• Visit
    • Calendar
    • After Dark Thursdays
    • Buy Tickets
    • Exhibits
    • Museum Galleries
    • Artworks on View
    • Hours
    • Getting Here
    • Visitor FAQ
    • Event Rentals
    • Field Trips
  • Education
    • Professional Development Programs
    • Free Educator Workshops
    • Tools for Teaching and Learning
    • Learning About Learning
    • Community Programs
    • Educator Newsletter
  • Explore
    • Browse by Subject
    • Activities
    • Video
    • Exhibits
    • Apps
    • Blogs
    • Websites
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Partnerships
    • Global Collaborations
    • Explore Our Reach
    • Arts at the Exploratorium
    • Contact Us
  • Join + Support
    • Donate Today!
    • Membership
    • Join Our Donor Community
    • Engage Your Business
    • Attend a Fundraiser
    • Explore Our Reach
    • Thank You to Our Supporters
    • Donor & Corporate Member FAQ
    • Host Your Event
    • Volunteer
  • Store

Event Rentals

  • Full Facility & Gallery Bundles
  • Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery & Terrace
  • Moore East Gallery
  • Bechtel Central Gallery & Outdoor Gallery
  • Osher West Gallery
  • Kanbar Forum

  • Weddings
  • Proms and School Events
  • Daytime Meetings, Events, & Filmings

  • Rentals FAQ
  • Event Planning Resources
  • Rental Request Form
  • Download Brochure (pdf)

Masks and vaccinations are recommended. Plan your visit  

Visitor FAQ Buy Tickets Donate Today
Exploratorium
Exploratorium
  • Visit
    • Calendar
    • After Dark Thursdays
    • Buy Tickets
    • Exhibits
    • Museum Galleries
    • Artworks on View
    • Hours
    • Getting Here
    • Visitor FAQ
    • Event Rentals
    • Field Trips
  • Education
    • Professional Development Programs
    • Free Educator Workshops
    • Tools for Teaching and Learning
    • Learning About Learning
    • Community Programs
    • Educator Newsletter
  • Explore
    • Browse by Subject
    • Activities
    • Video
    • Exhibits
    • Apps
    • Blogs
    • Websites
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Partnerships
    • Global Collaborations
    • Explore Our Reach
    • Arts at the Exploratorium
    • Contact Us
  • Join + Support
    • Donate Today!
    • Membership
    • Join Our Donor Community
    • Engage Your Business
    • Attend a Fundraiser
    • Explore Our Reach
    • Thank You to Our Supporters
    • Donor & Corporate Member FAQ
    • Host Your Event
    • Volunteer
  • Store
  • Central Gallery

Bechtel Central Gallery & Outdoor Gallery

Experiment with light and vision, sound, and hearing inside, and explore winds, tides, and natural phenomena outside.

Complete the Rental Request Form

Designed for exploring sights, sounds, and perception itself, the Central Gallery is the setting for our physics and perception installations. The expansive and flexible gallery is our largest single space and is well suited to strolling receptions or dining and dancing among interactive exhibits.

The Outdoor Gallery is an open-air space with wonderful views of the San Francisco city skyline, including Coit Tower and the Bank of America Building. Watch shifting winds and tides, explore the Fog Bridge, reveal hidden life, observe human behavior, and find new ways to notice the places we inhabit. 

Gallery Square Footage Seated Dining Capacity Standing Reception Capacity
Central Gallery 20,000 500 1,200
Outdoor Gallery 15,000 300 500

*Capacities subject to change

Click map to enlarge (pdf)

Watch the video to see how we turned our lively landscape of exhibits into a cozy lounge for a product launch in just 90 minutes.

Central Gallery Event Set up Time-Lapse

Event Rentals

  • Full Facility & Gallery Bundles
  • Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery & Terrace
  • Moore East Gallery
  • Bechtel Central Gallery & Outdoor Gallery
  • Osher West Gallery
  • Kanbar Forum

  • Weddings
  • Proms and School Events
  • Daytime Meetings, Events, & Filmings

  • Rentals FAQ
  • Event Planning Resources
  • Rental Request Form
  • Download Brochure (pdf)

Contact Us

415-528-4500
events@exploratorium.edu

 

Complete the Rental Request Form

Exploratorium
Visit
Join
Give

Pier 15
(Embarcadero at Green Street)
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.528.4444

Contact Us

  • Plan Your Visit
  • Calendar
  • Buy Tickets
  • Getting Here
  • Store
  • Event Rentals
  • About Us
  • Become a Member
  • Donate
  • Jobs
  • Volunteer
  • Press Office
  • Land Acknowledgment

Get at-home activities and learning tools delivered straight to your inbox

The Exploratorium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our tax ID #: 94-1696494
© 2023 Exploratorium | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights |