Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit

Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits

Explore winds, tides, and natural phenomena.

Investigate forces shaping the City, Bay, and region. Watch shifting winds and tides, reveal hidden life, shake a bridge, observe human behavior, and find new ways to notice the places we inhabit.

Read the Curators' Statement.

Gallery Highlights

Aeolian Harp

Listen to a 27-foot-tall harp that's strummed by the wind.

Color of Water

The color of the water changes. What’s affecting it today?

Bike Rope Squirter

Loops dance along the ground as visitors play an Exploratorium-style game of jump rope.

Wind Arrows

Wind patterns are made visible by a column of red arrows.

Sun Swarm

Mounted mirrors sway with the tide in unpredictable ways, dispersing sunlight across the deck.

Research Buoy

This NOAA buoy gathers data on CO₂ levels, which are increasing in our oceans and affecting marine life.

Golden Gate Bridge

In San Francisco, bridges and buildings are made to move.

Disappearing Rings

How far can you see into the water?

Remote Rains

Pick a rainstorm to experience, from mist to driving rain.