1. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 1
Integrating an aquarium, museum and planetarium into a single
guest experience: the next California Academy of Sciences.
Christopher Andrews, Chief of Public Programs and Director of the Steinhart Aquarium,
Carol Tang, Director of Visitor Interpretive Programs, and Ryan Wyatt, Director of the
Morrison Planetarium and the Center for Science Visualization, California Academy of
Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118. E-mail
for correspondence: candrews@calacademy.org.
Abstract
After completing a $488M reconstruction and renovation project, the California Academy of
Sciences re-opened in Golden Gate Park (San Francisco) in September 27
th
2008. Utilizing
the latest technologies the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison Planetarium and the Kimball
Natural History Museum have been combined into one guest experience with a central theme
of “life and its sustainability”.
The principal live exhibitions feature Philippine coral reefs, rainforests of the world, the
Northern California coast, a southern swamp, as well as a unique exhibit entitled the “Water
Planet” (which explores the challenges of living in water). There are also exhibitions that
showcase the Academy’s long-standing and on-going research in the Galapagos Islands and
Madagascar, and the diverse habitats of Africa are presented through a series of renovated
dioramas. There is also a major exhibition area that focuses on global climate change and its
impacts in California.
The new building’s 40,000 square meters were designed to meet the latest standards of
sustainability construction and operations, and this will also be a focus of the Academy’s
building-wide interpretation and programming. Throughout the museum a combination of
interpretive methods are used, with an emphasis on person-to-person interactions, live animal
presentations, interactive technologies and on-going change.
Introduction
The California Academy of Sciences (the Academy) was formed in San Francisco in 1853,
with a mission to promote science through exhibition, education and research. Information on
its history can be found in the publications listed at the end of this paper. The buildings and
most of the exhibits and collections at the original downtown location were destroyed by the
1906 San Francisco earthquake, whereupon the Academy established itself in Golden Gate
Park in 1916. Over the ensuing half a century or so, the Academy expanded its exhibits and
programs. For example, the original Steinhart Aquarium opened in 1923, Africa Hall in 1934,
the Morrison Planetarium in 1952, and the now famous fish roundabout in 1977. Over time
the buildings and infrastructure deteriorated, and the effects of the 1989 Loma Prieta
earthquake precipitated a review of the institution’s future and the development of a master
plan. Completed in 1992, the master plan presented a number of options for the Academy. In
1998 it was decided to create a temporary transition facility in downtown San Francisco, while
a new Academy was created on the site in Golden Gate Park. Therefore the Academy closed
its doors to the public in Golden Gate Park at the end of 2003 and opened its temporary
transition facility in the spring of 2004. Ground breaking for the new facility occurred in
September 2005, and after two years of construction, and one year of exhibit completion and
fit-out, the new Academy opened to the public in Golden Gate Park on September 27
th
2008.
The scale and scope of the project, and some of the opportunities and challenges that
presented themselves, are summarized below, and additional information on the new
Academy can be found in Wells (2008).

2. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 2
California Academy of Sciences reopened in Golden Gate Park opened on September 27
th
2008
Project scale and scope
The new Academy is an approximately 40,000 square meter facility and the total project costs
were $488M. Approximately 40 percent of the floor space is devoted to exhibitions and areas
accessible to the guests, with approximately 60 percent devoted to functions such as
administrative offices, building and aquarium life support, and research laboratories and
collections storage.
As of September 2008, $466M of the $488M have been raised and funding is in place to
cover the entire project costs. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the project funds
will come from private sources, such as individuals, corporations and foundations, with
approximately one-third from governmental sources, such as local government general
obligation bonds, and state and federal sources (Figure 1).
