Escape to reality on Thursday nights at the Exploratorium After Dark. Get a little weird at Pier 15 for evenings worth talking about: explore science, art, and culture, then play like no one's watching with more than 650 hands-on exhibits spread across six indoor and outdoor galleries. Disappear into artist Fujiko Nakaya's living cloud on Fog Bridge #72494, or head into Gallery 2: Prototyping, where the museum's own exhibit builders test their newest ideas and invite you to get hands-on with the prototypes yourself.
Journey through total darkness in the twisting, turning, world-famous Tactile Dome. Talk to strangers at trivia nights and dance parties, or get pulled into surprising experiments, performances, demos, and talks. Grab a drink at the full bar, try something new, and go home different. Adults-only (18+), no kids allowed.
The Exploratorium is located at Pier 15 on San Francisco's Embarcadero, just minutes from the Embarcadero BART Station, Pier 39, and the Ferry Building.
What's included
SKIP THE LINE Admission to After Dark at the Exploratorium (Ages 18+)
Regular daytime admission to the Exploratorium
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Tactile Dome
What to expect
Exploratorium
Admission ticket included
Expand your mind by exploring the hundreds of interactive machines, contraptions and artworks at San Francisco’s Exploratorium, a quick 10-minute walk from the Ferry Building and a 15-minute walk from Fisherman’s Wharf. Head down on any Thursday at 6pm for the wildly popular After Dark event, when the museum stays open until 10pm for a full evening of adults indulging their curiosity about science and art. Each night revolves around a different theme. The Exploratorium is an intellectual playground for adults — part art gallery, part museum, part laboratory with a dash of party thrown in the mix.
Meeting and pickup
Meeting point
Exploratorium
Pier 15, The Embarcadero at Green Street, San Francisco, 94111, United States
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Ages 18 years and older only (no exceptions)
Coin-operated lockers are located just past ticketing and the Info desk
Guide dogs and other certified assistance animals are welcome
Wheelchair accessible. A limited number of wheelchairs are available for loan, free of charge, at the Info Desk on a first-come first-serve basis
Complimentary museum maps are available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Filipino.
Visitors must be age 21+, with a valid government-issued ID to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
