Mission
The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception founded in 1969. The Exploratorium’s mission is to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.
Audiences
- 560,000 people visited the Exploratorium last year
- 56% of visitors are adults and 44% are children
- 61% are from the Bay Area, 30% from the rest of California, 6% from other states, 3% outside U.S.
- 97,000 students and their chaperones visit the museum each year; of these, 67,000 participate in the Field Trip program
- 12,500 individuals and families are Exploratorium members
- 49% of visitors receive free or discounted admission
- 41,000 visitors attended on Free Wednesdays (the first Wednesday of every month) last year
- 180 million visit Exploratorium exhibits at science centers and other locations worldwide
Exhibitions and Programs
- More than 1,000 original interactive exhibits, displays, and artworks have been designed, prototyped, and built on site, with 475 currently on view
- Hands-on exhibits explore biology, physics, listening, cognition, and visual perception
- Public Programs include original plays, film screenings, craft demonstrations, access to artist studios, and lectures
- The museum has hosted more than 250 artists in residence
- More than 2,500 exhibits have been installed at 200 science centers, museums, universities, and other organizations worldwide
- More than 25 science centers nationwide have partnered with the Exploratorium to receive exhibit collections and educational training
Education and Research
- The Exploratorium received the National Science Foundation’s Public Service to Science Award in 2011, the first time a museum has been honored
- Since 1995, more than 6,400 educators from 48 states and 11 countries have participated in Exploratorium workshops
- More than 500 U.S. middle and high school science teachers participate in at least 40 hours of intensive professional development each year; 75 of these science teachers receive more than 100 hours of professional development support
- The Exploratorium is a national center that supports professional development for informal educators, reaching more than 500 annually through workshops, conferences, and publications
- Educational Outreach reaches 3,500 underserved children and families in the community with free activities
- 100 middle- and high-school students participate in XTech, a college-preparatory science and engineering program; 85% are from populations underrepresented in those fields
- The High School Explainer Program hires and trains a diverse group of more than 120 students aged 15-19 each year to be docents
- The Osher Fellows Program hosts 4 to 6 resident scholars, scientists, educators, and artists each year
- 7 staff members, including 3 Ph.D.s, comprise one of the country’s most active museum research and evaluation groups
Media
- 12 million people annually visit www.exploratorium.edu, which has 40,000 pages of original content
- 75 live Webcasts, podcasts, and videos are produced each year from the Exploratorium and remote locations
- 25,000 copies of Exploratorium-developed publications were sold in the past year, with 18 titles in print
- 13,500 copies of Explore, the membership newsletter, are distributed quarterly
Facilities
The Exploratorium uses 110,000 square feet of floor space within San Francisco’s historic Palace of Fine Arts, plus offices and exhibit building shops in adjacent Presidio buildings. Facilities include:
- Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio
- machine, wood, and electronics shops
- life sciences laboratory
- 125-seat McBean Theater
- 9 wired classrooms
- free parking
The Exploratorium is available to rent for private events during evening hours.
Budget and Staff
- 2011–12 budget: $44,670,579
- 526 total employees; 244 full-time equivalent; 37% people of color
- 24 Ph.D.-level scientists, artists, educators, and researchers
- An international team of 250 volunteers contributes more than 16,000 hours annually