Eighty-five percent ($414M) of the project funds were used for the creation of the new
Academy, including $277M building hard costs, $53M building soft costs, $60M exhibit hard
Figure 1: Sources of Project Funds
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
City of SF Major Gifts Community
Gifts
State of
California
Federal
Government
Total = $488 Million

3. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 3
and soft costs, and $23M for fixtures, fittings and equipment (Figure 2). In addition $74M
(15%) of the project costs were used in the creation of a temporary transition facility (which
housed the Academy staff, collections, and a small museum and aquarium exhibit that
remained open during the renovation in Golden Gate Park), as well as to cover extraordinary
fundraising and marketing costs, and an increased endowment.
Major exhibition elements
As before, the new Academy is comprised of the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison
Planetarium and the (now) Kimball History Museum, along with a substantial scientific
research program, as well as formal and informal education programs for the general public,
school groups and teachers. Early on in the design development process it was determined
that the new Academy should feature:
1. A landmark “green” building which would incorporate the needs of staff, the living
collection, the research collection and the guests, as well as its location in Golden
Gate Park, into the architectural design;
2. An integrated guest experience which embraces the uniqueness of an aquarium,
museum, planetarium and scientific research program at a single location;
3. A coordinated, varied and regularly changing exhibition and interpretive program
which blends live animals, authentic museum specimens, interactivity, state-of-
the-art digital (and other) technologies, and staff/docent-guest interactions into a
single guest experience that appeals to people of all ages.
And throughout there would be a sense of transparency, exploration, relevance, and learning
via engagement, innovation and fun.
Working with consultants, exhibit designers, colleagues from other institutions, and the
Academy’s Board of Trustees, staff developed a series of exhibition options that were refined
to include:
a. Aquarium
a. Philippine Coral Reefs
b. Rain Forests of the World
c. Northern California Coast*
d. Southern Swamp*
e. The Water Planet
b. Museum
a. Africa Hall*
b. Islands of Evolution
Figure 2: Use of Project Funds
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Building Hard
Costs
Building Soft
Costs
Exhibit Hard &
Soft Costs
F, F&E Costs Temporary
Acadmey
Owner Direct
Costs
Increased
Endowment
Total = $488 Million

4. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 4
c. Altered State: Climate Change and California
d. Evolution over Time; Human Evolution
e. Science in Action; Project (research) Lab
f. Early Childhood Center*
g. Foucault Pendulum*
h. Naturalist (resource) Center*
i. 3-D auditorium/changing exhibit space
c. Ancillary exhibitions
a. The building, including the living roof
b. Balcony exhibits
c. Gardens, sculptures, aviary
d. Planetarium*
a. “Fragile Planet” is the Academy’s first full length, all digital planetarium show
(Note: * = existed to some extent in the former facility)
The overarching theme of the exhibitions and public floor programs is “life and its
sustainability” (that is “how we got here and how we are going to stay around”). Many of the
exhibitions and programs are tied to the Academy’s own research efforts, and thus focus on
evolution, taxonomy, biodiversity, and conservation.
This approach manifests itself in the exhibits in the Steinhart Aquarium as described below,
and is aided by the fact that the new aquarium has approximately twice the volume (now
2,280 cubic meters, or 600,000 gallons) of fresh and salt water, nearly 20% more exhibits,
twice as many species, and several major new exhibit elements (such as a living rain forest).
Philippine coral reef exhibit
Philippine Coral Reef. The center piece of this collection of exhibits is an 855 cubic meter
(225,000 gallon) mangrove lagoon and living coral reef, the latter of which is up to eight
meters deep. The main message within this exhibition area is that coral reefs are the most

5. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 5
diverse aquatic ecosystems on Earth and they are highly threatened. Recurring messages
emphasize that Philippine coral reefs are the most diverse reefs on Earth and demonstrate
both conservation challenges and successes, that coral reefs are complex and dynamic
marine ecosystems, and that protecting coral reef biodiversity is an immediate concern for
everyone.
