After Dark

Name: After Dark
Start: 2017-03-17
End: 2017-03-17
Location: Exploratorium

See for Yourself

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

Buy Tickets

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.

Upcoming Events

Jan
23

Photo collage of a man on a bicycle with a background of colorful, patterned circles

After Dark: Flights of Fancy

Thursday, January 23, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

From bewitching bicycles to astounding aviation to crazy cars, take a look at the art, science, and storytelling behind bewildering and transcendent modes of transport.

Jan
30

After Dark: Radioactivity

Thursday, January 30, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

What's going on inside the nucleus of an atom, and why does it spit out radiation? Get the facts about this somewhat controversial topic with scientific raconteur Ron Hipschman.

Feb
6

After Dark: Science of Light

Thursday, February 6, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Watch science come to light at After Dark—learn about LASER and fiber optics as well as the manipulation of single photons and visual spectacles designed to delight the eyes.

Feb
13

After Dark: Sexplorations

Thursday, February 13, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Sex involves the transfer of genetic information that has resulted in evolution and specialization—and one of the hottest evenings in town, scientifically speaking.

Feb
20

After Dark: It's Elemental!

Thursday, February 20, 2020 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Come be in your elements with Exploratorium host and scientific raconteur Ron Hipschman. Learn about Earth’s rarest nonradioactive metal, rhodium, which keeps auto emissions in check.

Feb
27

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?

Mar
5

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.

Mar
12

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.

Mar
19