After Dark

See for Yourself

Every Thursday Night • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Buy Tickets

Free for After Dark Members

Adults Only (18+)

Note: The Tactile Dome and some programs have limited capacity and are available to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis.

Things look different after dark. Lose yourself in over 650 interactive exhibits exploring perception, art, and science. Grab your friends and a drink and get immersed in everything from a pitch-black dome to a fog bridge, a large-scale kaleidoscope, dazzling light displays, mind-bending mirrors, and more. Or savor adults-only programming featuring unique guest speakers, great music, specialty films, and one-of-a-kind activities. It'll change how you think about the world around you. But don't take our word for it—see for yourself.

 

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Upcoming Events

Sep
20
After Dark

Thursday, September 20, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Lose yourself in over 650 interactive exhibits exploring perception, art, and science at our adults-only After Dark. Grab your friends and a drink and get immersed in mind-bending experiences and unique, thought-provoking programs.

Sep
27
After Dark: Time

Thursday, September 27, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

In 1905, Albert Einstein threw a monkey wrench into our perception of time and space. Join us as we examine a few of these quirks on a conceptual, nonmathematical level. Yes, you can age slower than your twin!
 

Oct
4
After Dark: Hardly Strictly Science

Thursday, October 4, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Join us for an evening tuned to listening, music, and the physics of sound. Inspired by the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival held in Golden Gate Park on October 5–7, tonight’s program features instruments and sonic experiments.

Oct
11
After Dark: Preservation

Thursday, October 11, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

In a pickle over preservation techniques—for food, foodways, or ways of life? Follow kimchi fermentation at Pairings and archival films with Cinema Arts and delve into different strategies to safeguard today’s treasures for tomorrow.

Oct
18
After Dark: It's Electric!

Thursday, October 18, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

From the synapses in our bodies to superconductors to Earth’s magnetic field, electricity is everywhere. Get a charge out of Van de Graff generators and Tesla coils and encounter germanium’s potential at Everything Matters.

Oct
25
After Dark: Science Fiction

Thursday, October 25, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Alternatives to our current reality begin with imagination. Explore creative visions of tomorrow, reflect on imagined futures past, and encounter science fiction turned fact at Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman.

Nov
1
After Dark: Vs.

Thursday, November 1, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Is thinking about the world in terms of dichotomies all good or all bad? Do direct comparisons help or hinder understanding? Investigate the relationship between this versus that via matter, microorganisms, ecology, and human behavior.

Nov
8
After Dark: Curious Contraptions

Thursday, November 8, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Celebrate the opening of Curious Contraptions, a temporary exhibition where whimsical machines are brought to life by intricate arrangements of handmade cams, cranks, and other simple mechanisms. Admire unique as well as familiar contraptions.

Curious Contraptions runs Thursday, November 8, 2018 through Sunday, January 20, 2019.

Nov
15
After Dark: Poison

Thursday, November 15, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

“Only the dose makes the poison.” —Paracelsus

Pick your poison at After Dark. Discover the deadly history of arsenic at Everything Matters and weigh the threats and medicinal benefits of different toxins from venomous creatures and poisonous plants.

Nov
29
After Dark: Whales

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Here in the Bay Area we are neighbors to a variety of giant marine mammals. Just before gray whales appear traveling south, join us for an evening on all things cetacean—including our shared history.

Dec
6
After Dark: Glow

Thursday, December 6, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

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.

Dec
13
After Dark: Sugar

Thursday, December 13, 2018 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Craving some deliciously inspired science? Get a taste for these controversial but always sweet carbohydrates at Pairings and partake in a tempting array of sugar-inspired presentations and activities.

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