Rain Forests of the World. The center piece for this exhibition area is a 20 meter tall indoor
walk through greenhouse that incorporates a living rain forest (including a 380 cubic meter,
100,000 gallon, flooded forest tank), along with specific exhibits of the flora and fauna from
the tropical rain forests of the Amazon, Costa Rica, Borneo and Madagascar. The main
message for this exhibition is that tropical rain forests are the most biologically diverse
terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, and they are highly threatened. Recurring messages
emphasize that each tropical rain forest from around the world is unique, that each tropical
rainforest is a dynamic ecosystem with complex relationships among organisms, and that all
tropical rainforests are threatened by human activity and they can be protected by our
actions.
Rain Forests of the World exhibit
Northern California Coast. The center piece for this exhibition is a 380 cubic meter (100,000
gallon) exhibit that features the fish and invertebrates of the Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuary (which is situated just off-shore of San Francisco). The main message
within this exhibition is that human activities impact the diverse, fragile aquatic ecosystems of
the Northern California coast. Recurring messages emphasize that physical and biological
processes work together to shape life on the coast, that Northern California’s coastal
ecosystem’s are vitally important to all Californians for food, recreation, and quality of life, and
that humans are a part of this diverse coastal web of life and our individual and collective
actions are important.
Southern Swamp. The center piece for this exhibition is an 80 square meter alligator and
alligator snapping turtle exhibit, featuring the fish and reptile fauna of that occur in the
swamps in the southern states of the US. The main message for this exhibition is that we now
have a better understanding than before of the importance of the wetlands. The recurring
messages emphasize that swamps are an important part of the heritage of American’s, and

6. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 6
an important part of the Academy’s heritage, that swamps are essential for the organisms that
live there as well as the livelihood of people who live there, and that we can protect swamps
by our individual and collective actions.
The Water Planet. This 400 square meter exhibition area is unique among aquarium exhibits,
and it provides both a summary and an overview to the new Steinhart Aquarium. It comprises
of a collection of 37 small to medium sized live freshwater, marine and terrestrial exhibits,
various digitally based interpretive exhibits and devices, and a five minute narrated “theater-
in-the-round” movie all within a unique exhibit infrastructure and setting (see paper by
Hennes, Andrews and MacDonald in these proceedings). The main message for this
exhibition is that water is a driving force for all life on Earth. Recurring messages then
emphasize that water is precious and is essential to life, that water has unique properties that
have biological consequences, and that life has adapted to the availability of water and
different water conditions.
There are three iconic exhibitions in the Kimball Museum of Natural History, each of which
contain museum specimens, mechanical and digital interactive components, interpretive
media, and live animals, and are – wherever possible – designed to be flexible (so that certain
exhibit elements can be changed relatively easily).
Africa Hall. This 750 square meter exhibition is a combination of the faithful recreation - and
major upgrade of - the original Africa Hall. The order of the original dioramas was rearranged,
some deleted, and some new ones added, to portray a journey across Africa. Five exhibits of
live animals were added to Africa Hall: a colony of 20 South African penguins, plus exhibits of
Jackson’s chameleons, desert tortoises and plated lizards, Lake Malawi cichlids, and a white
throated monitor lizard. There is also an exhibit on human evolution entitled “We are all
Africans”. The main message with Africa Hall is that Africa holds surprising diversity and is
changing in many ways. There are supporting messages which emphasize that the evolution
of species is influenced by climate and climate change, that humans have been an important
part of Africa’s history, and that the Academy is conducting important work towards the
conservation of African biodiversity.
Africa Hall, with live penguin exhibit at far end

7. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 7
Islands of Evolution. This 1,000 square meter exhibition area focuses on the Galapagos
Islands and Madagascar, and also contains the Science in Action exhibit which, through
digital media and programming, brings up-to-the-minute science news to the public floor of
the Academy. The Galapagos Islands and Madagascar where chosen because they provide
different but spectacular examples of the evolutionary process, and because the Academy
has long standing research and partnership activities at both locations. The main message for
the Galapagos exhibit is that islands are living laboratories for evolution, with a focus on
adaptive radiation. There is a small live exhibit of Galapagos reef fishes in this area. The main
message for the Madagascar exhibit is that continental islands like Madagascar carry life with
them when they form, with a focus on relictual species and the evolutionary process. There
are live exhibits of Malagasy desert reptiles and terrestrial invertebrates in this area.
