Visiting the Exploratorium - Discount Ticket Admission, Tips & More

By Katie Sagal

The San Francisco Exploratorium is an internationally renowned museum of science, art, and human perception, located at Pier 15 in the heart of San Francisco's vibrant Embarcadero. A perfect destination for families, this wonderful museum contains more than 600 interactive exhibits and experiences which create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that nurture curiosity. Families visiting San Francisco should definitely plan to visit the Exploratorium and all of its wild and wonderful exhibits. Get the most out of your visit to this fun educational institution with these tips and ideas.

Looking for Exploratorium Discount Tickets?

We’ve got you covered – Exploratorium admission is available with the below money saving options, so you can choose the attraction pass that’s right for you: 1. All-Inclusive Pass – All you can do. Includes admission to dozens of attractions. 2. Explorer Pass – Choose as you go. Includes admission of up to 5 attractions. 3. Build Your Own Pass – Select the attractions you want to visit prior to visiting. See all available San Francisco passes, attractions & prices. Families shouldn't miss out on this amazing institution during their San Francisco vacation – it is, after all, the most experimental museum in the world!

Tips for Visiting the Exploratorium

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Tips for Visiting the Exploratorium

  • Consult the museum map online before arriving; it will help you plan the exhibits you most want to see and save you time during your visit.
  • Buy your tickets in advance to save on admission prices and skip ticket lines.
  • Wear comfortable clothes (preferably layers). You’ll be very active inside the museum and may warm up, but San Francisco is breezy on the best of days outside.
  • If you have really young children, arrive especially early to reserve one of their complimentary strollers.
  • Minimize what you bring inside, or use the paid lockers provided by the museum to store your stuff as you explore.
  • If you get hungry during your visit, check out their popular SeaGlass Restaurant.

When to Visit

Arriving early is always a safe bet, and weekdays are going to be less crowded than weekends. We recommend either aiming to be there when they open, or arriving sometime in the mid afternoon (after the lunchtime crowd leaves).

What to Do There

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What to Do There

*Keep in mind that many Exploratorium exhibits are temporary, and may be different at the time of your visit. The Exploratorium exhibits are located across six different, themed galleries. Here's a rundown of those galleries, and a selection of current exhibits within those galleries.

Gallery 1: Human Phenomenon

Exploring human thoughts, feelings, and social behavior through a variety of interactive exhibits, this is one fun place to start exploring this attraction. Kids can build, sit, play, listen, and more in these exhibits. Some of the current exhibits include exquisite Balinese masks, a bronze hand, a cloud ring, and more more.

Gallery 2: Tinkering

This gallery is bound to be the most popular with creative and crafty kids. It's filled with fascinating machinery, exhibits, and tools that all boast interactive components that allow visitors to play, create, and test out their inventions. Some featured exhibits in this gallery include the amazing Tinkerer's Clock, the super fun Marble Machines (build your own marble maze!), and the Art of Tinkering exhibition.

Gallery 3: Seeing and Listening

One of the central galleries of this attraction, the Seeing and Listening space is filled with activities and exhibits that highlight these all-important senses. Kids and adults alike can play with colors, shadows, sights, and sounds to get a feel for how light and sound work, and to gain a great understanding of scientific processes. Create colorful shadows. Paint with soap film. Wander through the monochromatic room where everything is drained of color. Marvel at a giant mirror (once part of a NASA flight simulator). And much more!

Gallery 4: Living Systems

Explore the growing story of, well, everything! See the living world from great to small as you learn about DNA, microorganisms, and entire ecosystems. Explore Plankton Populations to imagine what life is like on a totally different scale. Use special lenses to actually see this microscopic creatures who are responsible producing approximately half of the oxygens humans breathe each year. Explore live data from the NOAA tide station by the Golden Gate Bridge to see what the current tides are nearby and learn about how the tides have a monumental effect on life in the water. There’s even a microscopic imaging station to give you a glimpse of what cells look like up close!

Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits

The Exploratorium actually has an entire series of exhibits in their exterior space, many of which are dedicated to exploring natural phenomena, physical curiosities, and feats of human ingenuity. Some of their most popular outdoor exhibits include the Over the Water collection of temporary art exhibits, in which the pieces each reflect something abut the Exploratorium's unique location in San Francisco, and the 27-foot-tall Aeolian Harp, built for the museum by artist Doug Hollis in 1976. In warmer weather, be sure to check out the interactive Remote Rains exhibit, which actually reproduces realistic weather patterns under a bright orange umbrella. BONUS! Enjoy at-home fun with Exploratorium Science Snacks. These snacks aren’t the kind you can eat, but instead they’re fun mini-experiments that teach kids basic scientific principles and practices. They’re great hands-on activities that often model the larger exhibits at the Exploratorium. Visit their website for details.

Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes

Focusing on the natural history and ecology of the San Francisco Bay region, this gallery includes exhibits that trace human and natural forces on the landscape around you. Scope out sediment cores from around the Bay to see what's going on underneath the earth, follow the digital footprints of San Francisco residents as they go about their days, and peek at a live oyster colony.

Nearby Attractions

The Exploratorium is conveniently located on the waterfront, just a short jaunt from the bustling neighborhood of Fisherman’s Wharf. There, you can enjoy everything from Madame Tussauds to a number of popular cruises and tours.

Madame Tussauds

This is is everyone's favorite wax museum, filled with a variety of exhibits and themed rooms that appeal to broad interests. It's particularly suited for kids, too, because of their cultural and historical focus. Getting In: Madame Tussauds tickets are included with the Go San Francisco Card.

Aquarium of the Bay

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Aquarium of the Bay

The Aquarium of the Bay is another popular attraction nearby, a local institution that features marine life specific to the San Francisco Bay Area (along with some other creatures, too!). Families love this aquarium. Getting In: Aquarium of the Bay tickets are included with the Go San Francisco Card.

Golden Gate Bay Cruise

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Golden Gate Bay Cruise

If you're looking to hop aboard a fun cruise, the Golden Gate Bay Cruise is a perennial favorite with visitors. It showcases the iconic bridge, as well as other landmarks that populate the Bay including Alcatraz, Angel Island, and more. Getting In: Golden Gate Bay Cruise tickets are included with the Go San Francisco Card.

Hop-on Hop-off Big Bus San Francisco Tour

 

Fisherman's Wharf is also a pickup point for the famous Big Bus San Francisco tours, vehicles that provide convenient hop on and off service throughout the city. Getting In: Big Bus San Francisco tickets are included with the Go San Francisco Card. If you're looking for more information about how to explore San Francisco, including transportation information, check out our Getting Around San Francisco guide.

Places to Eat Nearby

If you choose not to eat at the Exploratorium itself, there are plenty of dining choices on the waterfront.

  • The nearby Grumpy’s Restaurant & Pub is a local favorite that serves classic pub fare plus a full breakfast menu.
  • Or, choose something a bit more chic by dining at Café de Stijl, a casual eatery (owned & designed by a local architect!) specializing in French fare.
  • Looking to be right on the water? Head up to Pier 23 for the Pier 23 Café.

Save on Admission with a Go San Francisco Card

Remember, the Go San Francisco® Card is the best choice for maximum savings and flexibility, which includes Exploratorium tickets, plus admission to your choice of other top attractions. Save up to 55% on top museums, tours, and activities vs. paying at the gate. Visit multiple San Francisco attractions for one low price.

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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San Francisco in May

