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Exploratorium Fact Sheet

Mission, Vision, and Values

The Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception.

Our mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide.

Our vision is a world where people think for themselves and can confidently ask questions, question answers, and understand the world around them.

We value lifelong learning and teaching, curiosity and inquiry, our community, iteration and evidence, integrity and authenticity, sustainability, and inclusion and respect.

Recent Praise and Accolades

  • In January of 2018, The New York Times Magazine featured the Exploratorium as one of "The Ten Coolest Museums in the World."
  • The Exploratorium is #1 of 106 museums in San Francisco on Trip Advisor.
  • In January of 2018, 7x7 called the Exploratorium's new After Dark membership "the sexiest museum membership ever."
  • The Exploratorium won four 2018 Webby Awards, sweeping both the People's Voice and the official Webby in two categories.
  • Our LEED Platinum certified building at Pier 15 was acknowledged with Acterra's 2018 "Sustainable Built Environment Award."
  • The Exploratorium's After Dark creative campaign won the 2018 Communication Arts "Award of Excellence."

 

Fast Facts (for FY17)

STAFF

CAMPUS

  • The building was awarded LEED® Platinum certification in 2014.
  • Pier 15 has 218,000 sq. ft. with 75,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.
  • There are more than 650 interactive exhibits created by staff scientists, exhibit developers, and artists.
  • Pier 15 features six main exhibit galleries and additional exhibits in free, public space; a 200-seat theater; a life sciences laboratory; wired
 classrooms and labs; machine, wood, and electronics shops; two stores; and a restaurant and café.

FINANCIALS

  • FY17 budget: $48 million
  • Endowment: $55 million

COMMUNITIES SERVED

  • 850,000 visitors; 66,000 yearly adult visitors at After Dark programs
  • 112,000 field trip visitors in FY17 from more than 1,100 schools, with 60,000 field trip visitors from Title I schools receiving free admission.
  • 16,639 member households

FUNDERS

  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • National Endowment for the Humanities
  • NASA
  • Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund
  • San Francisco Dept. of Children, Youth, and Their Families
  • California State Coastal Conservancy
  • And many foundations, corporations, and individuals

DIGITAL REACH

  • Our website, which launched in 1992, was one of the first 600 websites online. It now features about 25,000 pages of content and has about 1 million viewers each month.
  • Social media reach:

    • Facebook: 133,812 followers
    • Twitter: 97,600 followers
    • Instagram: 48,100 followers
    • YouTube: 11,079 subscribers 
  • Our award-winning apps—Color Uncovered, Sound Uncovered, and Total Solar Eclipse—have been downloaded 3.6 million times.
  • “Science Snacks” are miniature versions of Exploratorium exhibits that educators can build in their classrooms using common, inexpensive materials. The Snacks portal had 2.1 million page views by over 700,000 unique users in FY17 alone.
  • Our online professional development curriculum has been downloaded by more than 10,000 educators from over 60 countries on 6 continents.

 

Beyond the Museum

Our employees help design and build public spaces across the globe; contribute to environmental, educational, and scientific research; and work with innovative partners ranging from NASA to Google to create inquiry-based learning experiences that build wonder and generate confidence. We believe in education and access for all and strive to manifest these beliefs in our work.

EDUCATION

  • The Teacher Institute (TI) provides professional development for middle school and high school math and science teachers locally, nationally, and internationally, and partners with the state of California to train teachers on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

    • More than 23,000 educators have been through TI programs since 1984.
    • In FY17, over 1,000 teachers spent a combined total of 13,000 hours in face-to-face professional-development workshops. These teachers are estimated to serve 150,000 students per year.
       
  • The Institute for Inquiry (IFI) provides professional development for educators, administrators, education reform leaders, and the museum and university communities to address the theory and practice of inquiry-based science education.

    • Since 1995, IFI has worked with more than 7,000 lead teachers and professional developers from districts, universities, and museums on 160 projects in 900 districts, 49 states, and 17 countries.
    • Participants in these programs have influenced at least 200,000 teachers, and those teachers in turn have influenced 6,000,000 students internationally.
       
  • In the Tinkering Studio, visitors explore a curiosity-driven exhibit, chat with a featured artist, or investigate a range of phenomena with staff artists, scientists, educators, and other visitors by participating in a collaborative activity focused on the investigation of science.

    • In 2017, partners included MIT Media Laboratory, LEGO Foundation/LEGO Group, and Google.
    • Tinkering Professional Development supports tens of thousands of educators in over 40 countries.
    • In 2017, three Tinkering Fundamentals Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) reached approximately 10,000 MOOC participants for each course.
       
  • Field Trip Explainers are a group of experienced educators committed to inquiry-based learning experiences at the Exploratorium. They work to support, inspire, and empower visitors.

    • 41 Field Trip Explainers were on staff in FY17.
       
