public transit or looking for parking).

Crowds should be less bad on a weekday, but even so I'd hit the Academy first; it opens a half hour earlier and lines form both for general admission, and then also first thing for Osher Rainforest. Get there at least a few minutes before opening, and then once inside immediately get in line for the jungle dome - the later you wait, the longer the line for Osher will get.

I haven't visited Aquarium of the Bay, but it has similar opening hours (10am-5pm) and is in yet another different part of the city, so visiting all 3 comprehensively in one day isn't really possible. Palo Alto is in a different part of the metro area; it's fine, but IMO not worth going outside the city for if you only have one day.

Personally I really like Oakland Zoo, but it's also a half-day zoo and also not in San Francisco proper.

 

[MOG2012]

Honestly, just doing San Francisco Zoo and California Academy of Sciences alone... it'll likely be pretty rushed already. They're only open 7 and 7.5 hours per weekday respectively, both take ~3 hours to fully see, and you have to account for travel time between (which could be up to an hour, whether it's taking public transit or looking for parking).

Crowds should be less bad on a weekday, but even so I'd hit the Academy first; it opens a half hour earlier and lines form both for general admission, and then also first thing for Osher Rainforest. Get there at least a few minutes before opening, and then once inside immediately get in line for the jungle dome - the later you wait, the longer the line for Osher will get.

I haven't visited Aquarium of the Bay, but it has similar opening hours (10am-5pm) and is in yet another different part of the city, so visiting all 3 comprehensively in one day isn't really possible. Palo Alto is in a different part of the metro area; it's fine, but IMO not worth going outside the city for if you only have one day.

Personally I really like Oakland Zoo, but it's also a half-day zoo and also not in San Francisco proper.

So should I just do Steinhart Aquarium in the morning and San Francisco Zoo in the afternoon? Is there any good order/walking route of each facility? Any notable rarities?

 

[Coelacanth18]

So should I just do Steinhart Aquarium in the morning and San Francisco Zoo in the afternoon?

Without knowing your own preferences, that would be my suggestion based on experience. If you're more interested in one than the other, I'd do whatever is your higher priority first; that way if you run short on time (which I think is very possible with these two) it'll be the one you were less invested in.

Is there any good order/walking route of each facility?

I don't have any suggestions on this, other than getting in line for Osher Rainforest at the Academy first thing. The zoo is pretty easy to do as a loop and the Academy's animal sections are small in size - just species dense.

Any notable rarities?

The Academy has lots of rarities - the majority are fish, but several small herps, a couple of birds and their only mammal (grasshopper mouse) also. Personally I like the glass frogs and other herps in Osher; the Weedy Seadragons, lungfish and four-eyed fish; and some of the neat and rare ocean fish they have in the darkened gallery.

For the zoo, since you're based in the Northeast I'd suggest koalas might be a key one for you. Mandrills, sifaka, wolverine and Baird's tapir are some less usual mammals; there are a few other rare lemurs, but IIRC they are all elderly and not consistently seen out. Western Pond Turtle is a local reptile that is common in California zoos, but you may not have seen them before? Yosemite Toad is displayed at the front of the Children's Zoo and is a local but rarely kept endangered species. There are a handful of less common birds as well, such as tragopan and parrots in the South American Tropic House.

 

[MOG2012]

I don't have any suggestions on this, other than getting in line for Osher Rainforest at the Academy first thing. The zoo is pretty easy to do as a loop and the Academy's animal sections are small in size - just species dense.

Thanks, is there any membership reciprocity (for Zoo New England) discounts on these facilities (25 or 50% like at some other AZA facilities)

For the zoo, since you're based in the Northeast I'd suggest koalas might be a key one for you. Mandrills, sifaka, wolverine and Baird's tapir are some less usual mammals; there are a few other rare lemurs, but IIRC they are all elderly and not consistently seen out. Western Pond Turtle is a local reptile that is common in California zoos, but you may not have seen them before? Yosemite Toad is displayed at the front of the Children's Zoo and is a local but rarely kept endangered species. There are a handful of less common birds as well, such as tragopan and parrots in the South American Tropic House.

I used to live and visit these facilities a lot so are there any major new animals/parts?

 

[RatioTile]

Also, try Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek for some really interesting rescued species (western mastiff bat, pallid bat, Botta's pocket gopher, acorn woodpecker, some birds of prey). But you should call or email first to confirm that they're still there. The bats sometimes get wheeled out on a cart in an acrylic box for an animal demo.

 

[MOG2012]

So my plan is fly in on 7/5 & fly out on 9/5 so a day there. I will spend the morning at Steinhart Aquarium. Likely order is Entrance Tanks, Osher Rainforest, Amazon Flooded Forest, California Coast, Venom, Twilight Zone, Water Planet, Philippine Coral Reef, Hidden Reef, the Swamp, Color of Life, Tusher Africa Hall
Then go to the San Francisco Zoo in the afternoon. Likely order is Exploration Zone, Outback Trail, South America, Bear Country, Cat Kingdom, Lemur Forest, African Region.

 

[SwampDonkey]

You could probably squeeze in the bison paddock in Golden Gate Park between Steinhart and the Zoo. If you like botanical gardens the gardens open at 9AM, the Japanese Tea garden is worthwhile for 30 minutes to an hour and is right across from Steinhart, which opens at 9:30.