Journey through total darkness in this twisting, turning, tactile sculpture. Walk, crawl, climb, and slide your way through a wonderland of textures using only your sense of touch as a guide.
Originally created in 1971, the Tactile Dome was designed and built by Dr. August F. Coppola (father of actor Nicolas Cage and brother of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire). The Dome was redesigned and rebuilt for Pier 15 and opened in 2013.
Cost
In addition to the cost of admission, Tactile Dome visits are:
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$12 for members and $15 for nonmembers for one-hour daytime excursions and on select Friday and Saturday evenings
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$8 for members and nonmembers for 30-minute Field Trip/Early Bird weekday excursions starting from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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$10 for members and nonmembers for one-hour excursions at After Dark
Reservations*
Reservations are required. You can purchase tickets on site during regular business hours or the night of the event. Capacity is limited; first come, first served. Advance reservations are strongly recommended due to limited capacity and high demand. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable to another person, date, or time. For advance reservations, please call 415-528-4444 (option 5).
*Please Note!
Due to the nature of this experience, certain restrictions apply. Children must be at least seven years old to participate. Guests who are afraid of the dark; claustrophobic; have back, neck, or knee injuries; or are in their third trimester of pregnancy should not participate. Guests wearing casts are prohibited. Also, please wear comfortable clothes.
Hours
Dome sessions begin at 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4:45 p.m. on weekends.
On weekdays when the museum is open, we have discounted half-hour Field Trip/Early Bird sessions that begin at 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 12:45 p.m., and 1:30 p.m., and regularly priced afternoon hour-long sessions that begin at 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4:45 p.m.
We have sessions on select Friday and Saturday evenings at 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. (see below for upcoming dates).
There are also sessions on Thursday nights during our adult-only After Dark events. You can reserve tickets for our 6:15 and 7:00 p.m. sessions. We also operate drop-in, first-come, first-served sessions at 7:45, 8:30, and 9:15 p.m.
Accessibility
The Tactile Dome provides a unique perceptual experience as you travel through a series of various textures in total darkness. A portion of the Tactile Dome is wheelchair accessible. Traversing the entire exhibit requires the ability to crawl, climb, and slide. Visitors with adequate upper-body strength to perform those moves are welcome to enjoy the full experience. Sign language interpreters or other necessary attendants are admitted free of charge, but advance notice must be given if they accompany a party.
