The Exploratorium is temporarily closed. Explore our online resources for learning at home.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 01-16-2018

Your privacy is important to us at the Exploratorium. In this privacy policy, we explain how we collect information from visitors, including any personal information, and what we do with that information. We also describe how we protect any personal information you provide, and how you can opt out from different types of data collection.  

Please read this policy carefully. Your continued use of the Exploratorium’s Services means you agree to its terms. Thank you!

Contents:
1.    What Information Do We Collect?
2.    How Do We Use the Information We Collect?
3.    How Do We Share Information?
4.    How Do We Protect Your Information?
5.    What Rights and Controls Do You Have?
6.    International Visitors
7.    Third-Party Services
8.    Changes and Updates to This Policy
9.    How to Contact Us About Privacy Concerns

1.    What Information Do We Collect?

The Exploratorium (“we” or “us”) may collect personal information related to your use of, or participation in, our computer or mobile software, websites (collectively, the “Services”), museum exhibits, classes, activities, newsletters, memberships, donations, ticket purchases, purchases from our store, contests, games, surveys, submissions, chats, bulletin boards, communication by e mail, postal mail, telephone, fax, or in person, teacher outreach, other education-related activities (all collectively, “Museum Programs”), and any other information you voluntarily submit to us.

We also collect information about your use of the Services. This may include which pages, features, or screens you access, how you interact with online content, how you use our search features, and what links you choose to click on.  Here are some of the ways that we collect data about your use of the Services:

Cookies

We use cookies, which are small files written to your computer or mobile device (often through your web browser) when you access the Services. Cookies are used to store things such as your user preferences, account information for our online store, preferred discussion forums, and information about how you use the Services. Some cookies are required to use features of the Services. Other cookies we use to collect information about how you use the Services. Additionally, we use cookies in connection with features of the Services provided by third parties, for displaying content from third-party websites, or for sharing content from the Services on social networks. These types of cookies are optional and you can opt out of their use at any time using our Cookie Preferences tool, by using cookie controls available in your browser, or by using third-party browser extensions. 

Cookies Used for Behavioral Ad Tracking

Please be aware that third-party vendors may place or recognize one or more cookies on your computer when you use the Services, and may record information to these cookies based upon your activities on the Services and on third-party websites and other third-party services. These third-party vendors may use information about those activities to inform, optimize, and serve advertisements. In particular, we may use third-party vendors to engage in behavioral ad tracking or “remarketing,” in which advertisements you see on third-party websites and services may be based on your prior use of the Services.

You can opt out of some vendors’ use of information using our Cookie Preferences tool, discussed more fully in Section 5 below. Please note that opting out will not prevent advertisements from being served to you on the Internet; it will only result in certain advertisements no longer being targeted. We are not responsible for the activities of third parties that may not comply with your opt-out requests.

To learn more about how behavioral ad tracking works, please read our About Behavioral Ad Tracking guide.

Web Beacons / Clear GIFs / Tracking Pixels

Web beacons, also known as clear GIFs and tracking pixels, are markers on web pages, email messages, or other content that are linked to third-party tracking tools and technologies we use or license to provide features of the Services. They may be used with cookies, and may be either visible or invisible. Collected information includes, but is not limited to, data about which pages you access, how you interact with online content, how you use our search features, and what links you choose to click on. We use third-party data collection, tracking, analytics, and ad serving tools to gather and analyze this data.

Server Logs

Like most Internet websites, our servers receive and record certain information about visitors to our website.  This information includes your page requests, your Internet protocol (“IP”) address, the web browser and operating system you are using to connect to our website, and other information necessary to display the Internet pages and information you request from our servers.  Because IP addresses are generally assigned in country-specific blocks, we may also be able to identify the country from which your computer is connecting to the Internet.

Browser- and Server-Based Scripts

We also use browser- and server-based software programs called scripts to provide certain functionality and to collect data about how you use the Services.

Information About Children Under the Age of 13 

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent. If you are under 13 years of age, please do not give us any personal information.

We may collect information from parents, guardians, and other adults identifying children under the age of 13 in connection with membership and participation in Museum Programs. We will not knowingly display personal information about children under the age of 13 on our website without seeking parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and you discover that your child under 13 years of age has obtained an account on the Services or has otherwise provided personal information to us, then you may alert us at privacy@exploratorium.edu and request that we delete the child’s personal information from our systems.

2.    How Do We Use the Information We Collect?

We may use collected information to provide Museum Programs, deliver the Services, solicit community involvement and financial support, gather information about how the Services are functioning, detect and correct problems with the Services, improve Museum Programs and create new Museum Programs, and communicate with members, donors, Museum Program participants, store customers, website visitors and users of the Services, and other people who contact us.

We may also use your information as may be described in a notice to you at the time the information is collected, or in any other manner to which you give consent.

We may use aggregate information (collected data which contains no personal information, or from which all personal information has been removed) for any purpose.

3.    How Do We Share Information?

Except as disclosed in this policy or with your consent, we will not intentionally disclose any personal information about you (such as your full name, street address, telephone number, or e-mail address) to any third party, or sell, trade, or give out e-mail addresses to companies or other organizations.

