Really fun experience. Most of the regular daytime exhibits are open, but you don't have to dodge school groups to get to them. Plus you can get a drink, which makes everything better. Definitely checkout the tactile dome if you can. Totally worth the extra $10. You'll probably get to go through twice and it's something silly and fun to do with a partner or friend. Wear socks. read more

The old Exploratorium setup in the Palace of Fine Arts was a larger room with higher ceilings, and prompted everyone I ever took there to suffer a few minutes of sensory overload when they first walked in. The new campus along the waterfront is longer, but not as tall, allowing you and your guests to drink in the science slowly instead of sucking the science fire hose. But everything you loved about the old Exploratorium is still here! The toilet fountain, the hanging piano, the interactive playthings, and the great demos. We popped by for Sexplorations, and I was impressed with how cranially-focused and thought-provoking the entire arrangement turned out to be. They challenged and amazed the audience with a variety of tactile presentations that drew in capacity crowds, or let you play all over the multitude of exhibits (some of which I remember from visiting as a kid). The new campus is way closer to the city, making it a lot more accessible for visitors and city-dwellers alike. My one gripe is that the new thinner design did lead to more choke points as crowds tried to worm their way through the museum. Beyond that, this is a great evening for you and your playful friends. Get there! read more

Arrived in SF luckily on the night of one of these events. I heard about After Dark from Time Magazine. So I thought I would definitely give this place a shot. Nice vibe, lots of interactive science contraptions and experiments/shows. I'm from SoCal and enjoyed this much more than Griffith Observatory. The event was 4 hrs and I honestly think more time is needed to truly enjoy this type of neat event. I was planning to have a drink or two but refrained due to the long lines. Prices seemed high for small amounts of drinks. Otherwise, great atmosphere. Awesome for potential dates and groups of friends to just have a good time. read more

I have never been to a place like Exploratorium After Dark before. It's like a club for nerds and artsy people where you can let loose and have your mind stimulated at the same time. I came here a while back, in August. It was for the Mars Rover landing, and that was the theme of the night. I personally LOVE dressing up (I go to a lot of anime conventions) and so it was cool to see everyone's costumes. I went as Marta from Star Trek ;) The full scale model of Curiosity was really cool, and the hands-on exhibits WOULD have been cool, if I hadn't drank too much. The alcohol was a little expensive, so I would recommend bringing your own. There were a lot of people there, so if you don't like big crowds, I would be wary. I like meeting new people though, so I really enjoyed myself. read more

It's definitely different WITHOUT kids running around, and WITH a drink in hand! Attended the "Heartworks" event on February 2, and while we didn't arrive in time to be able to build our portion of the love machine, we were able to see the final chain reaction that completed the exhibit! It's so much fun to watch grown men and women geek out together and have fun in the name of science and art. Also, I got to go through the Tactile Dome, which I was pleasantly surprised to see open since the Exploratorium website said it was closed for repairs until February 3. I hadn't been there since I was an intern in 2004-2005... it's definitely different when you are crawling through that shit in complete darkness WHILE under the influence (what? I ain't gonna lie), but just the same, it was a challenging good time! Definitely recommend when you feel like having one of those nights that straddles cutting loose like an adult and having fun like a kid. read more

The Exploratorium is SO COOL. That said, they need to not overbook the After Dark events. Way too crowded, it felt like being at a festival. Massive lines for everything, people bumping into you everywhere. No way you can explore the whole place fully while you're there because there's a line and a crowd for everything. The Exploratorium itself is freaking awesome - After Dark is fun, but know what you are getting, more of a party than an experience. read more

This place is amazing! Whether you go during the day or night. I guess since I'm an adult, it was better for me to go at night not only because of the alcohol (about $5 for canned beer and $8 wine), but also because you get easier access to all the exhibits and not having to "fight" with the kids for all the hands-on exhibits. The place is like a long rectangular floor plan with divided science topics.My favorite had to be the Living System with all the plants, insects and such, as well as upstair in the Bay Observatory Terrace. The terrace has a open balcony with the view of the Bay Bridge! I think it'll take more than two to three hours to finish going through everything--it took me two hours to walk through both wings, but I selectively check out some and not all exhibits. Parking is pretty convenient, there is a parking lot across the street but charges $15/hr after hours. I suggest parking on the street and pay the meter for about half the price. read more

