Climate Science at the Exploratorium

Our location on Pier 15 along the Embarcadero gives us a unique platform to investigate the history, environment, and changing ecosystems of San Francisco Bay, as well as human impact on climate. We strive to ask questions, understand the world around us, and share information with the public through interdisciplinary partnerships and by co-creating with communities. Our robust collection of programs, exhibits, and online learning experiences are designed to give visitors, educators, and policy-makers the tools they need to inspire curiosity and understand the scientific processes by which we research our changing environment.

Upcoming Events

Transportation/Transformations
Sunday, September 15–Saturday, September 21, 2019

Join us to envision the present and future of sustainable transportation. This special week of solutions-focused programs asks: how can we make getting around our cities enjoyable, equitable, and emissions-free?

Environmental Programs, Partnerships, & Conversations at the Exploratorium

We convene scientists, artists, policy-makers, and the public to discover and explore our world together. Through conversations about landscape and resilience, live ship-chats with scientists crossing the arctic, and discussions of the practices and tools scientists use to understand our world, our programs and events empower communities by forging connections and creating the space for interdisciplinary innovation and dialogue.

“Accurate scientific research and policy decisions are crucial to advance strategies and actions for addressing climate change, but these things do not exist in a vacuum. The other crucial element—the place where a museum of science, art, and human perception can have enormous impact—lies in the public’s ability to understand the processes of scientific observation, to engage with the tools and methods used to gather information, and to feel the thrill of inquiry firsthand. When people experience the difference between a fact and a statement, they become activated learners.”

 

– Chris Flink, Sakurako and William Fisher Executive Director

 

 

Sustainable Building Systems on Pier 15

In 2013, our home on Pier 15 in San Francisco was awarded a LEED® Platinum rating for Building Design and Construction (BD+C). Since then, we’ve won numerous awards for maintaining the highest standards of sustainable architecture and design, striving to become the largest net-zero energy use museum in the U.S., and for our ability to turn our historic sustainable building into a chance for the public to engage with sustainable building systems.

2018 Sustainable Building Fact Sheet

Sustainable Building Awards

Sustainability: The Exploratorium as Exhibit

Experts on Sustainable Building Systems

Art as Inquiry: Opening Portals to Climate Engagement

We believe that artists have an important role to play in public engagement with climate change. We bring together artists and scientists to explore and interpret scientific data and methodology, and to create experiences for the public that encourage understanding, investigation, and a sense of personal connection to human impact on the environment.

Environmental Galleries & Exhibits at Pier 15

Additional Links: Experts, Press Releases, & Media Coverage

experts

Exploratorium Climate & Environment Experts

Artists Investigating the Environment at the Exploratorium

Meet Some Staff Scientists

press releases

• "Exploratorium Invites Visitors to 'Transportation/Transformations' in September" | August 2019

• "San Francisco's Exploratorium announces Climate Change Explorer and Climate Press Kit" | September 2018
• "New Exploratorium Sound Installation, Mutual Air, ‘Chimes In’ on Oakland’s Air Quality" | September 2018
• "San Francisco's Exploratorium Partners with NOAA for Ocean Discovery Month" | August 2018
• "Exploratorium’s Wired Pier Website Challenges “Alternative Facts,” Encourages Local Environmental Awareness" | April 2017
• "NOAA and San Francisco’s Exploratorium announce second five-year partnership" | December 2015
• "Exploratorium Launches Website Featuring Bite-Sized 'Science Snacks'" | December 2015
• "Conversations about Landscape Series Begins October 2014" | September 2014
• "The Exploratorium and UC Davis announce science and sustainability partnership" | May 2014
• "Nourish Your Mind with Exploratorium’s Lab and Lunch Series" | September 2013

select coverage

• San Francisco Chronicle–"Exploratorium illustrates dangers of king tides, sea level rise" | January 2020
• Scientific American– "Ecological Detectives Hunt for San Francisco’s Vanished Waterways" | June 2019
• KQED Science– "North Bay's Highway 37 Is Going to Be a Serious Climate Mess" | April 2019
• ABC7 San Francisco– "Why we should learn more about oceans this Ocean Discovery Month" | August 2018
• CBS SF Bay Area– "Research Buoy Raises Red Flags About San Francisco Bay’s Health" | August 2018
• ABC7 San Francisco– "SF's Exploratorium offers up-close look at ocean research" | August 2018
• The Atlantic– "Can the San Francisco Bay Be Saved From the Sea?" | May 2018
• Sonoma News– "Bay Area-wide 'resilience' project copes with sea-level rise" | May 2018
• High Performing Buildings– "Case Study: the Exploratorium" | June 2015
• The Journal of The American Institute of Architectss– "An Overview of the Reconstruction of Pier 15 to The Exploratorium" | June 2013
• Gizmodo– "Exploratorium Reborn: Inside San Francisco’s Innovation Shrine" | April 2013
• San Francisco Chronicle / SF Gate– "Exploratorium sets ‘Net-Zero’ energy goal" | April 2013