Exploratorium

The Exploratorium was founded in 1969 by the physicist and teacher Frank Oppenheimer, who wanted a place where people could learn about science by trying things for themselves. In April 2013 it moved to its present home on Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero, between the Ferry Building and Pier 39. The pier site holds more than 600 participatory exhibits.

Almost everything is meant to be touched, turned or tested, so it suits curious children and adults equally well. The Bay Observatory, the only new building on the campus, has glass walls on all four sides and houses a gallery on its upper level and the Seaglass restaurant below. The Tactile Dome, a pitch-black maze explored by touch that was designed by Carl Day with August Coppola as producer, is currently closed, so do not plan a visit around it.

Opening hours are 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday. On Sundays the first two hours are reserved for members, with general entry from noon to 5pm, and the museum is usually closed on Mondays apart from select dates. Every Thursday from 6pm to 10pm, After Dark opens the museum to visitors aged 18 and over, with art and science programmes and a DJ.

Tickets can be bought online or by phone, with reduced rates for young people, seniors, students, teachers and visitors with disabilities, and free entry for children aged three and under. California public school teachers can apply for free admission, and groups of 15 or more need to book at least a day ahead. Regular visitors can choose a daytime or an After Dark membership; the museum says membership can pay for itself in as few as three visits. For food, the Seaglass Restaurant in the Bay Observatory serves lunch and Thursday dinner, and the Seismic Joint Café is open during the day.

Allow at least three hours; families often stay longer. The museum is about ten minutes' walk from Embarcadero BART station, and there are bike racks on site and paid garages nearby. A walk along the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building or Pier 39 is an easy way to extend the outing, and Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill makes a good follow-on visit.