Altered State: Climate Change in California. This 1,000 square meter exhibition area focuses
on four important aspects of global climate change (i.e. the oceans are changing, some
places are getting hotter and wetter, the ice caps are disappearing, and extinction), and
provides examples of their past, present and predicted future impacts in California. There is
also a central exhibit element (the Arena for Engagement) that provides an indication of
emerging technologies and their impact on sustainability, and provides information on what
can be done to mitigate the impact of climate change (with an emphasis on personal action).
Altered State includes a ceiling-hung 25 meter long skeleton of a blue whale, and a full sized
replica of a T-rex skeleton. There are small live exhibits of endangered California inter tidal
fish, local reptiles, and terrestrial invertebrates. The main message in this exhibit is that
human’s have altered California’s environment for thousands of years and continue to change
it today. There are also other recurring messages which include human-induced climate
global climate change is impacting environments in California, California is contributing to
modern global climate change, and we can all make a difference in climate change by
changing the way we live. The content and design of this exhibit was influenced significantly
by market research conducted for the Academy in late 2007 which indicated, among other
things, that while many people realize that climate change is real, they did not appreciate the
urgency or scale of the problem.
The new Morrison Planetarium consists of an unprecedented immersive experience.
Housed within a 20 meter tall dome, the 300 seat theater utilizes the latest digital
technologies and real time data sets to provide programming on the world’s largest Spitz
NanoSeam planetarium screen. The Academy’s Visualization Studio is also housed within the
Morrison Planetarium, and supports all digital media outlets within the new building (including
the planetarium, the 140 seat 3-D theater, high definition programs in other exhibit areas, and
web-based content).
The Morrison Planetarium’s first show is “Fragile Planet”. Written and produced by an in-
house team, this 30 minute show takes the audience from the Academy’s building in Golden
Gate Park to the edge of the Virgo Cluster and back, a round trip of about 120 million light
years. The show uses the latest astronomical data to provide an accurate and up-to-date view
of Earth and its weather systems, as well as the planets in our solar system and the outer
reaches of our Universe. More than a journey to the far reaches of outer space, however,
“Fragile Planet” also explores questions that are pertinent to life on Earth: Why is there so
much biodiversity on Earth? What are the chances that we will find life beyond our planet?
What can we do to protect life on Earth? An Academy presenter hosts each show, which is
narrated by Sigourney Weaver.
Technology provisions at the new Academy also provide opportunities for remote
collaboration and high bandwidth interactivity. The Academy has a 10-gigabit link to the
outside world (Internet2 or Lambda Rail), and this high speed networking capability allows (for
example) real time broadcast of full dome video or extremely fast downloads of current
scientific data sets.
The Academy is also the first museum member of CineGrid, a not-for-profit organization with
the mission to build an interdisciplinary community that is focused on the research,
development, and demonstration of networked collaborative tools to enable the production,

8. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 8
use and exchange of very high quality digital media. It is hoped that this network can be
expanded to include a greater number of museums, science centers and planetariums.
Governance, staffing, sources of funds for operations, and operating budget
The Academy is a not-for-profit organization, governed by a 45-person Board of Trustees,
and currently has about 450 employees (350 full time equivalents), and about 600 volunteers
and docents. Six staff division heads report to the Executive Director: Public Programs
(including the Education, Aquarium, Museum, and Planetarium), Research and Collections,
Finance and Operations Marketing, Development and Membership, Revenue and
Admissions.
Base upon consultant studies, staff expertise, and benchmarking through cooperation with
other facilities the Academy has developed a three year pro forma operating plan.
