There's a science to getting the most out of a visit to the California Academy of Sciences, and, like many scientific experiments, ours failed the first time. We took the bus all the way out to Golden Gate Park, only to find a long line of people waiting to get in — and no more tickets available. Lesson No. 1: get your tickets in advance, online at www.cal academy.org.

Once inside the amazing eco-friendly building, head straight to the Planetarium to get a ticket for the movie "Fragile Planet." It shows every hour on the half hour, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Next, head over to the Forum to secure your seats for a showing of "Bugs!", a 3-D movie. It plays every hour on the hour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

You might want to allow a couple of hours between the movies so you can see other shows, talks or exhibits. Or lunch, perhaps?

Feedings are really fun. The penguins are fed daily at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and divers feed fish in the Philippine Coral Reef at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

There's also a swamp talk at 1 p.m. that we couldn't get to because we spent so much time in the amazing Aquarium.

You might think the rainforest exhibit isn't worth the effort if you live in the rainforest (as we do, in upper Nu'uanu) but we are so glad we went through it. It's absolutely fascinating and I fell in love with the dozens of exotic butterflies. As you exit the elevator, there's a man standing there with a butterfly net to catch any strays that might have tried to make an escape on your jacket.

Lunch in the Academy Cafe is an adventure in cuisines. There are food stations with multicultural menus that include paninis, soups and salads, as well as a steam station, taco bar and a pasta station where they'll assemble an assorted sampling of dishes inspired by cuisines of the world. If you prefer, there's a family friendly area where you can sit and enjoy a lunch you brought with you.