This holiday season the California Academy of Sciences will be buzzing with wintry activities for all ages, including adorable four-legged animals, a holiday marketplace, and icy science experiments. At ‘Tis the Season for Science, from Saturday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 5, the museum will welcome pairs of baby reindeer, camels, and yaks, along with music, dance, and magic performances from over a dozen diverse troupes; falling snow inside the museum; engaging public programs all about animal adaptations to the cold; and seasonal science experiments and crafts. Guests can get a first peek at (and help name!) the young reindeer at Welcome Winter Night on Friday, Nov. 22.
From the tundra to the Himalaya to the desert, come meet some of the cutest baby animals from across the world at the Academy this winter. As you take in their adorable antics, learn all about their winter survival adaptations and unique characteristics of their species as they play and frolic the days away. (Sneak peek: The yaks love to be read a good book, and the reindeer enjoy playing with evergreen trees!). Return every two weeks to see a new pair of babies, with reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) debuting on Nov. 23, camels (Camelus dromedarius) on view starting Dec. 6, and yaks (Bos grunniens) beginning Dec. 20. Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime chance to connect with* some of the cutest critters of the season!
For the 21+ crowd, the Academy will also host a holiday marketplace at NightLife Santa Claude’s Workshop on Thursday evening, Dec. 5. Those who prefer to shop from home can still give their holiday shopping a science twist with sustainable stocking stuffers and colorful gift ideas via the Academy’s Holiday Gift Guide, sure to make your loved ones merry while supporting the museum you love. And folks looking to channel their holiday cheer into community science can participate in the free Solstice Sea Star Search on Dec. 21 to help find and document sea stars (including endangered animals!) along the coast.