There are a total of approximately 25 million residents and annual visitors to the San
Francisco Bay area. The steady-state total annual attendance for the new Academy has been
estimated at 1.6M, with the first year attendance estimated at over 2.0M. This is considerably
higher than the 700,000 annual attendance at the Academy prior to its closure in Golden Gate
Park, and relies on an aggressive marketing effort targeting visitors to the San Francisco Bay
area, and a comprehensive program of changing exhibits and public programs to attract
repeat visitation from the resident market.
The projected $50M operating budget for 2010 comprises of 57% salary and benefit costs
and 43% for operating costs. It is anticipated that 18% of the approximately $50M operating
budget will support facility operations, 14% will support research, 12% will support education
and public programs, 10% will support the aquarium, 10% will support marketing, 5% will
support the planetarium, and 5% will support development (Figure 3). The 2010 operating
budget also includes a $2.4M contingency.
50TOTAL:
2.4Contingency
4.4Management
9.4Building Operations
2.9Development
5.6Marketing
5.4Business Development
4.8Aquarium
2.2Planetarium
5.9Education and Public Programs
6.9Research
$ MillionsCost Center
Anticipated sources of the Academy’s annual operating costs will consist of 72% ($36M) from
earned income (admissions, membership, retail and food service, etc.), 20% ($10M) from
annual contributions and local government funding for operations, and 17% ($8.7M) from
restricted and unrestricted endowment transfers (Figure 4). Note: the Academy’s endowment
is currently valued at approximately $160M, and the Board of Trustees allows annual usage
up to 5% of the corpus.) This projection of sources of funds for operations also includes a
$4.5M contingency.
Figure 3: 2010 Operating Budget

9. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 9
(4.5)Contingency
36.2Earned Income
50.3TOTAL:
8.7Endowment Transfer
5.0Local Government
4.9Contributions
4.5Other
1.5Retail, Café
4.9Membership
25.2Admission
$ MillionsRevenue Center
Current information on the new Academy, its exhibits, programs, hours and admission fees
can be found at www.calacademy.org.
Some special opportunities and challenges
A project of this size, complexity and duration presents a range of opportunities and
challenges, some of which are described below.
a. Organizational change: as a part of this renovation project an established and
well respected institution with over 150 years of habits and history had to go
through an intense and relatively short period (5-10 years) of physical,
philosophical and emotional reinvention and change. Building and infrastructure
maintenance at the old Academy had not kept pace with the ravages of time, and
the guest experience had not kept up with the expectations of a rapidly changing
local and out-of-town (tourist) population. The old Academy was not effectively
competing with other local and regional site-based attractions, or the advent of
the internet and other uses of people’s disposable time and/or income. The
building and its exhibits were old and tired, and the attendance was declining at
an alarming rate (approximately four percent per year). Once the decision was
made to move out of Golden Gate Park, renovate and move back, the Academy
had to reduce its staffing level and expenses to fit within the physical structure,
needs and budget capabilities of the temporary transition facility, although
Academy’s substantial and carefully managed endowment did provide some
financial cushion. In addition to budget reductions, the Academy had to initially
develop a different operating ethos and approach for its transition facility, and
then extend and modify that ethos and approach for the new facility (at the same
time as recruiting and training a significant number of new staff and docents).
During this time (2006-07) there was also a change in leadership, with a new
Chairman of the Board of Trustees and a new Executive Director, as well as
significant changes among the senior staff. Perhaps surprisingly, all of this
change was managed relatively well by the institution, and was achieved without
very much outside assistance, or indeed formal, institution-wide planning.
