Published since 2005. San Francisco is a city that belongs to the people of the world. Hence this blog has a global focus. The name "Sam Spade's San Francisco" refers to an exciting era in the City's history, the time of Dashiell Hammett's fictional gumshoe and San Francisco character, Sam Spade. My name is Tom Dunn and I edit the blog. I'm not as exciting as Sam Spade, but I am definitely a San Francisco character.Contact or on Twitter -- Search blog below.
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Monday, July 02, 2007
Poison Dart Frogs on Howard Street!
When I was a boy (which was well into the middle of the prior century) I frequently went to the California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park. The Morrison Planetarium, the dinosaur skeleton, the live alligators at the entrance and the Foucault Pendulum were all elements that made the place an enchanted kingdom.
This year the Academy iscelebrating 152 years of service to the communityand is rebuilding at Golden Gate Park to create one of the world's largest natural history museums. Once completed, the new Academy promises to be a symbol of excellence architecturally, educationally and scientifically.
At the construction site in Golden Gate Park, the open-air piazza at the center of the building is taking shape. When completed, its glass walls will provide a 360-degree panorama of the museum floor, including views of the rainforest dome, planetarium, coral reef tank and other major exhibits. Overhead, a rectangular opening surrounded by a complex lattice of glass and slender metal rods will allow sunlight and fresh air to stream inside. On rainy days, a system of fabric screens will seal-off the opening, making the piazza accessible as a social space all year round. Click here to see construction photos of the piazza and other parts of the new Academy.
The temporary location of the Academy is 875 Howard Street. At the Howard Street location visitors can tour the Steinhart Aquarium and meet piranhas, pythons, electric eels, alligator snappers, poison dart frogs, and other amazing critters. Watch penguin feedings, slither through Snake Alley, and find Nemo in the two-story coral reef tank.
By the time the new building at Golden Gate Park opens in late 2008, the Steinhart will hold 38,000 aquarium animals. Learn more about the Steinhart Aquarium here.
1 comments:
Anonymous said...
The design for the new Academy building looks like they ought to put a putting green on the roof. They have everything needed: turf, gentle hills and a big hole that should be easy to put into.
1 comments:
The design for the new Academy building looks like they ought to put a putting green on the roof. They have everything needed: turf, gentle hills and a big hole that should be easy to put into.
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