Hands-on Science Fun and Education at the Exploratorium in San Francisco

If you grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, you probably spent some time as a kid at the Exploratorium. This innovative and influential hands-on museum of science, art, and human perception has been educating and entertaining families for over 40 years. The Exploratorium is a perfect place for an outing for families with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens. Parents, grandparents, and most other grownups will find it a lot of fun, too. I used to love coming here as a kid, and now my children love to visit, too.

For most of its life, the Exploratorium was located at the iconic Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco's Marina District, but in 2013 it moved into an all-new, much larger facility at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. The new Exploratorium is bigger and better, and features all your old favorite exhibits along with 150 new ones, as well as a Bay Observatory that allows visitors to explore the environment of adjacent San Francisco Bay.

Founded by physicist and university professor Frank Oppenheimer, the younger brother of the Manhattan Project's J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Exploratorium is renowned for its hands-on experiments and demonstrations, which are facilitated by orange-vested "Explainers" who are on hand to teach and encourage visitors. Exhibits are created in the museum's own shop, and many are designed by artists-in-residence.

With a total of 600 hands-on exhibits, there's plenty to do and experience! Kids—and grown-ups, too, of course—can jump right in and participate in the many experiments both indoors and out. Some you can do by yourself, and others with a partner or two. Experiment with sight, sound, light, mathematics, biology, geology, weather, the human mind, motion, and more.

Some of our favorites included the Tornado, the Giant Bubbles, the mind-bending "Alice in Wonderland" room, the Anti-Gravity Mirror, and the Silage Beach, an artwork that features a rotating tent that makes you feel like you're rotating yourself after a while.

Other exhibits not to miss include the Tinkering Studio and Light Island. The Tinkering Studio is especially good for younger kids, but children and adults of all ages will enjoy it. There are also a number of free interactive exhibits located outside on the Exploratorium's grounds.

We had a great time, but there's so much to do here that it's almost overwhelming. If you plan on making repeat visits, consider purchasing a membership—it pays for itself after a few visits, and members also enjoy special programs and events.

If you go

The Exploratorium is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am–5 pm. It's closed Mondays (except certain holidays), Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. It's located at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero at Green Street.

Admission for current Bay Area residents (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, or Sonoma counties) is $22 for adults ages 18–64; $19 for students with ID, seniors 65+, youth ages 13–17, and people with disabilities; $17 for children 4–12; and free for children 3 and under, members, and California public school teachers (teachers need to apply for free admission in advance online). Non-residents will pay the regular posted rates of $29 for adults; $24 for students, seniors, youth, and people with disabilities; and $19 for children 4–12.

Parking in the area can be somewhat challenging. While limited street parking is available, your best bet is probably one of the nearby parking lots and garages. The Embarcadero Center and Levi's Plaza garages offer special validated rates at a $10 flat fee; check the Exploratorium's website for hours and details. Another option for Marin families is to take the Golden Gate Ferry from Sausalito or Larkspur and then walk or take the F Market streetcar to Pier 15.

To get there, take Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge and follow Doyle Drive toward downtown San Francisco. Take the Marina exit and follow Marina Boulevard past Fort Mason onto Laguna Street, then turn left on Bay Street. Continue east on Bay Street until you get to the Embarcadero. Turn right on the Embarcadero and follow it to Pier 15.

The Exploratorium has two on-site restaurants: SeaGlass Restaurant and the Seismic Joint Café. Both are open starting at 11 am. You'll also find food tricycles around the perimeter of Pier 15 selling coffee, baked goods, and organic soft-serve ice cream.

For more information, call (415) 528-4444 or visit www.exploratorium.edu.