Museum Event Calendar: SF Bay Area Events

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

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.

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.

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
8

Katia Krafft wearing aluminized suit standing near lava burst at Krafla Volcano, Iceland

After Dark: Fire of Love, Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films

Thursday, December 8, 2022 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Join us for a night fueled by fire and marked by molten rock. Enjoy a special screening of the National Geographic Documentary Film Fire of Love—and hear directly from some of the film’s creators.

Dec
8

Member Shopping Weekend

Thursday, December 8 • 6:00–10:30 p.m.
Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11 • 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Light up your holidays at the Exploratorium! Bask in the glow of luminous sculptures big and small that turn up the radiance in our spacious galleries and find original gifts for everyone on your list.

Dec
10

Illustration of a red octopus on a blue background.

Octopuses Have Zero Bones: Book Reading and Activities

Saturday, December 10, 2022
Readings: Noon and 2:00 p.m. • Activities: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Join us for a reading of the whimsical, fact-filled counting book Octopuses Have Zero Bones with author Anne Richardson. And get hands-on with math puzzles from the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival.

Dec
10

Still from the short film White Out by Jeffrey Scher

Saturday Cinema: Gleaming Worlds

Saturday, December 10, 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
15

Science of Cocktails @ After Dark

Thursday, December 15, 2022 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Calling all mixology buffs, kitchen chemists, science fans, and craft cocktail lovers! On December 15, sip your science at a very Exploratorium pop-up experience: Science of Cocktails @ After Dark.

Dec
15

Bioluminescent organisms light up a bay at night.

After Dark: Bioluminescence

Thursday, December 15, 2022 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Learn about bioluminescent life, from fireflies to marine organisms. Get hands-on with the science behind this phenomenon, and experience artworks that capture its radiance.

Upcoming Events Calendar