Exploratorium Reviews

Lots of fun activities for grown ups and kids. Food selection could use improvement.

Fun and educational place to bring your kids. The exhibits change from time to time so you can visit multiple times and see new thigs.

They have a few free days during the year, so if you're unsure if you want to go or admission is too steep for you, keep on the lookout for one of these days.

If you're not a kid person and don't want hundreds of them tornado-ing around you, perhaps this is not the best place for you.

Went with a group of co workers, and found out just okay. Maybe it's more for bringing kids to.

My 9 year old, my wife, and I could spend days here playing with the fascinating exhibits. It's truly an opportunity for "experiential learning", or learning by doing. Play with magnets, multi-body pendulums, zoetropes, defraction patterns, and everything else cool under the sun.

Kids loves the place. Been there with my grandkids at least 6 times. Pays to become a member. Be advised parking is atleast $20 to $25 nearby.

This place is endless! I've been twice and not seen it all. The interactive exhibits make education entertaining for all ages. They also have shows in an auditorium with an amazingly advanced sound system.

Pretty pricy, lots of stuff to see and do. The gift shop has great affordable prices though for some super neat stuff.

Incredible amount of quality science exhibits in a beautiful location on the water.

I was there on normal working day and it should be open but it was not. There was a sign on main doors that I should use some backdoor. I've followed the 'map' but no luck. Thankfully there are some exhibitions outside e.g. the miniature of Golden Gate Bridge with some history. Based on what I saw from the outside it looks like a place than I should visit next time I will be in SF.

Few activities for kids not lots of science experiments for kids

Fun science museum! Loads of experiments you can do yourself, but not just that also you get educated on what is actually happening. The only negative I could give us that there is too much to do so you probably won't be doing everything.

Creative ways to absorb math and science..
Totally hands on for both big kids at heart and students of all ages.

It is so much more than I had in mind. God my family. It will take more than a single day to explore it all

My Serramonte Del Rey Adult Transition School Special Education Classes loves Exploratorium!!! We go have an adventure to the perfect museum at the Embarcadero. My best friend, Alexandra who have one sibling, a brother name Oliver give our class a full tour of the Exploratorium museum. I loved this place!

It s expensive, but a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

One of the coolest museums ever. Great for young kids who want to touch EVERYTHING! That is the name of the game here...

Really cool place with a lot of really cool exhibits. Totally worth the ticket price to get in.

Super epic and fun, lots and lots of stuff to do. Been there twice and haven't done everything yet!

Wonderful place. Kids loved it. Have fun and learn at the same time.

Everything is hands on, which is fantastic for kids. Especially good if your kids can read the instructions for themselves, but littles will have fun experimenting.
I think some of the color & light stations should come with a seizure warning (nothing happened, but I could see it being a problem to someone who is prone to them)

Really great place. If you are in the area then it is a must. Has so many exibits for science and it blows my mind. But to go you need to be there all day for sure. Great for families with a weekend to spend together. Is a must.

Awesome since museum full of since project, makes complex topic easy to understand. great place for growing kids.

This is one of my favorite places to go in the city. All of the exhibits are interactive and super fun.

Fantastic place for kids, families, curious people.....huge, something new everywhere you look! And....tons of places to sit down when you get tired

I was there for the Thursday night adults only night and it was awesome. Great place to consider for a group of friends or even for date night, the interactive exhibits are a great time and educational. A wide and impressive variety of group and paired activities showcase the full expanse of the space. You'll be hard pressed to do this all in one evening so I'd recommend having a drink or two and just have fun!

Place was really cool and I got to look at a lot of interesting technology or things shown in a different perspective. Bartender kept giving me the wrong drink after messing up twice.

Great exhibits, interesting and engaging for adults as well as children.

Get there about 45 min before it opens and walk around the perimeter to see all the free exhibits. Once inside go straight to the back and enjoy the entire backside with little to no people! Spent about 5 hours here and still didn't see everything. We'll be back again and again!

I came here first as an adult more than 15 years ago, and returned this summer with my children. I'm so happy that a place like this exists, and has since long before STEM became a buzzword.

The Exploratorium is easily the best "museum" I've been to. It's a great interactive way to learn about different things -- physics, psychology, anatomy, and the earth.

The museum is huge; you probably won't be able to cover all of it in one go. I suggest going with a friend, since some of the exhibits are for partner activities, but I bet it wouldn't be hard to snag a friendly passerby who's curious to try out whatever you want to do.

I went on a weekend and it was pretty crowded, but I also hear that during the week a lot of schools host field trips there, so just take a gamble and go any time you can.

I haven't yet tried the night-time adult program but am looking forward to the next one!

Absolutely fantastic, alternative way to spend a day in San Francisco. Highly recommended. Our youngest especially enjoyed the bizarre experience of drinking fresh water from a toilet.

So many cool exhibits, everything is interactive. This place caters to kids, so prepare yourself for a mob of screaming excited kids crawling all over everything.

I remember the Exploratorium from when I was a little girl. I specifically remember the tactile dome, which is where I learned to see in the dark.

Hands down the highlight to our San Francisco weekend trip was the Exploratorium. Such a fun and interactive exprerience that stimulates all the senses!

