There are really only two potential problems with the otherwise amazing state of the art California Academy of Sciences. There are a ton of kids there and no cheap bars in sight.

That is, unless you happen to be at the museum on Thursday night.

Every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. the academy becomes a social scene for the 21-and-up crowd, complete with a DJ and numerous strategically placed bars. But what seems to excite some people the most isn't what's at the museum.

"It's f-----g awesome that there are no kids here," said Jennifer Kahn, a member of the Scientific Press Club and one of the event's special guests.

The NightLife event, which started earlier this month, is aimed at the people that are working during the day and don't have the luxury of annual school field trips to experience museums. Each week the museum hosts a different DJ and guest lecturer. People can mingle, dance, catch a show at the Morrison Planetarium or see any other exhibit in the museum, which is still entirely open for evening. It allows people to experience the museum in a more relaxed, mature environment.

"There's this stigma that because so many kids come here that all the stuff is only for kids," said Josh Harkinson, writer for Mother Jones magazine. "We're here to make science hip."

The vibe of the museum after dark is markedly different from the average weekend day. The staff is still there to share interesting facts and answer questions. And it probably helps that they work with kids during the week, because explaining how a Foucault Pendulum works to a man who has had three glasses of wine is probably similar to explaining it to an 8-year-old.

Because each week features a new theme for NightLife, with a different DJ and special guest, it's never the same experience twice.

The opening week, Feb. 12, saw a more energetic crowd, thanks in part to DJ Fluid and J-Boogie from Om records. The Feb. 19 event was more mellow, and the museum's own DJ Aaron Pope provided the ambiance.

For SF State students who haven't seen the Academy of Sciences before, or haven't been since before it was rebuilt last year, NightLife is the time to do it.

The museum, even without the music or alcohol, is an amazing experience. The three-story rainforest dome and aquarium are reasons enough to drop the $10 it costs for admission, but the museum also features the world's largest all-digital planetarium, live penguins and a living rooftop with telescope viewings.

Plus, the word on the street is that it's a good place to meet singles, say some patrons.

"There's something about these animals that makes it a little more physical and breaks down barriers," said Nathanael Johnson, one of the museum's guests.

"When you look at a big ugly black fish, any woman by comparison looks way more awesome," Harkinson added.

Frugal students may not make this their usual club spot, though. Drinks run a bit steep, at $6-$7 for a beer and $8-$10 for cocktails. The food is the same deal. A curried chicken salad wrap is going to run $11, the average price for their food choices.

Cat Aboudara, manager of special programing for the academy, was pleased with the turnout for the first two events, which according to her saw some 4,000 people each night. She said NightLife is a great place to interact with people that share a love of science.

Johnson agreed that the event does a good job of bringing people together and shedding the myth that academics are the "high priests" of society.

"Some of these people are actual scientists, and they're getting s---faced," Johnson said.

The NightLife events are every Thursday through October 29th. The museum is on Music Concourse Drive, in the middle of Golden Gate Park. Tickets are available at the door, or online at http://www.calacademy.org/event_tickets.