The Exploratorium is easily accessible by public transportation. San Francisco Muni buses #30, #43, #28, and #29 stop nearby, and Muni bus lines #22, #41, and #45 stop in the vicinity. From Fisherman's Wharf, take the #30 Stockton bus. For more information, call Muni at 415-673-6864 or check the SFMTA trip planner.

If you’re taking Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), get off at the Montgomery Street station, walk one half-block up Market Street to Third Street, and catch the #30 Stockton bus on the corner.

Most downtown-bound Golden Gate Transit buses stop near the Exploratorium. Ask your driver for directions or call Golden Gate Transit Information at 415-455-2000.

The Doyle Drive/Presidio Parkway construction project will affect several streets near the Exploratorium. Ask your bus driver to recommend the best stop.

When you get off the bus, head for the gold-topped dome of the Palace of Fine Arts rotunda, which is just outside the Exploratorium’s main doors.

Helpful Links:

Golden Gate Transit
Public Transit Trip Planner (from 511.org)
BART

Continuing work on the Doyle Drive/Presidio Parkway construction project has affected access to several streets near the Exploratorium and made the museum’s regular parking lot unavailable. Below are new recommended driving routes and information on free nearby parking.

From the North Bay to Exploratorium Parking:

Map and instructions

Traveling south on U.S. 101, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and follow signs indicating Downtown San Francisco. Do not take the Lombard Street exit on the right. Instead, stay to the left and take the Marina exit; you’ll see the sign overhead. While you might be tempted to take a right at the first stop light (Lyon Street) and pull directly into the Exploratorium, pass the Lyon Street entrance and proceed straight on Marina Boulevard. Then:
1. Right on Divisadero Street
2. Right on Jefferson Street
3. Right on Broderick Street
4. Left on Marina Boulevard, then immediately move into the right lane
5. Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Exploratorium parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club). If you pass the lot, you’ll see signs on the right for additional parking at Crissy Field.

NOTE: Avoid bearing left after the parking lot; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Exploratorium through the Presidio or retry the directions above.

From the East Bay to Exploratorium Parking:

Map and instructions

Cross the Bay Bridge. Follow the signs to the 9th Street exit. Stay in the right-hand lane. Go one block and turn right onto 9th Street. Stay in the left-hand lane. Immediately after Market Street, veer left onto Hayes Street. Then:
1. Right on Van Ness Avenue (look for signs to the Golden Gate Bridge)
2. Left on Lombard Street; once on Lombard, get into the right-hand lane
3. Right on Divisadero Street
4. Left on Marina Boulevard, then immediately move into the right lane
5. Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Exploratorium parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club). If you pass the lot, you’ll see signs on the right for additional parking at Crissy Field.

NOTE: Avoid bearing left after the parking lot; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Exploratorium through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.

From the South Bay or Peninsula to Exploratorium Parking:

Map and instructions

From Highway 101
Take Highway 101 North to the Market Street/Van Ness exit. Take Van Ness to Lombard (look for signs to the Golden Gate Bridge). Turn left onto Lombard. Once on Lombard, get into the right-hand lane. Then:
1. Right on Divisadero Street
2. Left on Marina Boulevard, then immediately move into the right lane
3. Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Exploratorium parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club). If you pass the lot, you’ll see signs on the right for additional parking at Crissy Field.

NOTE: Avoid bearing left after the parking lot; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Exploratorium through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.

From Interstate 280
Map and instructions
Follow 19th Avenue through Golden Gate Park; 19th Avenue becomes Park Presidio Boulevard on the other side of the Park. Follow signs for the Highway 101 Detour. Then:
1. Right on Geary Boulevard
2. Left on Van Ness Avenue, move into left lanes
3. Left on Lombard Street, get into the right-hand lane
4. Right on Divisadero Street
5. Left on Marina Boulevard, then immediately move into the right lane
6. Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Exploratorium parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club). If you pass the lot, you’ll see signs on the right for additional parking at Crissy Field.

NOTE: Avoid bearing left after the parking lot; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Exploratorium through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.

Helpful Links:

Doyle Drive traffic alerts
Google Directions

The Exploratorium is located in a scenic, fairly flat part of San Francisco that is ideal for bike riding. There are many routes here from all over the city; please consult the San Francisco Bike Map available for download below, or plot a bike route to the museum using Google Maps (click on “Get Directions,” then on the bike icon).

From Aquatic Park (a few blocks west of Fisherman’s Wharf) to the Exploratorium is an easy two-mile ride on a dedicated, off-street bike path, mostly along the Bay and with only one short uphill section.