Predictably, some of the staff and docents, especially those which had been with
Academy for a long time, questioned some of the changes in approach, but the
influx of new people and the visible signs of progress with the new facility
(assisted by a very successful fundraising campaign) helped moderate morale
Figure 4: Annual Revenue

10. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 10
and keep everyone focused on their collective future. On occasion there was a
dynamic tension between the new ideas of incoming staff with potential impacts
on existing plans, budget and schedule, and this required a level of rigor and
consistency from the Academy’s senior management team and Board of
Trustees. Facilitating appropriate communication among the staff and docents,
and with the Board of Trustees, proved very important, although challenging at
times. The Academy is now hoping for a relatively stable period, so as to review
its operating assumptions in light of actual performance, and plan for its future:
“Academy 2020”
b. Green building architecture and sustainability: the Academy’s new building was
designed by the award-winning architect Renzo Piano, and is expected to earn
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum certification
from the US Green Building Council. Topped by a more than one hectare living
roof, the building employs a wide range of energy saving materials and
technologies. For example, it is estimated that the living roof will reduce storm
water run-off by more than 14,000 cubic meters (3.6 million gallons) per year, and
provide habitat for a range of local animal and plant species. The roof is bordered
by a glass canopy containing 60,000 photo voltaic cells, which produce up to 10%
of the Academy’s annual energy needs and prevent the release of over 180,000
kilos (400,000 pounds) of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Radiant floor
heating will reduce energy needs by up to 15%, and heat recovery systems will
capture and utilize heat produced by HVAC equipment. The undulating roofline
will draw cool air into the building, naturally ventilating the adjacent exhibit spaces
through automatically controlled skylights, and at least 90% of the regularly
occupied spaces have access to natural daylight and outside views. Other
sustainable elements of the building’s design and operation include reduced
water use, recycled building materials, and promotion of public transportation for
staff, volunteers and guests. Construction project managers Don Young and
Associates (San Francisco) estimated that the incremental construction costs
associated with the needs of LEED certification were about 5% of the total
construction costs. It is too soon to demonstrate the impact of these provisions on
the Academy’s operating expenses. All of building’s sustainable features are
explained by interpretive signage and via an audio tour. In recognition of the
Academy’s commitment to sustainable design, the project has already received
the 2005 North American silver Holcim award for Sustainable Construction, and
the EPA’s regional 2006 Environmental Award for new building’s sustainable
design.
c. Desire for authenticity: as a well respected scientific institution, the Academy
required that the new exhibits met the highest possible levels of scientific
accuracy and authenticity. This presented some challenges when strict scientific
accuracy was in conflict with the guest experience and a desire to build a bridge
to a broader group of constituents, and regarding the availability of the
appropriate research staff to adequately review exhibit designs and interpretive
materials on a tight schedule. At times the building’s sustainable design was also
at odds with exhibit design and a desire to, whenever possible, include real
research specimens and certain delicate live specimens as essential exhibit
elements. For example, large amounts of daylight in a naturally ventilated building
is a particular challenge as it relates to providing the appropriate temperature,
humidity, and ultra violet light control for the long term care and maintenance of
rare or unusual research specimens. Special cabinets were created and the
control equipment obtained from Microclimate Technologies International Inc.
(www.microclimate.ca.) to meet the requirements of the Academy’s research
collection managers. By monitoring the environmental conditions in the exhibit
cabinets, it is hoped that a greater variety of research specimens will be able to
be displayed on the public floor in the future. However, in situations where this is
not possible, common (replaceable) specimens, models or reproductions have
been used. Also, the establishment of authentic living rain forest and living coral
reef exhibits requires, among other things, a large amount of light. The design of

11. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 11
the living roof and the provision of large numbers of relatively small sky-lights
meant that large numbers of metal halide lamps had to be provided to
supplement the natural sunlight that was available to both of these exhibits. As a
result, the lamps and their supporting structures, became dominant design
features within the public spaces, and appear in conflict with the building’s LEED
certification.