Love the the new location of this place! I can spend hours here, and have spent hours here, on multiple occassions, and there's always something new and different to explore. My personal favorite is the Tactile Dome which requires separate reservations and an additional charge, but the experience is well worth it.

I got the dual explorer membership one year and it is defnitely worth the fees if you go at least twice in one year. Plus, with this membership, you can take one guest along with you for free, and you also get discounted parking at the Embarcadero center with validation ($10 flate rate)!

If you're looking for a day activity for groups, dates or family hang-outs, Exploratorium never disappoints.

I had a great time at the Exploratorium! Staff was friendly, lots to look at and learn. Overall, good experience. They are dog friendly, they just don't advertise it. Only suggestion is that they put hand sanitizer stations around the venue since everything is hands on..

Hands down the highlight to our San Francisco weekend trip. Such a fun and interactive exprerience that stimulates all the senses!

Well this place. It has so much potential but it really is more like a playground for schools and kindergarten. Although it seems like a place of great knowledge it really is a museum of basic physics an biology. It really is a sad part.
That however does not mean that it is a bad museum.
If you want to get into science (and meanwhile get surrounded by hundreds of children because the place is stuffed until 2 pm.)
it has your name written all over it.
It does however still do a great deal of fun.
But really do not expect much if you want a little more advanced stuff.
To conclude.
The Exploratorium does what it name implies.
It lets you explore its contents with a great deal of pleasure and teaches about a base knowledge of science.

The Exploratorium is fun even for adults! A lot of simply explained educational exhibits and very interactive. There were a lot of soothing visual elements lol. Like sand moving about, etc.

I will say... their smooshed penny machine seems to use a cooper disc and not a real penny... disappointing.

They even had an exhibit on quantum physics, how cool is that!?

This has to be the best interactive display of art and science I have ever experienced, it is definitely a must do for people of any age when you are in San Francisco. There's lots of entertainment for any interest with enough to entertain you for hours

I went to the Residents concert and toured the Exploratorium. There was quit a bit of exhibits my favorite was the sound I could hear through my elbow and all the electricity exhibits. It has an amazing area to hold concert events in, the wall of speakers is pretty cool. Exploratorium "after hours" is perfect for people that want to the exhibits with out a bunch of little children running around.

There are lots of science exhibitions and it's fun. Adults and children can enjoy. I think it's quite wide so you can enjoy half a day. There is also a cafe inside so you can dine, so it's okay to cross lunch.

The whole family went to The Exploratorium.It is a wonderful place for young and old,exploring and trying out each exhibit is so educative.It was a most memorable outing, wish we had more time there

Best esploration and science exposition ever! I expected it to be a little more targeted at school kids but i visited with my non tech girlfriend and she loved it!

Has tons of great exhibits for everyone to enjoy! Learn all about science at this wonderful museum!

Its a great place for kids and others to stimulate your thoughts and brain.

Fun for all ages. I've been visiting the Exploratorium since childhood and enjoy each visit as if seen through new eyes. Great for families.

Nice outdoor eating area with more activities and exhibits to help everyone stay engaged.

If you haven't been to the 'new' location on the Embarcadero you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get to play with old favorite contraptions while exploring the new fun stuff.

I had so much fun, I can't wait to go again (on an adults only day).

Great place to look, interact, and learn. Some great views too.

My husband and I love this place. We enjoy the science behind the exhibits, and we find that the mood during their Exploratorium After Dark events are great!

One of the coolest museums I've ever been to. Everything is interactive. They have adult nights every Thursday.

A fantastic place. Everyone who is in San Francisco MUST visit them.

Great place for kids and adults!
Beautiful views!
Great Cafeteria with enough choices to satisfy all the cravings!

A very fun place for kids and adults to explore art and science. It's strategically located on Pier15 with public transportation and clean bathroom access. There's a small cafe and museum store. It's a slightly pricey place to visit. Visiting on free admission days can be challenging due to crowded visitors.

So much to see and do. Not just for kids as the adults are just as entertained.

I went here when I was on vacation in San Francisco and it was amazing. I definitely plan on visiting again someday.

Museums keep getting better and better. This place is a full interactive experience for kids and adults. Be sure to check out the social experiment games near the back end of the museum!

Great place to explore, explore and try with kids! You should bring a lot of time. I can only recommend!

The kids had a blast! They were age 2, 4 and 6 years old. We were disappointed with the small dinosaur exhibition, however. It was much smaller than the ads for it made it seem. Our little 4 year old dinosaur lover was quite disappointed there was not more to see.

There are several interesting interactive displays here to experience scientific principles.

What an amazing place. I wish I had places like this next to me while growing up. You need at least 3 hrs to check everything out.

I could only imagine how much kids will love this place. I, a 20something woman couldn't get enough of it. Love the experiments and the interactions. Probably the best way to introduce and teach science to kids. Hands on teaching is the best kind.

The experiments are laid around the place perfectly, lots of spacing so you don't feel overcrowded by the experiments and so everything is clear.

Go and unleash that curious little kid still stuck inside of you!

Thursday nightlife is fun. And I like the patio area where you can see the bay bridge. The galleries are full of discoveries. You better bring another person to enjoy it fully.