Follow the bike path west toward Fort Mason and Marina Boulevard. Stay alongside Marina Boulevard for approximately 1.5 miles and bear right at the last traffic light, just past the St. Francis Yacht Club. (Look for a row of tall eucalyptus trees on your right; if you pass the trees and enter the Presidio, you’ve gone too far.) The Exploratorium is located just across the street, on your left, in the Palace of Fine Arts.

Be aware that the Doyle Drive/Presidio Parkway construction project will affect many streets around the Exploratorium and some of the bike routes within the Presidio itself.

Helpful Links:

Downloadable Bike map (provided by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition):
San Francisco Bike Map [PDF]

Google Maps (click on “Get Directions,” then on the bike icon).

Buses traveling to the Exploratorium must use the approved routes outlined below. Please note that there may be differences between the route information for yellow school buses and charter/tour buses. Please take a moment to make sure you have the correct set of directions.

Download a pdf of these charter/tour bus directions.

Click here for detailed arrival and departure information for FIELD TRIPS arriving by charter/tour bus. These instructions are for educational institutions participating in the Exploratorium Field Trip Program, which operates weekday mornings between October and June.

Click here for detailed arrival and departure information for GROUPS arriving by charter/tour bus. These instructions are for groups who are not participating in the Exploratorium Field Trip Program. The Group Program operates year round, on weekday afternoons and weekends.

From the South:
If you are traveling from the south (most likely via 19th Avenue and Park Presidio Avenue), follow the signs for the Highway 101 Detour. Then:
1. Right on Geary Boulevard
2. Left on Van Ness Boulevard
3. Left on Lombard Street
4. Lombard Street becomes Richardson Avenue as the street veers right just beyond Broderick Street.
5. Right on Lyon Street
6. Left on Palace Drive (at the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
7. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.

From the East:
If you are traveling from the east (from the Bay Bridge) make your way onto Van Ness heading north. Then:
1. Left on Lombard Street
2. Lombard Street becomes Richardson Avenue as the street veers right just beyond Broderick Street
3. Right on Lyon Street
4. Left on Palace Drive (at the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
5. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.

From the North:
If you are traveling from the north (over the Golden Gate Bridge), follow Doyle Drive to the Lombard/Downtown exit (you will be bearing right). DO NOT TAKE THE MARINA EXIT: Tour buses are prohibited from traveling on most neighborhood streets. You will be on Richardson Avenue, which turns into Lombard. Continue on Lombard. Then:
1. Right on Steiner Street
2. Right on Greenwich Street
3. Right on Pierce Street
4. Left on Lombard, heading back toward the Golden Gate Bridge
5. Right on Lyon Street
6. Left on Palace Drive (at the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
7. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.

Buses traveling to the Exploratorium must use the approved routes outlined below. Please note there are slight, but very important differences between the route information for yellow school buses and for charter/tour buses. Please take a moment to make sure you have the correct set of directions.

Download a pdf of these yellow school bus directions.

Click here for detailed arrival and departure information for FIELD TRIPS arriving by yellow school bus. These instructions are for educational institutions participating in the Exploratorium Field Trip Program, which operates weekday mornings between October and June.

Click here for more detailed arrival and departure information for GROUPS arriving by yellow school bus. These instructions are for groups who are not participating in the Exploratorium Field Trip Program. The Group Program operates year round, on weekday afternoons and weekends.

From the South:
If you are traveling from the south (most likely via 19th Avenue and Park Presidio Avenue), follow the signs for the Highway 101 Detour. Then:
1. Right on Geary Boulevard
2. Left on Van Ness Boulevard
3. Left on Lombard Street
4. Right on Lyon Street
5. Left on Palace Drive (at the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
6. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.

From the East:
If you are traveling from the east (from the Bay Bridge), make your way onto Van Ness Avenue, heading north. Then:
1. Left on Lombard Street
2. Right on Lyon Street
3. Left on Palace Drive (at the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
4. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.

From the North:
If you are traveling from the north (over the Golden Gate Bridge), stay to the LEFT and follow Doyle Drive to the Marina Boulevard exit. Then:
1. Continue straight on Marina Boulevard, passing the Lyon Street entrance to the Exploratorium
2. Right on Baker Street (the first right after the stoplight at Marina Boulevard/Lyon Street)
3. Right on Bay Street
4. Proceed straight onto Palace Drive (past the intersection of Lyon and Bay Streets)
5. Continue down Palace Drive. You will be greeted by an Exploratorium staff member and directed into the staging area to offload your group alongside the Palace of Fine Arts. Once all passengers have left the bus, the driver will be given parking instructions.