Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit
Engineering & Technology
A Pendulum Clock
At first glance, the giant see-through-erector-set-like structure seems to be a realization of one of Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical inventions.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Albert
A mechanical object may seem alive if it responds to you.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Animation Station
A stop-motion animation is made of many pictures, each slightly different from the last.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Animation Tower
Quick-changing views create the illusion of motion.
Bicycle Wheel Gyro
Tilt a spinning bicycle wheel while you’re sitting in a swivel chair and—surprise—you’ll start spinning in circles, too. You can also witness the same phenomenon here by hanging a spinning wheel from its axle.
Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems
Circuit Workbench
Try building these circuits found in everyday objects.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Golden Gate Bridge
In San Francisco, bridges and buildings are made to move.
Where: Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits
Magic Wand
Wave the wand quickly and see an image appear.
Robot Dance
Quick-changing views create the illusion of motion.
Rolling Through the Bay
Artist Scott Weaver has spent over 40 years painstakingly constructing this replica of the city of San Francisco out of toothpicks. Ping-pong balls added here or there wind their way through the model, visiting various famous sites along the way.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Spinning Blackboard
Use your hands and tools to create unexpected patterns in the sand.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Spinning Patterns
Use your hands and tools to create unexpected patterns in the sand.
Where: Ray and Dagmar Dolby Atrium
Tinkerer's Clock
Just outside the Tinkering Studio stands a twenty-two-foot-high clock. Small cartoon characters are poised to oil, brush, weld, or otherwise tinker with the numerals; knobs let visitors animate the characters so they can attend to their tasks. On the hour, the work is finished. The numbers swing out to form a clock face and a mellow Chinese gong rings.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Tinkering Tiles
This playful physical glossary models the many modes of making.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
Voussoir Arch Bridge
Discover the strength of an arch by building a bridge.
Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.
Your Turn Counts
From simple wooden gears to metal flip type, glow discharge tubes, and iPads, Your Turn Counts actually counts the turns of a handle using increasingly modern technology as the orders of magnitude grow. A playful experiment in participation and patience.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
