The California Academy of Sciences will mark Día de los Muertos next Thursday with a tribute to Claude, the albino alligator who lived at the museum for 17 years before his death last December. The Academy plans to unveil an alebrije—a form of Mexican folk art—in Claude’s memory during the after-hours NightLife event.
A Folk-Art Farewell for a Beloved Reptile
The sculpture was made by artist Carolina Argote of Sacramento's Balam Arts, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Academy describes the piece as being created in memory of Claude, with the unveiling positioned as a centerpiece of the evening's festivities, according to the California Academy of Sciences, which frames the celebration as honoring tradition through art, music and community. The event is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the museum's home at 55 Music Concourse Drive, per sf.funcheap.com.
Guests can expect the night to open with a traditional Aztec blessing performed by Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca on the concourse outside the main museum entrance, the Academy notes. From there, the evening will roll into live music and dance performances, local Latine vendors, a photo booth and calavera face painting, rounding out a celebration built around both ceremony and festivity. The event is restricted to guests 21 and older with valid physical photo identification, and tickets cost $26, per the same account.
Remembering Claude's Nearly Two Decades at the Academy
Claude died on Dec. 2, 2025, at age 30, after spending 17 years at the Academy, where he drew more than 22 million visitors, according to a statement from the California Academy of Sciences. A necropsy conducted at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine found liver cancer with evidence of associated liver failure, the Academy said. Claude arrived from a Louisiana alligator farm and became the Academy’s first American alligator with albinism, per the Chronicle.
Claude’s rarity and another animal memorial
Claude was one of fewer than 200 alligators in the world with albinism, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the Academy. The condition impaired his eyesight and camouflage, leaving him vulnerable to predators in the wild, according to the museum. A separate public memorial for a celebrated animal took place in Los Angeles: the Los Angeles Times reported that thousands gathered at Griffith Park’s Greek Theatre on Feb. 4, 2023, to honor P-22, a wild mountain lion. That event was an outdoor celebration of life, distinct from the Academy’s museum-based tribute to Claude.
Over the years, Claude became one of the museum's most sought-after attractions, with thousands turning out for events like his birthday party, according to the Academy. His popularity has drawn comparisons to other animals that became civic icons in their cities, with the New York Times noting that Claude was to San Francisco what Los Angeles mountain lion P-22, New York owl Flaco and Cincinnati hippo Fiona were to their own communities.
From Street Signs to Community Memorials
The Día de los Muertos sculpture is only the latest piece of Claude's expanding public legacy. Music Concourse Drive was renamed Claude the Alligator Way after his death, with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission approving the commemorative designation for the stretch between JFK Promenade and MLK Drive, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The resolution supporting the street naming was sponsored by Supervisor Myrna Melgar, the department said, and the designation was officially unveiled during Claude Forever, the museum's free outdoor celebration of life for the alligator.
The Día de los Muertos sculpture joins other public tributes to Claude. The Academy’s earlier memorial gave visitors a chance to contribute notes in his honor; the alebrije unveiling brings another public remembrance into the museum’s Día de los Muertos program.
