Exploratorium

49-Mile Drive San Francisco

• Hours: Closed Mondays (Except Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day), closed Thanksgiving, December 25
• Cost: Admission fee, free on first Wednesday of the month
• Reservations: Required for the Tactile Dome (extra charge)
• Location: Near the west end of the Marina and Crissy Field, behind the Palace of Fine Arts
• How Long: At least four hours, longer if you're extremely curious
• Best Time to Visit: You'll find fewer visitors during the week, except on free days

The Exploratorium was one of the earliest hands-on science museums and the exhibits are cleverly-constructed made from materials as simple as light bulbs and boards. Nevertheless, they deftly illustrate lots of interesting scientific principles, and visitors never seem to tire of puttering around, checking them out.

Exploratorium with Kids

Kids of most any kind like the Exploratorium (including the fully-grown kind), but it's better for those over five. They'll learn more if you help them, but even if you don't, they seem to have a good time just playing around, too.

Primary Needs at the Exploratorium

Order tickets online direct. For Tactile Dome Tickets, call 415-561-0362

If you get hungry at the Exploratorium, you'll find a limited selection of food at the snack bar - burgers, hot dogs and the like.

Getting to the Exploratorium

Exploratorium
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA
415-561-0360
Exploratorium Website

The parking lot behind the Exploratorium can fill up, even on a moderately-busy day. If that happens, you can try to find a spot on a street around the Palace of Fine Arts, or park at the Marina or Crissy Field and walk.