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  • Our mission: more relevant than ever.

    About Us

  • Explore charming, handmade mechanical sculptures at Curious Contraptions.

    Learn more

  • 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.

    Visit us

  • 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.

    Learn more

  • Browse our growing online collection of hands-on exhibits. 

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

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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.


Museum Hours
Tuesday–Sunday (All Ages): 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday Evenings (Ages 18+): 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Monday: Closed except select Monday holidays

Buy Tickets
All events

What's Going On?
Curious Contraptions

November 8–January 20, 2019

Explore charming, often hilarious mechanical sculptures known as automata. These small, handmade machines bring whimsical dramas to life through low-tech mechanisms, inviting visitors to investigate how they work. 

Nov
12
School Field Trips: Open House for Teachers

Monday, November 12, 2018 (Veteran’s Day)

Teachers: Are you interested in bringing your class to the Exploratorium on a field trip? Enjoy free admission (for you and two guests), and start planning a great experience at the museum.

Nov
12
Exploratorium Open Veteran's Day

Monday, November 12, 2018 • 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

The Exploratorium will be open to the public on Monday, November 12, 2018.

Nov
15
After Dark: Poison

Thursday, November 15, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

“Only the dose makes the poison.” —Paracelsus

Pick your poison at After Dark. Discover the deadly history of arsenic at Everything Matters and weigh the threats and medicinal benefits of different toxins from venomous creatures and poisonous plants.

All events

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

Meet the Artist: Keith Newstead

Meet Keith Newstead, a featured artist at our Curious Contraptions exhibition.

more videos
Global Climate Change Explorer

Discover how researchers study climate change and examine the latest scientific data.

Exploratorium Exhibit Collection

We’ve been making our own hands-on exhibits here at the Exploratorium since 1969. Now with over 650 exhibits currently on display in our museum, we’re working to create a browsable collection of these exhibits online.

Science Snacks

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

Explore our online collection