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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

Dec
20
After Dark: Essentials

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

What do we really need to survive? What happens when a key ingredient goes missing? Examine some essential questions surrounding ecology, packing lists, oils, and nutrition, including the element selenium at Everything Matters.

Dec
27
After Dark
After Dark: Mixing Color

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

Are the primary colors really red, yellow, and blue? How can you get yellow from mixing red and green together? Bring your most colorful questions to this vivid evening.

Jan
3
After Dark: Resolution

Thursday, January 3, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

January is for resolution—that is, greater clarity, which may or may not be the result of self-discipline. See how resolution applies to the worlds of visuals, music, and your goals for the new year.

Jan
10
After Dark: Tearjerkers

Thursday, January 10, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Come get in touch with your inner crybaby at After Dark: Tearjerkers—discover the science of tearful emotions, feel all the feels with selections from Cinema Arts, and bring your tissues to Pairings: Onions.

Jan
17
After Dark: Delightful Devices

Thursday, January 17, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Encounter delightful designs, outlandish objects, and astounding apparatuses in this celebration of the closing weekend of Curious Contraptions—hear from artists whose work aims to push mechanical objects into new territories.

Jan
24
After Dark: Radioactive

Thursday, January 24, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Warning: Certain atoms falling apart all around you. Learn about about their occurrence in the universe, how we make use of their decay, and their effects on the human body at this evening of illuminating programming.

Feb
7
After Dark: Craft

Thursday, February 7, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

In a world increasingly synthetic, robotic, and removed from human touch, commune with the soul of things made by hand—yours or someone else’s—at After Dark: Craft.

Feb
14
After Dark: Chocolate

Thursday, February 14, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Chocolate: it’s everyone’s favorite...bean? Learn how the food of the gods goes from bitter fruit to beloved bar, then taste your way through a flight of delicious demonstrations.

Feb
21
After Dark: In a Flash

Thursday, February 21, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Flash is key to the process of taking pictures. As part of this evening of photography-based programs, learn more about what makes the flash flash—then learn about flash pickling and take home something tasty.

Feb
28
After Dark: Seeing Double

Thursday, February 28, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

When is one not enough? Look again at the surprising ways doubling quantities affects our perceptions and our world. This evening’s program will leave you seeing double.

 

Mar
7
After Dark: STEAM-Y Stories

Thursday, March 7, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Expand your perspective with an evening of innovative storytelling that illuminates the fluid relationship between art and science.

 

Mar
14
After Dark: Pi(e)

Thursday, March 14, 2019 • 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Feeling a little irrational? How about transcendental? Excited to taste some math puns? Don’t miss Pi Day, the Exploratorium’s favorite holiday—after all, we made it up.

 

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