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Winter Holidays at the Exploratorium
November 21, 2019–Sunday, January 26, 2020
Celebrate the holidays Exploratorium-style as two winter traditions return—the whimsical handmade machines of Curious Contraptions and the dazzling lights of Glow.
Looking for creative ways to spend quality time with loved ones? Explore hundreds of perception-altering exhibits, awaken your senses in our famous Tactile Dome, and savor adults-only Thursday nights at After Dark. Plus, you’ll find unusual holiday gifts here for everyone on your list, from unique gadgets to an entire year of memorable experiences.
San Francisco is festive at holiday time, so enjoy the lights and bustle as you stroll along the beautiful Embarcadero waterfront to pay us a visit at Pier 15!
What hours are you open?
Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday Evenings: (Ages 18+) 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Monday: Closed except select holidays
Creative Gifts for Everyone on Your List
Discover fresh, original holiday finds, from gadgets to tinkering sets.
Featured Programs
Curious Contraptions: Flights of Fancy
Thursday, November 21, 2019–Sunday, January 26, 2020
Explore fantastical, often amusing mechanical sculptures known as automata. These small, handmade flying, sailing, and cycling machines bring whimsical dramas to life through low-tech mechanisms, inviting you to investigate how they work.
Glow: Festival of Lights
Thursday, December 5, 2019–Sunday, January 26, 2020
Celebrate the holidays and excite your atoms at Glow, our annual festival of ebullient lights and subtle glows celebrating the close of the year. Bask in the mesmerizing gleams of special installations and kinetic sculptures, take a shine to illuminating exhibits, and show your sparkle with scintillating activities.
Kaleidoscope
Friday, December 6, 2019– Monday January 20, 2020
Preview on Thursday, December 5, 2019 • 7:00–10:00 p.m. (Ages 18+)
Experience a landscape of astonishing visual effects. Constructed as an 8-foot-square light box, artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski’s Kaleidoscope invites you to push and press on its surface to reveal an infinite pattern of vibrant colors. Each touch generates hyperdynamic images that visualize motion energy.
There's always something interesting happening here—check out our ongoing events.
