Exploratorium Reviews

Thursday night, drinks and science makes a great time

Very enjoyable not only for children. You learn a lot of science by playing. Time flies by here!

Beautiful science museum, where almost everything can be experienced, touched, tested by visitors!

Great place, had lots of fun playing around with exhibits.

Best $20 you'll spend for a night out... So many fun activities and exhibits... NEVER a dull moment! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My son loved this place. Finally a museum where he can touch everything and be as noisy as he wants!

You can be here all day and have fun and then do it again in a week.

Nice for kids, you interact with the exhibits and learn the principals they apply, I recomand an aracade better.

Love it. All hands in.
Kids learn by touching and that is a great place for tj to do.

Very little interesting science. The majority of the museum felt designed for kids. Regrettably the price is very steep for what is offered.

Very interactive museum with many science stuff to see. It's a perfect place to help your children understand some phenomens of nature, great for those you like science.

Plan to spend 2 days here if you can and you want to interact with the exhibits. We spent most of one day and barely got to see the main exhibit building. There is just so much to see and do. Crowds were manageable when we went and rarely impeded our ability to explore the exhibits.

The original Exploratorium was located inside the Palace of Fine Arts in Golden Gate Park. As a child growing up in Pacifica this was one of the annual field trips that we would take. This museum and group of scientists truly know how to inspire a childs imagination. Plus, it's flipping fun.

I can't wait as an adult to experience the new Tac Tile Dome.

Amazing for kids--a must destination for visitors and locals alike.

First time going to the Exploratorium, nevertheless it was pretty exiting. Personal opinion: is mostly for kids who are curious about the world we live in and how it works. Rather than tell tell you, they'll show you. I felt like a kid in a candy store, .

Plenty to see and do here, even for a hyperactive kid

The Exploratorium in its new location is great, for people of all ages. I've been to the new location for the "after dark" 21+ events (which I strongly recommend, despite the crowds), and certainly was not disappointed. I saw all my favorites experiments as well as new ones, and the new location is really huge and very well laid out. If you like science (and even if you don't) it's worth a trip since the place is so fun to see. It's all hands-on which is something I really like, but contrary to little kids, I also like to read the labels/signs to know what physical phenomenon I'm looking at instead of blindly pushing a button...

A unique, brilliant museum. Not just for the children, I had great fun exploring as a 35-year old kid! Loads of exhibits around physics, biology, perception, etc., etc., etc. You could easily spend hours here - and at the price you'll want to!

Love this place! Every time i go there, its awesome as ever!!!

Great place to visit, fun, creative and great time to spend with the kids.

this was the best interactive experience I have ever had. It is a mixture between a theme park / a science camp and a playground. It is a interesting learning experience that I would recommend to anyone who has children also adults who want to learn a little bit more and because it's so interacting everyone can enjoy it

Simply amazing. I came during one of the after dark sessions. You can get drinks inside and wander around playing with all the hands on exhibits. You could easily spend HOURS in here and not do everything. Lot's of fun for kids and adults alike.

Grandkids had fun, running from one exhibit to the next

Loved the place. Whether you are with young kids or with parents... There is something for everyone...

Too crowded. Don't eat there! It's a rip off in terms of pricing.

Extremely interactive, high-quality museum with endless interesting exhibits. I'd like to return sometime.

We went to After Dark for adult beverages and to learn about Whales. Had a great time. They open up a large area so you can play around with various exhibits. The bar was nice and included cocktails. Lots of space to wander and things to do!

I loved going to the exploratorium it was my first time and I'm 28!! There was so much to do and look and interact with that my little group (we were on a field trip) didn't finish observing everything! I can't wait for the return trip!! I definitely recommend for anyone of any age whether you have children in attendance at not!! Also they have a glow in the dark ADULTS night where they serve alcohol so it's also a perfect date place

If you are over 18, wait until Thursday night, for their after dark event. it's a great date spot to let out your inner child and have fun. During the week it can get pretty crazy with all the school groups.

Great for kids but nothing interesting for the grown-ups. If you need a place where they can run around and burn off their energy, parents will love dropping their kids off here.

An excellent way to spend a day for kids of all ages.

Normally I'm not a fan of museums, but Exploratorium has a lot of hands on things and is is super fun.

Super fun. We were there for 4 hours and we were unable to see everything

I visited the other week during the After Dark (18+) on a Thursday night. I had a blast just walking around the whole place trying each exhibit and demo. It was awesome not having any kids around, although it did still get quite busy after the first hour.
Try and give yourself as much time as you can though! I was first in line when they re-opened at 6 PM, and still hadn't seen everything when they closed at 10. It's massive!
I was travelling solo, and that was fine, but it would also be a good place to go to in a small group.

what a great place!!awesome for kids!!a little pricey ($30) .

