California Academy of Sciences Celebrates 172nd Birthday on April 4 with Academy Day Festivities, Pay-What-You-Can Tickets, and New Claude Webcam

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 24, 2025) — The California Academy of Sciences will celebrate the anniversary of its founding, known as “Academy Day,” on Friday, April 4, with a plethora of fun and educational activities, including pay-what-you-can pricing; a new live webcam of Claude, the beloved albino alligator; a science fair; live music; meet-n-greets; and more.

Special pay-what-you-can pricing starting as low as $5 will be offered (while supplies last) to expand access to every child and family and also enable guests to pay it forward by choosing higher ticket prices to support the museum. The flexible pricing offered each year on Academy Day is one of the Academy’s many popular affordable access programs that make it possible for all science lovers to visit the museum.

Claude Cam: Does he move?
For those unable to visit the museum on Academy Day, the launch of a new live webcam focused on Claude and his three snapping turtle swampmates will bring one of the Academy’s most beloved live animals into the homes of fans all over the world. While Claude is well known for his long stretches of stillness, the webcam will give eagle-eyed viewers the opportunity to catch him in the act of swimming, scratching, and snacking, proving to doubters that he does, in fact, move.

The new “Claude Cam” was made possible by a generous donation from Anthropic, a San Francisco-based research lab focused on responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), whose AI assistant is named Claude, too. Anthropic’s sponsorship embodies the philanthropic spirit of Academy Day and also covers:

• Maintenance of Claude's enclosure, known as "The Swamp,” also home to snapping turtles and freshwater fish. This includes water maintenance and upkeep of lush plants.
• Claude's food and veterinary costs, managed by the Academy’s biologists who care for the various species within the enclosure.

Regeneration Circle to catalyze action
In addition to the Claude Cam, the Academy will launch a new donor community called the Regeneration Circle on Academy Day. The Regeneration Circle is an engaged community of supporters who will receive tailored content, updates, and opportunities to catalyze their passion for science, nature, and learning—all in service of the movement to regenerate nature and fight climate change.

“From the Academy’s earliest days, the generosity of our community has enabled us to spark awe and wonder among curious visitors,” said Academy Executive Director Scott Sampson, PhD. “Today, in celebration of Academy Day, we’re excited to launch the Claude Cam with Anthropic, together with an exciting new membership opportunity, the Regeneration Circle. As we face pressing challenges like climate change and species losses, the Regeneration Circle is designed to catalyze people of all ages, near and far, to understand, care for, and act on behalf of their local place.”

“I’m thrilled we can help bring Claude the alligator—everyone's favorite Cal Academy resident—to families everywhere through the new live webcam,” said Anthropic President Daniela Amodei. “Growing up in San Francisco sparked my love of science, and today the California Academy of Sciences continues to ignite that same excitement for new generations of curious minds, including my own son. Beyond sharing a name, Anthropic's AI assistant Claude shares these same values of fostering curiosity, imagination, and education.”

The third annual Academy Day celebrates the community and philanthropy that make everything the Academy does possible, and encourages donations of any amount to help sustain our awe-inspiring exhibits and award-winning educational programming; care for our more than 60,000 live animals; and advance our mission to regenerate the natural world.

This year a generous donor has agreed to match every donation made to help us hit our Academy Day fundraising goal of $75,000. The Academy thanks the following generous donors: Anna Zara and Robert English; Randall Laroche and David Laudon; Barbara Keck; Catherine Kennedy; Lexie and Mark George; Margaret Hauben; Sandra Bessieres; and the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation.

Hours of fun festivities
Academy Day programming includes access to two exciting newly opened exhibits, Dino Days and Unseen Oceans, plus live music, face painting, a photo booth, and more:

• San Francisco Conservatory of Music Jazz Trio | 9–11 a.m. | Concourse
  Start your day off on a groovy note with live music at the museum’s main entrance.
   
• Welcome by paleontologist and Academy Executive Director Scott Sampson of Dinosaur Train | 10 a.m. | Science Fair, Piazza
  Executive Director Scott Sampson will kick off the Science Fair with a welcome that will include highlights about the new Regeneration Circle and how we can help regenerate the natural world.
   
• Science Fair | 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | Piazza
  Join our one-day-only Science Fair to see live demonstrations, learn something new, and find out what you can do to regenerate nature from Academy scientists, volunteers, and staff.
   
• Meet Buddy from Dinosaur Train | 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | East and West Gardens
  You’ve seen him on TV, now meet him in real life! Buddy from the PBS Kids show Dinosaur Train will be roaming the gardens all day. Step outside to see 13 impressive animatronic dinosaurs in Dino Days and meet Buddy for yourself!
   
• Claude Cam Virtual Launch | 9:30 a.m.–10 a.m. | YouTube
  If you can’t make Academy Day, join us virtually for the Claude Cam Launch Party, where we'll share some Claude lore, read his fanmail, and host a live Q&A with Claude experts.
   
• Photobooth | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Aquarium entrance
  Snap a pic to commemorate your epic Academy Day adventure.
   
• Claude Cam Live Launch and Special Swamp Talk | 10:30 a.m.–11 a.m. | The Swamp
  Help celebrate the launch of the new livestream webcam with an old-fashioned, in-person ribbon-cutting and special conversation with an Academy scientist who knows Claude well.
   
• Face Painting | 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
  Transform into your favorite Academy animal with the help of talented face painters.
   
• Lindsay Wildlife Animal Scales and Tails! | 12 p.m.–3 p.m. | East Garden
  Meet Lindsay Wildlife's animal ambassadors.

NightLife: Academy Eve for 21+
Join us the night before Academy Day, on Thursday, April 3, for an unforgettable evening of science and community, including Museum of Craft and Design art projects; an auction of penguin paintings; and mystery bags that include prizes from the Golden State Warriors, NightLife tickets, drink tickets, and other Academy goodies.

The Academy’s Founding: April 4, 1853
The California Academy of Sciences was founded on the evening of April 4, 1853—just three years after California joined the United States—when seven men assembled in a candle-lit room in a Montgomery Street office in San Francisco to create the first scientific academy west of the Atlantic seaboard. They proposed to undertake “a thorough systematic survey of every portion of the state and the collection of a cabinet of her rare and rich productions."

Local naturalists’ fieldwork generated a growing collection of research specimens, leading to the opening of a public museum on Market Street to display these scientific treasures in 1874. Since then, countless other Academy staff and scientists, including some whose “untold stories” were largely overlooked due to their identity, have helped transform the Academy into a powerful voice for biodiversity science; a leader in environmental education; and the only institution in the world with an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum all under one living roof.

Today, the Academy welcomes more than 1 million visitors a year and is home to approximately 70 research scientists who study biodiversity and apply that knowledge to our efforts to regenerate the natural world.

Media contact: Ronna Kelly, rkelly@calacademy.org
Photos and video available here. Please credit Nicole Ravicchio © California Academy of Sciences.