Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit  

Visitor FAQ Buy Tickets Donate Today

Upcoming Events Calendar
Daytime Member & Donor Hours

Every Sunday,* 10:00 a.m.–noon

Every Sunday morning, our Daytime members, donors and Corporate Members enjoy exclusive access to the Exploratorium. Let your curiosity roam free through hundreds of exhibits in six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries.

Middle Ground
Middle Ground

Wednesday, June 15–Saturday, December 31, 2022

Dive into Middle Ground, a free, outdoor exhibition about how we think, feel, and behave in relation to other people. Explore more than a dozen interactive social science exhibits!

Positive of a plate taken with the 5-foot Einstein camera at the 1922 eclipse in Wallal, Australia. The circles indicate the locations of the stars on the plate measured to test the “Einstein effect.” © UC Regents/UCSC Special Collections.
Einstein Was Right

Friday, September 23–Monday, January 2, 2023

One hundred years ago, Lick Observatory played a critical role in testing one of Einstein’s greatest and most beautiful theories—general relativity. This exhibition tells the story of this scientific quest.

Painting of a skull and heart for Dia de los Muertos.
Festival of Altars

Friday, November 11–Sunday, December 4, 2022

Connect with beautiful ofrendas (altars) from this year’s Día de los Muertos celebrations at this temporary exhibition created in partnership with the Marigold Project.

Film still from Attraction by Emily Scaife
Glow Cinema: Illuminated Frames

Thursday, November 17, 2022–Sunday, January 29, 2023

The dimmed atmosphere of the microcinema sets the perfect scene to luxuriate in these abstract, transportive, and luminescent motion pictures.

Glow: Discover the Art of Light

Thursday, November 17, 2022–Sunday, January 29, 2023

Turn up the radiance this winter! Six artists illuminate galleries with light sculptures big and small. Don’t miss this wondrous seasonal expansion of our iconic exhibits on light.
 

Dec
3
Purple, green, red, and white light swirl and spiral.
Glow Fest

Saturday, December 3, 2022 • 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Dig into the art and science of light at this all-ages celebration! Enjoy hands-on activities and glowing demos, and discover luminous sculptures big and small. 

Dec
3
A large ofrenda depicts a person with long, braided hair.
Festival of Altars Farewell Celebration

Saturday, December 3, 2022 • 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Celebrate ofrendas (altars) from Día de los Muertos as we bid farewell to our temporary exhibition Festival of Altars. Enjoy hands-on activities, meet the artists who created the altars, hear live music, and dance!

Dec
3
Still image from the short film Con Brio by Sandra Eber
Saturday Cinema: Let Your Light Shine

Saturday, December 3, 2022 • 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

Animated and abstract short films shimmer in the theater’s darkness to conjure luminous worlds, both kinetic and contemplative.

Dec
4
People walk along the Embarcadero in front of the Exploratorium.
Exploratorium Free Admission: December 4, 2022

Sunday, December 4, 2022

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS FULL. On Sunday, December 4, the Exploratorium is participating in San Francisco Free Museum Weekend.

Dec
4
Illustration of a child standing in front of an enormous book, from which lights emerge like stars.
Storytime Science for Kids: Lamplights and Fireflights

Weekends, December 4–24 and 31, 2022 • Noon and 2:00 p.m.

Join us at the Exploratorium for Storytime Science, a storybook read-aloud and science activity geared toward young children. Come hear a story, do an activity, and learn something new!

Dec
5
Two kids writing down their observations around a table with an experiment
Educator Workshop: Mindful Modeling (K–1)

Monday, December 5, 2022 • 3:30–4:45 p.m.

Are you a K–1 educator? Register for this free online workshop. Learn about mindful modeling, and explore how classroom discussion supports K–1 students’ engagement in modeling.

Pages