In 1969, physicist Frank Oppenheimer founded the museum with a radical vision for science learning: hands-on, curiosity-led, interdisciplinary, and playful. The innovations we create and refine here—our integration of science and art, our famed Explainer and teacher training programs, our open-to-view exhibit shop, our R&D approach to exhibit and museum design, and more—influence science ...

Take your curiosity out to play all year. Become a Daytime or After Dark member! Tinker, touch, test, experiment, notice, and play. Membership pays for itself in less than three visits! Walk in free for a year and get great discounts on shopping, dining, and more. With exciting seasonal exhibitions and 700+ interactive exhibits to explore, you’ll never have the same visit twice. Want it …

Recharge your winter wonder with luminous artworks that will surprise and delight the whole family—paint with light and shadow, soak in colors, and play with exhibit prototypes in the Light Lab. Don’t miss Glow, our seasonal exhibition that celebrates the art and science of light! To make the weekend extra special, join us for even more …

The Exploratorium is dedicated to expanding access to all by providing free and low-cost admission opportunities throughout the year.

Answers to questions about COVID safety, planning your visit, accessibility, food and more at the Exploratorium's beautiful bayside location at Pier 15, San Francisco.

Step into the art and science of light this winter. Paint with light, soak in color, walk inside 3D illusions, and question your eyes!

Experience the Exploratorium. Let your curiosity roam free through hundreds of exhibits in our six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries at Pier 15, San Francisco.

After Dark Rentals Looking to rent private spaces during After Dark? Check out our options here! After Dark Membership Get free After Dark admission with your After Dark Membership. Learn more on our Membership page.

Can machines act naturally? AI seems to be a disruptor right now, but can it ever fit into our existing ways of thinking and being? Join our panelists to discover different ways to align machines with our social and natural values, from care-based AI to biomimicry. Joe Dumit, PhD is an anthropologist of passions and performance, brains and games, AI and computers, contact improvisation and ...

Experience life After Dark, an evening series exclusively for adults that mixes cocktails, conversation, and playful, innovative science and art events. Not a theater, cabaret, or gallery, After Dark contains aspects of all three. Each evening showcases a different topic—from music to sex to electricity—but all include a cash bar and an opportunity to …