Got to take a sneak peek inside the new Academy of Sciences, thanks to our friend Lindsay who gets to work there making maps. What a great job, she even got to go on a species mapping excursion in Panama.

On this particular day she got to show us around and set loose some sea anemones into their new abode. From what I understand the new aquarium takes up the entire basement level underground with lagoons and pools showing through on the ground level. Something about the coolness and clearness of the water gave me an overwhelming urge to dive in and Esther Williams my way around the starfish.

Natural history exhibits make me want a den with a fireplace and strange curios everywhere. Exotic animals are welcome as well.

Took a walk down the African Hall and admired all the majestic beasts.

Maybe some day I'll do a series of taxidermy portraits.

Those penguins never keep still. They make me so happy bobbing around in there like little champagne corks.

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When do you get to go? The new Academy officially opens September 27th in its old spot in Golden Gate Park. Though the location's the same, the new Academy is vastly different and (from what I saw) even more amazing. The building itself is incredible with solar and wind sensitive panels that create airflow and regulate lighting (both in the visitors area and behind the scenes in the employees cubicles). The whole place is focused on light and space and the result is that is seems so much bigger than it was before and, with the sustainable roof garden on top, really, really green (the hopes are that it'll earn a platinum for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ie. LEED). Along with the aquarium, penguins, natural history exhibits and awesome 3-story rainforest there's also a planetarium where we're secretly hoping they'll have laser light shows to The Wall.