With a handful of exhibits and a $50,000 grant from the San Francisco Foundation, Exploratorium founder Dr. Frank Oppenheimer opened the doors of the museum in 1969 without any fanfare. Fast-forward forty years to today, and the museum has grown enormously, adding groundbreaking educational programs, playful, thought-provoking exhibitions and events, and much more. Join us at the museum, where we'll offer everything from incredible bubbles to giant bolts of electricity; from behind-the-scenes floor walks to a panel discussion about Frank Oppenheimer's life and philosophy with his biographer K. C. Cole and other distinguished guests. Click here for the calendar of events.

Ongoing Exhibit Collections

Are you good at faking a smile? Are you a snoop? Experiment with thinking and feeling at Mind, a collection of exhibits that illuminate the science, art, and experience of our inner lives.

How do you sort through the 'sonic soup' of human speech, natural noises, machinery, cars, and music we live in? Investigate your perception of sound at Listen: Making Sense of Sound.

Do we see things as they are or do we see things as we are? Explore more than 70 Seeing exhibits that focus on how we interpret the world through our eyes, brain, and our own subjectivity.

What are the essential elements of life, and how can you distinguish between the living and nonliving world? Explore these questions and more at our collection of life science exhibits, Traits of Life.

The Exploratorium is an experimental, hands-on museum designed to spark curiosity—regardless of your age or familiarity with science. Touch, pick up, and tinker with hundreds of exhibits. Your curiosity will guide you to endless discoveries! A general admission ticket purchased here will get you access to all of the great exhibitions listed above!

The Exploratorium is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. For a detailed list of museum hours please visit our events calendar.