• Where Curiosity Takes You

    Step inside a tornado, turn upside down in a curved mirror, walk on a fog bridge, and explore more than 650 hands-on exhibits.

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  • SEE FOR YOURSELF.
    THURSDAYS AFTER DARK.

    6:00–10:00 p.m. every Thursday night at the Exploratorium. Adults Only (18+)

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  • Inquiry-based learning is at the core of the Exploratorium. We invite people to ask questions, question answers, and discover for themselves how the world works.

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  • Explore our cool, teacher-tested, low-cost activities for the classroom and the curious.

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  • Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art
    Gigantic, fantastic, air-filled creations that expand our vision of art.
    Opens Saturday, May 26, 2018.

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  • Special Summer Hours
    (May 26—September 3)

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Experience the Exploratorium at Pier 15

Plan Your Visit

Pier 15
(Embarcadero @ Green St.)
San Francisco, CA 94111
Directions & Parking

Today's hours are 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Tonight's adults-only hours are 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Special Summer Hours (May 26–September 3)
Daily (All Ages): 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday Evenings (Ages 18+): 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Friday Evening Extended Hours (July 6–August 31; All Ages): 5:00–9:00 p.m.

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What's Going On?
Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art

Saturday, May 26–Monday, September 3, 2018

Wonder at gigantic, fantastical air-filled artworks. These ephemeral sculptures include otherworldly organisms by Jason Hackenwerth and Shih Chieh Huang, a forest of cushiony columns by Jimmy Kuehnle, and an inflatable insect-eye room from Pneuhaus, and Amanda Parer's monumental humanoid figures peeking around corners.

Infinity Room

Thursday, June 14–Sunday, July 15, 2018

Step into an otherworldly portal and envelop yourself in distorted light and perpetually morphing visuals. Watch the walls melt away as the barrier between the material and virtual realms blur into infinity.

Jul
12
After Dark: Ice Cream

Thursday, July 12, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

People throughout the world have tinkered with different means of perfecting ice cream—especially here in San Francisco. Get the scoop on ice cream chemistry with Dr. Maya Warren at Pairings.

Jul
13
Expand

Friday, July 13, 2018 • 4:00–7:00 p.m.

Upcycle old plastic bags into fashionable, waterproof fabric by fusing together strips of plastic with a clothes iron. Design colorful patterns to fuse into inflatable pillows and other whimsical objects to take home.

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More to Explore

The Exploratorium isn't just a museum; it's an ongoing exploration of science, art and human perception—a vast collection of online experiences that feed your curiosity.

Featured Video

What Causes San Francisco Fog?

Why are San Francisco summers so foggy?

more videos
Science Snacks

Low-cost, teacher-tested activities for the classroom and the curious.

What Is the
Wired Pier?

A collection of sensors around the Exploratorium campus is measuring and recording conditions in the environment—the weather, Bay water quality, pollution, and more.

Science of Cooking

Explore the science behind food and cooking with recipes, activities, and Webcasts.

Curious? There’s an App for That

If you haven’t yet downloaded our free apps, then you’re in for a surprise—actually, loads of them. 

Explore our online collection