d. Interpretation, interaction and change: from the outset, there was a requirement
that the guest experience in the new Academy would be different to that in the old
Academy, and that it would be different to that provided in most other natural
history museums around the world. Within the exhibits and public floor programs
this differentiation manifests itself in the methods used for the interpretation of
the exhibits, the amount of interaction with the exhibits and with staff and
docents, and the ability to provide change on the public floor. Starting with the
content briefs for each exhibit that had been developed by Academy staff,
interpretive plans were produced that eventually incorporated exhibit design, the
main messages, and the potential methods of interpretation. From here, aware
of the constraints imposed by budget, schedule and building design, a dynamic
process involving staff and external exhibit designers furthered the overall design
and defined the preferred interpretive methods. It was determined early on that
large amounts of text would not be provided on the interpretive panels and that
the panels would complement – and at times be a part of – the exhibit design.
With the introductory content provided by the interpretive panels, additional
content was layered on using a variety of carefully selected methods including
videos, interactive digital media such as cell phone tours, audio tours and touch
screens, people facilitated experiences such as tours and programs by docents
and staff, pre and post visit materials on the Academy’s web site, and so on.
Thus each guest or party of guests can choose the interpretive method(s) that
most suited or appealed to them during each visit. Further, since San Francisco is
a multi-cultural city, and a major destination for overseas tourists, all major
internal directional building signage, and the main exhibit headings, are provided
in three languages (English, Spanish and Chinese), and the printed exhibit maps
and some of the audio tours are provided in up to seven languages. The need for
a high level of interaction was another consistent requirement of the guest
experience at the new Academy and is related – in part – to the interpretive
methods that were chosen (above). In addition to the interactive aspects of the
interpretive methods just described, mechanical interactives were also provided,
and the exhibits arranged in such a way that they could be accessed by and
relevant to children of all ages, and accessed by people in wheelchairs. The need
for a regular program of exhibit and program change is now well recognized as a
means to, among other things, enhance the guest experience, assist public
relations and marketing activities, encourage membership, and promote repeat
visitation. The new Academy includes a 450 square meter, 140 seat auditorium
and 3-D theater, which has retractable seating and can be converted into a
changing exhibit space. Also, many of the smaller live exhibits were designed to
be easily modified to exhibit other taxa in the future, and some of the live exhibit
areas were designed to allow the aquariums and terrariums to be moved or the
exhibit layout reconfigured. The exhibit modules for the Islands of Evolution and
the Altered State exhibits were specifically designed as a “kit of parts”, so that
those exhibit areas can be changed and reconfigured to accommodate alternate
themes, as well as change their physical appearance. Similarly change will be
facilitated by the centralization of the exhibit digital media with the Academy’s
visualization studio, so that such media can be developed, acquired, stored,
retrieved and/or repurposed in a coordinated and timely fashion. Additional
change can also be provided via the programs provided via staff and docents,
and by developing partnerships for public floor activities with local and regional
likeminded organizations (e.g. state and federal agencies, non-governmental
conservation and education organizations).

12. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 12
e. Project management: the management of the needs and expectations of the
Academy, within the constraints of the project budget and the schedule, fell in
large part to the project management teams (working with the Academy’s senior
staff and Board of Trustees). There were essentially two phases to the overall
construction management of this project. Phase 1 was the delivery of the “core
and shell” of the building and base structure of the larger, iconic exhibits (such as
the larger aquarium exhibits, Africa Hall, planetarium). Phase 2 was the fit-out
and completion of these larger exhibits, and the design and installation of many of
the other exhibits (such as the smaller aquarium exhibits, Islands of Evolution,
Altered State). It became apparent that the Academy had unreasonable
expectations regarding what could be achieved within the budget, schedule and
the designated exhibit areas of the new building, especially the amount of content
that could be displayed in a meaningful and guest friendly way. Also, the building
and many of the different exhibit elements were developed on different
timescales, which made coordination of the designs, budgets and schedules very
challenging. Indeed, early in the design process the needs of some of the exhibits
were in conflict with the architectural vision for the building, until a viable fusion
could be forged between the “urban grid” of the building and the “explorable
landscape” of the exhibits. This was a particular challenge for the large open-
topped live exhibits, and for museum exhibits in the large, open areas in level 1 of
the building. Further, increasing construction costs (and resultant value
engineering of the base building) impacted the exhibit program. As Phase 2
approached it became clear that there was a need to establish better controls of
the management of the project, and ensure that the Academy’s needs were
represented in a clear and consistent way. An external project management team
with extensive experience managing complex projects for large informal learning
centers was established. The Academy identified a single primary point of staff
contact with the project managers for the three main exhibit elements (aquarium,
museum, planetarium), and every effort was made to direct all communications
between the external designers, fabricators and installers through the respective
project managers to the single staff representative, and then to the rest of the
staff (and, where necessary, the Board). Of course it became necessary to allow
direct contact between the designers of specific exhibit elements with (for
example) staff content experts, although a written record of all communications
was provided to the appropriate project managers (and clear bounds of authority
regarding decision-making were - eventually - established). This approach
worked reasonably well and not only controlled communication and provided
better controls on the budget and schedule, but also served to better coordinate
the overall exhibit and supporting program experience for the entire public floor.
