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Exploratorium

Pier 15 · San Francisco, CA

Why you should go…

The Exploratorium is a museum of science, technology and art on Pier 15 along San Francisco's Embarcadero, founded by physicist Frank Oppenheimer in 1969. It houses over 650 hands-on exhibits across galleries covering human behavior, tinkering, and living systems, among other themes. Its Tactile Dome lets visitors navigate a pitch-black space using touch alone. The museum draws more than a million visits a year and moved to its current waterfront piers in 2013.

  • #science
  • #museum
  • #interactive
  • #family

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Exploratorium, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    San Francisco Bay Ferry

    Under $25

    Passenger ferries linking San Francisco's Ferry Building to Oakland, Alameda, Sausalito, and other bay towns.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    San Francisco Railway Museum

    Free

    A small nonprofit museum on the Embarcadero celebrating San Francisco's cable cars and vintage streetcars.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    San Francisco Whale Tours

    $50+

    Narrated whale-watching boat trips through the Golden Gate to the waters off the Farallon Islands.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Blue & Gold Fleet

    $25–$50

    San Francisco Bay sightseeing cruises past Alcatraz, the sea lions, and under the Golden Gate Bridge.

    0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Iconic

    San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

    $25–$50

    A major modern and contemporary art museum in downtown San Francisco with free admission on the first Thursday of every month.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Free

    Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye

    Free

    Free interactive museum in Fisherman's Wharf exploring the science of sight and the history of eye care.

    1.3 mi awayMore like this