Exploratorium Exploratorium, Pier 15, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States

The Exploratorium is more than a museum—it’s a gateway to exploring science, art, and human perception with every visit. Let your curiosity roam through hundreds of exhibits, many focused on noticing and observation, in six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries. You’ll find thoughtful safety protocols, our one-of-a-kind store, dining, and more at our beautiful San Francisco bayside location.

Museum Hours*

Wednesday–Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday (Ages 18+): 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Sunday (Daytime Members/Donors Only): 10:00 a.m.–Noon
Sunday: Noon–5:00 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday: Closed

Here at the Exploratorium, you don’t look at exhibits—you play with them. Dance with your own shadow, levitate, touch a tornado, mix colors and break light apart, stop time, start a conversation, capture a wave, explode your mind; it all can (and does) happen here.

We’ve been making our own interactive exhibits since 1969. With six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries and hundreds of exhibits on display in our museum, we’re working to create a browsable collection of these exhibits online.

The Exploratorium has six main galleries, each focused on a different area of exploration. Common to all are interactive exhibits that reward your attention and give you much to think about. Indulge your curiosity and ask your own questions as you play with the exhibits, and discover new ways to understand how our world works.

The galleries share the floor with our Exhibit Development Workshop, where our exhibits are researched, developed, and fabricated.

Service Animals

Service animals are welcome inside the Exploratorium.

Accessibility and Amenities

• All exhibition spaces, the Exploratorium stores, dining areas, and all public restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
• We offer a discounted ticket of $24.95 for guests with disabilities, and complimentary admission for accompanying ADA aides.
• A limited number of wheelchairs are available for loan, free of charge, at the Information Desk. Visitors need to leave an I.D. as a deposit when borrowing a wheelchair.
• We have tactile maps for blind and visually impaired visitors. You can pick one up at the Information Desk after you scan your ticket.
• First Aid and Lost & Found are located at the Information Desk.
• Benches are located throughout the Exploratorium.

The Kanbar Forum

A wheelchair lift and assistive listening systems are both available in the Kanbar Forum.

Dining

Seaglass Restaurant
Thursday Evenings: 6:00–9:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
(including indoor dining per San Francisco guidelines)

Seismic Joint Café
Wednesday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 

Shopping

Main Store (on the Embarcadero)
Wednesday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thursday Evenings: Open until 10:30 p.m.