Ray Bandar's Bone Palace 7,000 animal skulls

Ray Bandar began his extraordinary collection in 1953 when he found his first skull at Baker Beach in San Francisco. Over the next six decades, he passionately dedicated himself to expanding his collection. When Ray passed away in December 2017 at the age of 90, he left behind over 7,000 animal skulls—most of them on display across the four floors of his San Francisco home.

In 1958, Ray was appointed Field Research Assistant by the California Academy of Sciences. The Academy supported numerous of his bone-collecting expeditions, which took him to countries such as Mexico and Australia. His collection grew under an official scientific permit from the State of California, issued to him for his research with the Academy.

For over 32 years, Ray taught biology at Fremont High School in Oakland. In 1990, he retired from teaching to devote himself entirely to his passion—collecting and preserving bones. When an animal died at Bay Area zoos, he was the first point of contact, allowing him to expand his collection to include impressive species such as hippos, tigers, and chimpanzees.

His wife, Alkmene, a talented artist, was a driving force behind many of his collecting adventures. She encouraged him to pick up a horse skull from the side of the road on their honeymoon in 1954—a moment that laid the foundation for their shared passion. Although she often accompanied Ray, she joked that the key to their happy marriage was her weak sense of smell!

Ray viewed skulls as works of art, and both he and his wife were passionate artists. The living room already contained several skulls, but this was just a small taste of what awaited us.

Over 7,000 animal skulls filled every corner of the two basement rooms. Each skull was intricately handwritten—a detail the California Academy of Sciences wanted to preserve as an essential part of the collection.

Here you could find more than a thousand marine mammals, countless dog breeds, bears, leopards, rhinos, hippos, giraffes – and so many other fascinating species.

The absolute favorites! The majestic walrus skulls, a whole box full of beaver skulls, and a breathtaking narwhal tusk that Ray once received as a gift from a friend after he asked him if there was anything he hadn't already collected himself.

Ray also kept snakes – which were allowed to roam freely in the basement.

In the middle of the room was a sign with the words:
“There’s always room for one more!! Or two or three more.”

A motto that perfectly sums up Ray Bandar's life - an inspiring existence full of curiosity, passion and dedication to science.