Exploratorium by Jon Boorstin

Glimpse the Exploratorium’s early years in the 1974 film Exploratorium. Commissioned by founder Frank Oppenheimer, this film was intended as a promotion of both the Exploratorium and our innovative, hands-on approach to learning. Inspired by the museum’s philosophies, filmmaker Jon Boorstin took a nontraditional route, creating a tone poem of a space in motion and foregrounded by exhibits and visitor interactions highlighting innovation and wonder.  

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, Exploratorium was preserved by the Academy Film Archive through a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Running time: 15 minutes

The Cinema Arts film collection is made possible by the Louis Goldblatt Memorial Fund.