Kids loved it so much that they want to come back here again!

I've been going to the Exploratorium since I was a kid, and it's still my favorite hands-on science museum. We mostly go to the After Dark events now, and the lectures are great. The recent temporary exhibits have all been super interesting, and we're excited to see what's next!

An awesome adventure. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to spend a long time there. It's huge and you can literally touch everything. Which is great for young kids.

Love to bring the kids here, they will run around for hours exploring it all.

I don't know a museum can be that crowded even at night. I visited in an evening in October when I visited SF. Exploratorium was full of people. I can't find a locker. I was very tried that day and was only spent some time on the SOUND part. It is overall a very interactive experience to learn some 'common' and 'uncommon' things. By the way, they provide food and wine at night.

Fascinating, fun, science and art - for people of all ages. Strongly recommend a membership. The exhibits are all interactive. The restaurant is expensive but delicious but you can bring your own food and sit outside to eat it. Best time to go is midday on weekdays if you're not with kids. STRONGLY RECOMMEND VISITING

This is probably my favorite museum in the bay area. Takes several hours to see everything, but I think it's better to do it in multiple trips. Going at night for their adult event is fun, I would recommend it.

It's the best! Feast for the senses, beautiful hands on science everywhere you look.

Fun hands on museum for children and adults. Great family experience where you actually need to play and interact the museum.

A wonderful place. It takes several hours to go through it as it is large and the facilities are interactive.

The Exploratorium is a really fun, hands-on museum in a great location on the Bay.

It's a great place to learn, have fun, and experience new perspectives to expand your mind.

Heaps of fun from which you will actually learn a lot of small tidbits, not just for kids

Best. Museum. On. Earth.

An interactive space, the Exploratium provides the environment for people of all ages to learn and grow perspective. The colors and exhibits inspire questions and encourage a Socratic education. The food at all the cafes Most memorable was the fried chicken sandwich. Lastly, the views are incredible.

Last time I went it felt different but that's probably because I was tiny. The science projects/experiments are really interesting to play with. You are differently encouraged to touch almost everything.

Really interesting stuff. Didn't have enough time to go around but it's all worth it.

This place is great! There are so many fun and educational activities/exhibits to try out, and you can even get for free if you're a student! (with a student ID)

Easy to get to on public transit and engaging for kids and adults.

Great for both kids and adults! We went at 2pm on one of the five free days a year, and we were pleasantly surprised by how uncrowded it was. There were lots of people, but with so many exhibits, we never had to wait in line. Highlights: the theory graveyard, the camera obscura, and the exhibit where you could see the trails left by muons and other subatomic particles.

We went there on Thursday night and got $19.95 tickets. The place is FUN and worth going for sure. 4 hours is definitely not enough! Will come back again.

So impressed! We spent 2 hours here and it wasn't even close to enough time!

Absolutely amazing place to take your kids. Tons of fun things to do and can also be educational. It is just amazing there and I'd love to go again. It was 20$ per person but worth it.

Fun place for kids & adults. The new location is enormous, and has a huge variety of exhibits on all science topics. Lots of fun stuff here. Don't forget to ask for the "local discount" if you live nearby.

So much fun! If you aren't taking kids, try the "After Dark Thursday Nights" (for adults only).

The best hands on museum from SF. Great view from the top level of the city and the bay. Enjoyed a nice lunch in the restaurant. Very good price quality level.

Went to a party there the other day, very nostalgic from my childhood!! The new space is great and very accessible via public transportation.

Very cool place. For. Adults as well as kids. Lots of crazy and interesting interactive exhibits. And a very nice cafe.

I had high expectations for the Exploratorium after such high reviews and enjoying previous exploratoriums in Canada. This one is huge with an open floor plan. That being said, all of the activities are interesting and science based, however, if the Exploratorium is crowded, you have to be patient to try each one. After the waiting, reading about the inventions, and taking pictures, we got tired real fast. So if you want the full effect of the Exploratorium, make plans to spend at least three hours (if you want to try everything). My kids are 4 and 8 and weren't into the reading so much. I actually wished they had workers in science labs to share and add to the effect of making each item more enjoyable. Despite that, most of the concepts there will reinforce science concepts your kids are learning in school. I expected the environment to be colorful and lively, but it felt like walking through an ancient, tin, drab war station or something, (I guess that's a scientist dream, but not mines). Overall, it was a good, not great experience.

One of the best museums I have visited. It's soooo funny