Summary
Ultimately the extent to which the Academy has created a single, seamless guest experience
remains to be seen, since that can only be gauged by the responses from its paying guests.
The early signs are good, and an extensive program of on-site and off-site guest surveys and
feedback has been initiated. This will also include research into whether the guest experience
is – ultimately – resulting in a better educated populace who is more inclined to change their
individual and collective behaviors to achieve conservation action, and thus help the Academy
fulfill its mission “to explore, explain and protect the natural world”.
Reference and further information
Aldrich, M. L. and Leviton, A. E. (2000). West and East: The California Academy of Sciences
and The Smithsonian Institution 1852-1906. In Cultures and Institutions of Natural History.
Essays in the History and Philosophy of Science, pp. 183-202. Edited by M. T. Ghiselin and
A. E. Leviton, published by the California Academy of Sciences, 363 pp.
Herald, E. S. (1963). The new Steinhart Aquarium. Pacific Discovery volume XVI, number 4,
July-August 1963, 3-10.
Leviton, A. E. and Aldrich, M. L. (1997). The California Academy of Sciences. A narrative
history: 1853-1906. California Academy of Sciences, 623 pp.

13. IAC 2008: Andrews, Tang, Wyatt 13
Leviton, A. E. and Aldrich, M. A. (2004). Museums and Other Institutions of Natural History.
Past, Present, and Future. California Academy of Sciences and the Pacific Division of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, 329 pp.
McCosker, J. E. (1999). The History of the Steinhart Aquarium: a very fishy tale. California
Academy of Sciences, 160 pp.
McCosker, J. E. (2007). The history of research at the California Academy of Sciences’
Steinhart Aquarium and the Department of Aquatic Biology. Proceedings of the California
Academy of Sciences volume 58 (number 11), 171-195.
Miller, R. C. (1952). Pacific Discovery (special Morrison Planetarium issue) volume V, number
6, November-December 1952, 50 pp.
Wells, S. (2008). California Academy of Sciences. Architecture in Harmony with Nature.
Chronicle Books, 144 pp.
Acknowledgments
A large number of individuals and organizations played a very significant role in the
completion of this project. In addition to the devotion, dedication, generosity, and good humor
of the staff, docents, volunteers, Board of Trustees and donors of the California Academy of
Sciences, we would like to acknowledge the involvement of the following in development of
the aquarium and museum exhibits and the planetarium: Academy Studios (Novato, CA),
Cinnabar (Los Angeles, CA), Economic Research Associates (Los Angeles, CA), Impacts
(Los Angeles, CA), Morey and Associates (Charleston, SC), Rhodes/Dahl (Charleston, SC),
Science Communications Consultants (Oak Park, IL), Thinc Design (New York, NY), and
Visual Acuity Ltd. (Brighton, UK).
CA/September 21, 2008