  • XTech is a technology program designed for middle school and high school students from San Francisco populations that are underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professions.

    • It engages more than 250 children, youth, and young adults in long-term, project-based learning experiences.
       
  • The Center for Informal Learning in Schools works with schools to codesign equity-oriented learning environments, conduct research on STEM-rich learning, and create resources to share with the field. They focus on play, investigation, creativity, iteration, questioning, and meaning making.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Visitor Research and Evaluation conducts research on learning in the context of informal educational environments. Recent research has focused on design principles related to crucial topics in science communication and education such as equity, self-reflection, data visualization, and prolonged engagement.

    • There have been 25 studies conducted since the program’s inception.
    • Three R&D research grants were received in FY17.
    • Three journal articles, book chapters, and books were published in FY17.
       
  • Living Systems is housed in the East Gallery of the Exploratorium and focuses on communicating foundational concepts in biology, engaging in critical research in biomedical science, and demonstrating the complex systems and interactions of living beings.

    • There are four PhD biologists on staff.
    • The bio lab features facilities commonly used in biomedical research, including stem-cell cultures and research-grade microscopes.

ART

  • The Center for Arts and Inquiry promotes the arts as a fundamental medium for exploration, inquiry, and discovery at the Exploratorium. CAI’s arts programming includes the public Over the Water program and the long-running Artist-in-Residence Program.

    • There are 4 artists-in-residence per year.
    • Each year, there are 4–5 programs, including exhibitions, public artworks, and program series.
       

  • Cinema Arts tests the boundaries of film through performance and inquiry-based programs centered on the moving image. Their collection spans a diversity of content and media, from 16mm to immersive VR experiences. Beyond on-site screenings, Cinema Arts presents screenings at community sites throughout the Bay Area, hosts classes, and commissions new works.

    • Films are often screened in The Kanbar Forum, a 3,600-square-foot theatre with a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system.
    • In FY17,183 unique film titles were screened in addition to 61 programs featuring 52 guest artists, musicians, or scholars.
       
  • The Osher Fellowship brings outstanding scientists, educators, artists, scholars, and authors to the Exploratorium to explore the museum and engage with staff.

    • Since 1988, five MacArthur Genius awardees, one National Poet Laureate, a three-time Oscar awardee, and a Nobel Prize Laureate have been Osher Fellows.

ACTIVATING PUBLIC SPACES

  • Global Studios offers Exploratorium expertise in everything from master planning to exhibit design to professional development to partners worldwide, including local and national governments, universities, museums, libraries, hospitals, and corporations.
     
  • Studio for Public Spaces takes the Exploratorium’s tradition of active, inquiry-based learning experiences into public spaces around the Bay Area. SPS creates exhibits and environments that encourage play, exploration, creativity, and social connection.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

  • Community Educational Engagement (CEE) is a link between the Exploratorium and community-based organizations that work with underserved children, teens, and their families.

    • 2,000 children and families engage in free science experiences each year.
    • FY17 partners include the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Unified School District, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
    • CEE produces the annual Latino Engineering Day in collaboration with Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
       
  • Free Days and Reduced Rates include community days, sponsored free admission for educators, free field trips for Title 1 schools, library passes, family passes, and free admission for EBT cardholders, in addition to our Community Family Pass Program.

    • 70 local nonprofits, libraries, shelters, and youth organizations have access to free community passes.
       
  • High School Explainers are the Exploratorium’s youngest employees, a diverse group of students who engage visitors at exhibits, lead demonstrations, and run many museum operations.

    • The program provides first jobs and positive science experiences to a diverse group of Bay Area young people.
    • 308 Explainers were hired in FY17.
       
  • Our Field Trip Program supports schools by offering an opportunity for students to build excitement for science through hands-on, inquiry-based experiences that connect to classroom curriculum and acknowledge students’ unique learning paths.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

  • The Fisher Bay Observatory guides visitors in observing the geography, history, and ecology of the San Francisco Bay region. Through exhibits and events, visitors are introduced to the tools and methods scientists use to gather information, with particular attention to the dynamic processes in the local landscape and human impact on those processes.
     
  • The Wired Pier is an array of sensitive instruments around the Exploratorium campus at Piers 15 and 17, measuring and recording conditions related to weather, Bay water, pollution, and more. The data is displayed on the Wired Pier site and in the Observatory, and is shared with our scientific partners.

 

Exploratorium as a World Leader

The Exploratorium is among the most well-known and effective nonprofits, unparalleled as a world leader for innovation in education during its history. The Exploratorium encourages imitation, promotes process over product, and considers questions as important as answers.