With spring drawing to an end ready to usher in San Francisco’s busy summer season, May is a fine time to visit the Golden City, thanks to its mild climate and the kicking off in earnest of the city’s colorful festival season. If it’s pleasant weather, fewer crowds, and affordable accommodation you’re after, May in the Bay could well be for you. Visiting San Francisco in May Average Temperature: 51–64°F • Average Rainfall: 3 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 10 hours/day Daytime temperatures in May reach average highs in the mid-60s, meaning it's still cool enough to explore the city on foot. So the chances of looking like you’ve just stepped off a treadmill in those essential hilltop selfies are vastly reduced. There’s also little or no need to remember to pack an umbrella. April showers having apparently purged the clouds of their cargo for the foreseeable future, you can expect a mere three days of rain on average in May. Better yet, hotel prices have yet to rise for peak season and it’s another month before the tourist hordes descend, meaning shorter queuing times at the big attractions. What more can we say to convince you to spend May in San Francisco? Read on... Things to do in May Of course no visit to the Golden City would be complete without seeing the bucket-list attractions. The Golden Gate Bridge will be at the top of most itineraries and May is as good a time as any to visit. Better, perhaps, as the summer fogs are yet to roll in and shroud it. Top tip: wrap up warm if you’re planning to stroll out to the middle of the bridge for those picture-perfect Bay views – it can be breezy and teeth-chatteringly chilly up here at the best of times, so stick on your thermals and a fleece. Or two. Bay cruises are another great way to get a different perspective on the famous San Francisco skyline, and May’s clear blue skies will make for some fine photo opportunities. Most cruises will take in the Pier 39 sea lion colony, the historic waterfront, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. You can also just get straight to the notorious island penitentiary, should you so desire, with a cruise and tour of the facility. Those rolling historic landmarks that are San Francisco’s painted wooden cable cars can get really busy, and we mean sardines-in-a-can busy, in summer. You’ll likely still find queues in May, but nothing like during peak season. It’s worth the short wait to travel in style, as the bell rings out and your carriage rattles over the San Francisco hills, affording splendid views of the Bay, loopy Lombard Street and the ultra-luxe hotels in swanky Nob Hill, depending which of the three lines you take. And if the weather gets a little too cool for your liking, duck into any number of world-class museums around the city. Art museums including SFMOMA in the heart of downtown and the striking, copper-clad de Young in Golden Gate Park are among the best in the country. Golden Gate Park is also where you’ll find the California Academy of the Sciences which contains – beneath its living rooftop – a planetarium, an aquarium, a rainforest dome and a huge natural history museum. Embarcadero icon the Exploratorium is the place for interactive art and science exhibits: step into a tornado, get lost in the fog and see the San Francisco skyline modeled from thousands of tiny toothpicks. What’s on in May? Memorial Weekend May sees San Francisco’s festival season crank up a gear as Mother’s Day and Memorial Weekend give locals all the excuse they need to celebrate. Memorial Weekend is the biggie, with a major ceremony at the National Cemetery in the Presidio to honor and remember America’s veterans. Expect a reflective but celebratory tone that includes music, parades, speeches and a 21-gun salute. Down in the trendy Mission district, it’s all kicking off as the two-day Carnaval Festival rolls into town. This riot of color and sound celebrates the arts and traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean through lively street performances, flamboyant costumes and some of the best street food this side of the Mexican border. Beer and cannabis gardens help you stay mellow and there is, of course, a grand parade through the streets. Cinco de Mayo Also held in The Mission (we’re sensing a pattern here), the Cinco de Mayo festival celebrates Mexican and Central American culture and is held annually on – as the name suggests – the 5th of May. Families bring picnics and deckchairs to immerse themselves in the action in and around Valencia Street, where food vendors hawk spicy treats and live bands get the party started with mariachi, salsa, merengue music and more. There are costumed dancers, artists, magicians and street performers galore, and even a petting zoo to keep the kids entertained. Bay to Breakers Bay to Breakers is a 12k fun run that usually takes place on the third Sunday of May. Weaving its way east to west from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach, it takes in nine of the city’s neighborhoods. Fun-loving San Franciscans have gamely established a tradition for donning fancy dress during the race, which means you can expect to see overgrown chickens, shambling pantomime horses and huge conga-lines in which teams of 13 or more runners tether themselves together for the duration of the race. In other words: it’s great fun. Get involved yourself: it includes many fun sections like Golden Gate Park, where you might even get to spot the resident buffalo. On the other hand, Hayes Street Hill is an absolute beast that rises over 200 feet above sea level and will challenge even the most seasoned runner. If all that sounds a bit much, you can always just find a nice spot on the sidelines and enjoy all of the fun with none of the exertion. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Walkers on a hike to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
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Best Walks in San Francisco

