exploratorium
  • three people

    SELF, MADE
    Exploring you in a world of we • May 23–Sept 2

    Journey through the looking glass of identity and see yourself—and others—in new ways. This bold yet playful exhibition features dozens of new interactives, artifacts, and artworks. Learn more

  • People at Exhibit

    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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  • Illuminated Fog Exhibit

    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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  • 50 Years 1969-2019

    At 50, we’re still constantly prototyping the next big idea.

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  • 100 Days of Summer at the Exploratorium

    Follow your curiosity to the Exploratorium May 23–September 2.

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

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  • Shadow Box exhibit

    Browse our growing online collection of hands-on exhibits. 

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  • Moon Month - July 2019

    Moon gaze with us during Moon Month—July 2019.

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.

Special Summer Hours
Daily (All Ages): 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday Evenings (Ages 18+): 6:00–10:00 p.m.

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What's Going On?


100 Days of Summer at the Exploratorium
100 Days of Summer at the Exploratorium

Thursday, May 23–Monday, September 2, 2019

Follow your curiosity to the Exploratorium. From May 23 to September 2, splash down any day of the week for special summer programming and to tinker with more than 650 interactive exhibits.

Collage of person
Self, Made: Exploring You in a World of We

May 23–September 2, 2019

Have you ever wondered what makes you you? Explore the many converging facets of identity on this journey to the center of the self.

Self, Made Cinema

Saturday, May 23–Monday, September 2, 2019

What are the formative experiences and encounters that can root a person's identity? In this collection of short films, the cinematic lens reveals essential and personal stories from a range of people.

Exploring Self, Made

Friday, June 14–Monday, September 2, 2019
Daily: 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Thursday nights: 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.

Join Self, Made facillitators in exploring identity in a space created to safely ask questions and have discussions. The exploration includes a walk-through of the four exhibition sections and ends with a deeper dive into one exhibit.

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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

Total Solar Eclipse LIVE: July 2, 2019

View a total solar eclipse from South America this July 2, 2019.

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Shadow Box exhibit
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
Science Snacks

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

photo of earth's atmosphere from space
Global Climate Change Explorer

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

Explore our online collection