  • 80 percent of the world’s science centers use Exploratorium-designed exhibits, programs, or ideas
  • 200 million people engage with Exploratorium exhibits and experiences every year at science centers and other locations worldwide
  • Exploratorium Global Studios provides master planning, program development, and exhibit fabrication for projects worldwide. Work is in progress for projects in Turkey, London, Palestine, Singapore, and Seoul, as well as Baltimore Aquarium, San Mateo Public Libraries, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Google, and museums in Louisiana and Arkansas.
  • 80 live webcasts, videos and other media produced each year by the Exploratorium Moving Images team

 

Pier 15 Building

The Exploratorium, a museum of science, art, and human perception, founded by Frank Oppenheimer in 1969, outgrew its space in the Marina decades ago, but the historic nature of the beaux arts Palace of Fine Arts prevented expansion. After years of searching, the Exploratorium identified the twin piers 15 and 17, available on a 66-year lease from the port, as a site that could be adapted for reuse, although one that required extensive investment. As the result of the successful $300 million comprehensive capital campaign to relocate and expand the museum—as well as to add new exhibits and increase endowment—the museum opened to the public at Pier 15 in April 2013. Construction was completed on time and on budget.

 

Piers15/17 Features

  • Nine-acre campus of piers, public park, and open water
  • Pier 15: 824 feet long with just under 218,000 sq. ft. inside, including 75,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space
  • 6 main exhibit galleries plus outdoor exhibit space; 200-seat theater with state-of-the-art Meyer sound system; life sciences laboratory; wired classrooms and labs; webcast studio for live events; machine, wood, and electronics shops in view of the public; two retail stores; restaurant and café; and exceptional views of the Bay and downtown San Francisco
  • Wired pier monitors on Pier 15, the roof, and under water capture weather patterns, Bay currents, and air-quality data for researchers at UC Berkeley, Romberg-Tiburon Center, and NOAA
  • One-and-a-half-acre urban park on the water free to the public for biking, jogging, strolling, and playing with outdoor exhibits
  • A short walk from the Ferry Building and Pier 39—attractions with 12 million and 19 million visitors annually—and walking distance from downtown San Francisco
  • Ideal location for public transportation, including bus, streetcar, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Ferries, and water taxi dock added to Pier 15 in late 2015
  • Docking space at the end of the pier for ocean research vessels, allowing museum visitors to tour ships and meet ocean scientists; from NOAA, Schmidt, Scripps
  • Space in Pier 17 to rent now (Swiss Consulate, Swissnex, and others) and rehabilitate in the future for Exploratorium use

Building Awards

In spring of 2016, the Exploratorium building, designed by the architecture firm EHDD, was named one of the top ten sustainability projects of the year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and received the top award in building sustainability from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The piers also received top honors from the Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence and have received awards in structural engineering, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and architecture. The building has LEED Platinum status, an exceptional achievement for an adaptive reuse project in a historic building. The Exploratorium is a registered San Francisco Green Business and received special recognition in 2016 from the San Francisco Department of Environment for efforts to generate 100 percent of energy needed on site.

Exhibits

  • 670 exhibits on display at Pier 15 created by staff scientists, artists and designers. New exhibits always in development.
  • 25 exhibits in 3 locations in San Francisco: Buchanan Mall, LIZ1 on Market Street between Third and Fourth, and LIZ 2 at UN Plaza on Market Street.
  • 48 exhibits refurbished last year (refurbishment may be new design, new materials, new graphics)
  • 400 repair tickets (requests) per month
  • Completed NSF-funded research on design principles that make exhibits engaging for girls

 

Selected Awards

  • Voted number one science museum in the world by science center leaders from five continents as part of the Fourth Science Center World Congress, 2005
  • Honored with the prestigious Public Service Award from the Board of the National Science Foundation NSF), 2011, the first time ever given to a museum, "For pioneering efforts to increase public understanding of the processes of science and engineering through hands-on interactivity within a museum learning center; fostering awareness of science, engineering, and technology to the education community; and encouraging and influencing the next generation of scientists and engineers."
  • Noted as “the most important science museum to have opened since the mid-20th century,” by the New York Times staff critic, Edward Rothstein, April 17, 2013
  • Profiled in the award-winning management book, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits, as one of the twelve most effective nonprofits in the nation, and praised as a “model for interactive museums around the world” that “catalyzed the worldwide, hands-on, science education movement,” by the authors Leslie R. Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant, 2007
  • Awarded the UNESCO International Trophy of Culture and Education in 1992
  • Recognized with multiple MUSE awards in the past decade from the American Alliance for Museums (AAM), for online projects, video and film, a mobile app, publications, exhibitions, as well as interpretation and education; including the statement, “No one in recent years has had a greater impact upon museums.”
  • Received multiple Webby Awards for best science site (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004), best education site (2002), People’s Voice Best Events and Live Broadcast (2007); official honoree in three categories (2007, 2008).
  • Awarded first place in illustration, in the International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, 2008, held by Science magazine and the National Science Foundation