San Francisco is a city to get lost in and the best way to achieve that is on foot. Sure, its many hills make for some steep climbs and descents, but you just know it's going to be worth it for those views: of the Downtown skyline, the glittering Bay, the soaring Twin Peaks, the majestic Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in summer fog. Former resident Jack Kerouac perhaps said it best in On The Road, when he waxed lyrical about ‘the city of San Francisco on her eleven mystic hills with the blue Pacific and its advancing wall of potato-patch fog beyond’. Step into your sensible shoes and take a stroll through the Golden City with us as we reveal our pick of the best walks in San Francisco. Haight Ashbury and Golden Gate Park Start your day with a (literally) breathtaking climb to the summit of Buena Vista Park. Enter from the south side and, as you crest this really rather steep hill, your efforts will be rewarded with the awe-inspiring views that gave the park its name. Pause here for a well-earned rest as you take in that buena vista of the Golden Gate Bridge and its namesake park. Afterwards, amble down into the Haight Ashbury district, where the bohemian spirit of the ‘69 summer of love can still be felt in the colorful wall murals and laidback coffee joints. Spend some time meandering around Haight and Central, where rows of Victorian houses in flamboyant hues – cornflower blue, flamingo pink, mellow yellow – make for perfect Instagram eye candy. Onwards to Golden Gate Park, where strolling in more or less any direction will reveal untold wonders. It’s here you’ll find some of the city’s best museums: the majestic de Young fine art museum with its eye-catching burnished copper skin and soaring tower, and the huge California Academy of the Sciences, which houses an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum beneath the rolling green hills of its living roof. Visit the Japanese Tea Garden where gently winding paths, tranquil ponds and a splendid five-tiered pagoda make for a lovely stroll. Dedicated walkers can skirt the shimmering Stow Lake and make for the far end of the park, where bison roam their paddock and the traditional Dutch Windmill is one of the park’s most photographed attractions. Lombard Street A short one, to be sure, but no list of the best places to walk in San Francisco would be complete without mentioning the most photographed street in the city. The steep, one-block section of Lombard that lies between Hyde and Leavenworth on Russian Hill is a rollercoaster ride of eight hairpin bends that’s said to resemble a playground slide. Stairs along both sides allow you to take your sweet time, admiring the street’s vibrant floral borders and quirky architecture and flooding your Instagram with as many snaps as you can. Chinatown and North Beach Start your Chinatown meander at Portsmouth Square, the heart of the neighborhood, where locals indulge in traditional pursuits including t’ai chi and Chinese chess, then head north into atmospheric lanes and alleyways that are alive with bustling markets, mah jong parlors and Chinese bakeries. Grab an egg-custard tart or three for sustenance as you wander to Waverly Place with its colorful flag-covered temple balconies, and Ross Alley, where workers in the tiny Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory assemble thousands of the crunchy future-predicting treats by hand every day. Head east along Jack Kerouac Alley to Columbus. This is Beat Generation territory, where Kerouac and fellow beatniks including Ginsberg and Cassady hung out in the 1950s, primarily at the Vesuvio bar and legendary City Lights bookstore. Hungry again already? Cannoli from the bakeries that line leafy Washington Square and its ornate, twin-spired church are some of the best in San Francisco. Suitably fortified, your steep climb up Greenwich Street to North Beach's iconic Coit Tower should just about be manageable. Finish with a walk down the Filbert Street Steps, where unusual wildflowers, chattering Telegraph Hill parrots and sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and Treasure Island are all the reward you need. Mission Murals There are over 1,000 murals adorning San Francisco’s streets, with the highest concentration found in the trendy Mission district south of Downtown. You’ll find some of the best examples on narrow Clarion Alley, where local artists have covered seemingly every available surface with portraits, political art and tributes to the likes of George Floyd and Prince. Nearby Balmy Alley is no less colorful, with a large homage to great female artists including Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe among its 40 or so pieces. While you’re in the neighborhood, take a stroll down quirky Valencia Street with its eclectic mix of fab coffee roasteries and interesting shops (Pirate Supply Store, anyone?). Then grab a gut-busting ‘Mission Burrito’ from one of the long-established local taquerias and head up to Dolores Park for sunny skies and great views of the Bay and Downtown. The San Francisco Bay Shoreline Pick up some of the sweet stuff at historic Ghirardelli Square, where the legendary Ghirardelli Company’s chocolate and ice-cream emporium has all the supplies you need to fortify you for your shoreline walk. Join the paved path that weaves westwards along the coast towards the Golden Gate Bridge and watch boats bob along in the Bay, carrying eager tourists to Alcatraz and the Angel Island State Park beyond. Both should be visible from here, fog permitting. Follow the trail as it passes through the Maritime National Historical Park, passing the picturesque Fort Mason wharves, and continue to the Palace of Fine Arts as you enter the Presidio. Built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, this faux palace is a monumental beaux-arts beauty that’s surrounded by swan-filled lagoons and lush green foliage. It’s a great spot to pause and cram in some more of that delicious chocolate before rejoining the path up to Fort Point, a Civil War-era fort beneath the Golden Gate Bridge which is where your hike ends, unless... The Golden Gate Bridge Now you’re here, it would really be foolish – nay, rude – not to. For here’s where you’ll find some of the best views in all of San Francisco, not least the Downtown skyline and out shimmering azure blues of the Pacific. The best thing about walking the iconic red bridge is that you can go as long or short a distance across it as you like. But we recommend going the whole way to really make the best of its many vantage points. Head down into downtown Sausalito for a restorative beer and save your legs by taking the ferry back across to San Francisco. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
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10+ things to do in San Francisco for adults

Culturally rich, diverse in population, and filled with an array of attractions to explore, it's easy to see why San Francisco is one of the most popular vacation spots in the US.
Katie Sagal

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