We may disclose information to third parties under the following circumstances:

  • Any information that you voluntarily choose to include in a publicly accessible area of the Services, such as an online bulletin board, will be available to anyone who has access to that content, including other users.
  • We use third party service providers to perform website hosting, development, maintenance, and other services. These third parties may have access to or process your information as part of providing those services for us. Generally, we limit the information provided to these service providers to that which is reasonably necessary for them to perform their functions, and we require them to agree to not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than performing their functions.
  • We may make certain personal information available to third parties for various purposes, including business or marketing purposes, or compliance with reporting obligations.
  • We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to comply with any law or regulation, court order, judicial or other government subpoena or warrant, or to otherwise cooperate with law enforcement or other governmental agencies.
  • We also reserve the right to disclose your information as we believe, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to (i) take precautions against liability, (ii) protect ourselves or others from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful uses or activity, (iii) investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations, (iv) protect the security or integrity of the Museum Programs and any facilities or equipment used to make the Museum Programs available, and (v) protect our property or other legal rights (including, but not limited to, enforcement of our agreements) or the rights, property, or safety of others.
  • We also may disclose your information as may be described in a notice to you at the time the information is collected, or in any other manner to which you give consent.

4.    How Do We Protect Your Information?

We take steps in an effort to protect your information from unauthorized access by third parties.  We cannot, however, ensure or warrant the security of any information you provide to us, and you provide information at your own risk. We cannot guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed, whether by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards or otherwise. If you give us personal information, you are accepting the terms stated in this Privacy Policy and in our Terms of Service (Use Policy). If you don't agree to these terms, please do not use the features of the Services that collect this information.

Any personal information you enter into forms on our website is secured by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) page encryption during transmission.  This ensures that the information is encrypted during transmission of the data between your computer or mobile device and our servers.

You can verify that any page on which you enter information is secured with encryption by using your browser to ensure it has the secure protocol (the URL begins with https://) and that our website's SSL security certificate is valid. Typically, clicking on the lock icon displayed in the web browser will display the status of the security certificate.

5.    What Rights and Controls Do You Have? 

Although we provide mechanisms by which you may be able to exercise certain controls with respect to the collection, security, and use of your information, we cannot guarantee that these mechanisms will be effective or free from circumvention by third parties.

Opting Out of Information Sharing for Marketing Purposes

If you do not want us to share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes, you may update your information sharing preference on the Your Info page or contact us via email at privacy@exploratorium.edu.

Opting Out of E-mail Newsletters

If you do not want to receive a particular e-mail newsletter subscription from us, please click on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the e-mail newsletter. This will remove your e-mail address from that newsletter subscription. Please allow up to 10 business days for any opt-out to be processed.

Opting Out of Specific Uses of Cookies (Including Cookies Used for Behavioral Ad Tracking)

You can customize how our website sets cookies in your browser by using our Cookie Preferences tool, accessible via the “Cookie Preferences” link on our website. This feature allows you to opt out of non-required cookies used for website functionality and for cookies which allow delivery of ads based on your browsing behavior, by setting specific opt-out cookies for third-party services used on our website, if available. To use the Cookie Preferences tool, you must use a compatible web browser (and a supported mobile operating system if using a mobile device) and you must enable third-party cookies in your browser. If you delete or clear your browser's cookies, you can return to the Cookie Preferences tool and re-enable your cookie settings.

Opting Out of Analytics

To collect and process tracking information about use of the Services, we use various analytics tools including Google Analytics, which has its own privacy policy and opt-out features described at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

You can also use third-party web browser extensions to restrict or block web beacons and trackers. Please note that if you use blocking software, some of the features of the Services may no longer work correctly.

Browser, Mobile Phone, and Operating System Settings

Your web browser, mobile phone, operating system, and other available software such as browser extensions may provide you with additional privacy settings and controls, including the ability to restrict or prevent cookies, trackers, and the use of your location information.  Please be aware, however, that we do not use or support the “Do Not Track” setting available in many Internet browsers.

You may also choose not to provide information to us, but in that case you may be unable to use some or all of the features of the Services.

Your California Privacy Rights

Residents of California have the right to request information regarding what types of personal information we have shared with third parties for their direct marketing purposes, and with whom we have shared it, during the preceding calendar year.  You may request a copy of that information disclosure by contacting us at privacy@exploratorium.edu.

6.    International Visitors

Our museum is located in the United States, and the Services are hosted in and designed for visitors located within the United States. If you choose to use the Services from the European Union or other regions of the world with laws governing data collection and use that differ from U.S. law, please be aware that you are transferring your personal information outside of those regions to the United States for storage and processing. Also, we may transfer your data from the U.S. to other countries or regions in connection with storage and processing of data, fulfilling your requests, and operating the Museum Programs. By providing any information, including personal information, you consent to such transfer, storage, and processing.  If you do not so consent, please do not provide information or use the Services from outside the U.S.

7.    Third-Party Services

Some features of the Services are provided by third parties. This includes sharing on social networks, online store functions, prepaid parking reservations, matching funds locators for donors, and other features. Information you provide to third parties when using these features is not governed by this privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party services before using them.

8.    Changes and Updates to This Policy

We review our privacy policy periodically and may change the policy from time to time to address new issues and reflect changes to the manner in which we gather, use, and share information. If a change we make substantially alters your rights or obligations, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you, such as advising you by email that the policy has changed or posting a notice on our website. All changes to our privacy policy will be posted at http://www.exploratorium.edu/about/privacy-policy.

9.    How to Contact Us About Privacy Concerns 

You can contact the Exploratorium at any time about our privacy policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please send an e-mail to: privacy@exploratorium.edu. Please don’t send general museum questions to this address as they may not be answered. If you would like to contact us by mail, please use the address below.

Privacy Administrator   
Exploratorium
Piers 15/17
San Francisco, CA 94111-1456