After Dark
See for Yourself
Every Thursday Night • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Free for Donors and 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.
Members See More After Dark.
Enjoy a year of access to every After Dark evening for less than the cost of three tickets.
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Upcoming Events
After Dark: Wired World
Thursday, February 27, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Big Data has the potential to transform our understanding of ourselves and the world around us—but how valuable, really, is that information? And does its value outweigh the risks of sharing it?
After Dark: Imprints
Thursday, March 5, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
What stories do our imprints—both physical and digital—tell? Hear from archivists using traces of DNA to reconstruct characteristics of lost societies, and the evidence digital footprints can reveal.
After Dark: Fungi
Thursday, March 12, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
There’s a fungus among us—discover how the kingdom of fungi plays a vital role in our ecosystem, as a source of food, and through the promising benefits of psilocybin. And don’t miss Pairings: Mushrooms.
After Dark: Synthetic Biology
Thursday, March 19, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Transformations in DNA synthesis are changing agriculture, medicine, and scientific research—but how, and with what long-term effects?
After Dark: The Universe
Thursday, March 26, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
What is home in the context of...everything? Voyage to the edge of the known universe and gain some perspective on the tiny planet we call home.
After Dark: Encoded
Thursday, April 2, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
It’s no secret: the transmission of information is vital to communications. From surreptitious correspondences and music storage to the instructions for how life grows, seek out the hidden ways encoded information influences the world in and around us.
After Dark: Green Spaces
Thursday, April 9, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park and the 50th Earth Day with an evening all about parks and green spaces—plus an exploration of all things green in the food we eat.
After Dark: Silver
Thursday, April 16, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Get the facts about silver at Everything Matters: Silver, but don’t stop there—tinker around with silver-based soldering, rediscover its role in photography, and get to know its historical and cultural significance through mining, jewelry, and numismatics.
After Dark: Ex Machina
Thursday, April 23, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Are machines competitors or collaborators? As technology evolves, so do the potential outcomes of human/machine collaboration. Experience the integration, and don’t miss Full-Spectrum Science: Sound with Ron Hipschman.
After Dark: Technology Archeology
Thursday, April 30, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.
What are the technologies that truly disrupted our understanding of the world around us? Dig deep into the past to uncover the hidden histories of objects so essential, we hardly stop to remember their value.
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Thursday Date Night along San Francisco's Embarcadero
Five easy steps to an unexpected Embarcadero date night.