I've been here a few times and had wildly different experiences, but all the basics are still good: fun stuff to look at, play with, and learn about in a really big space. Overall, I like After Dark because I don't have to fight children for the chance to play with the exhibits. The booze helps, too. (This is also what's great about the Cal Academy's NightLife, though that's 21+) Sometimes there are maps, which help tremendously. I wish they'd offer those all the time, or post floor plans in each wing to orient visitors (I did see a couple signs with arrows, but not maps or at obvious junctions). It seems there are two very different After Dark experiences: -1st Thursdays of the month, which are heavily marketed, have partners presenting demos around a theme, and are pretty crowded, and: -other Thursdays, which are not themed and while still lively and have in-house demos, are not very crowded at all. Pros: -no kids = no guilt for playing with the interactive exhibits. -is 18+ (so I can bring my sub-21 coworkers) -live demos and friendly staff. One station was dissecting a cow eye last night! -enormous, so I can go multiple times and see new stuff/skip stuff I find less interesting but still feel I got my money's worth. It also seems they change some things out pretty regularly. Cons: -group tickets aren't individually printed, so you have to arrive together or have someone with the ticket meet them at the door. -food is pricey, without a ton of variety. Filling, though. -hard to prioritize what you want to see without a map. -enormous, so you won't be able to see everything in one evening/would get tired or overstimulated spending the entire 4 hours trying to do it all. read more

I've been to night life a few times at the academy of science, but for some reason i'd much prefer the exploratorium. You can actually interact with different little exhibits. This is definitely a fun spot to get educated after a few wine or beer. read more

My first Exploratorium After Dark experience happened last week during the Senses exhibit. A group of friends and I decided to check it out as it's been on our list of things to do for quite some time now. All of the exhibits/pieces were really interesting to interact with. We had a lot of fun playing around with everything, and learning too. It was nice to be able to walk around with a glass of wine or a beer, and not have a bunch of kids running around everywhere. This is a great place for a group of friends or a date. There's always something to talk about when walking around here. Parking was easy. We arrived around 6:30 or so and found a spot a small walk away from the entrance. Maybe it fills up later in the evening as some people seem to have had difficulty finding it according to some of the past reviews. I was there practically from open to close that evening and still felt like I didn't get to see it all. I'm excited to come back and do this again sometime. Looking forward to the next themed event! read more

This was a great time to come to the Exploratorium. No kids present made the experience more relaxing and we felt we could take our time with the many hands on displays. The ability to walk around with an adult beverage and have interesting conversations with people staffing NASA project displays was unique and interesting. We noticed many couples there and it's obviously popular as a date night location for all ages 18 and older. read more

Exploratorium is great as long as it's new to you. If you go once, it's not as fun the second time no matter how many drinks you put away. Food court looks WAY better than the one at NightLife but it is also WAY expensive. read more

This is a great place for a date. Or double date. It was not that crowded. They serve food if you are hungry. We had a lot of fun and saw a couple of presentations. There is so much to see, you will not be able to see it all in one visit. I'd recommend it to everyone. My fav exhibit is the toothpick display of SF that took 37 years to build. read more

A super fun date night. Hello Tactile Dome (temporarily closed for maintenance)! If you're not into the big crowds, go any Thursday evening, except the first of each month. You won't have the major programs, but you'll get plenty of exhibit time. At first I wasn't a fan of the new location b/c it seemed difficult to park and what not, but there's plenty of neighborhood parking in the evenings. Make sure you don't get stuck with a Port Authority meter (24 hour enforcement!). read more

I am, in principle, thrilled that more and more museums are doing these evening events for the more adult crowd. It's great to be able to wander around with a drink in hand and without kids getting in the way. Only problem is ... it's often *too* popular. We went for the Gastronomy night, and fortunately arrived early enough to find street parking ( I heard a lot of people grousing about being unable to park later ). We also had the foresight to stand in the first line we saw once we got in the door, and just barely made it into the auditorium for a presentation. When we came back out, the line stretched about halfway down the building - no way there were going to get everyone in line into the auditorium. We spent much of the rest of the night standing in a very slow line trying to get a drink. Don't get me wrong - it's a great museum, but the crowds and lack of competent crowd control that night made the experience worth a lot less than it could have been. read more

I had recently watched the episode of How I Met Your Mother where Marshall was trying to get the gang to figure out whether he was doing certain stupid actions when he was drunk or a kid, when Google offered a two-for-one deal for this place. I thought that it was a sign that I needed to go here since I used to love going here as a kid and being drunk is potentially the closest we'll get to being kids again. I was pretty disappointed by this place. I guess I was expecting drinks to be a little cheaper, so everyone could just get hammered and run around playing on everything, but that probably wouldn't be fun for the people that had to clean up the mess. Instead, my friends and I went around playing on weird contraptions while we were pretty sober. I'm rereading this and it doesn't make much sense, but I'm posting it anyways... read more

Good place for date night. It gets really blown out by 8pm so get there early and make sure you have cash for drinks. I went last night which was themed Sex. They had a tinkering area where you could take apart and re-assemble dildos! It's a great place for science geeks, has tons of things to see, explore and be interactive. read more

Exploratorium After Dark - Color shadows! - Museums Near Me - San Francisco, California

$15 ticket is very worth it started at 7 pm and was extremely burnt out by 9 pm. it's a lot of information and very fun but way too much information. would recommend seeing the entire exploratorium over a span of 2-3 visits. go with at least a friend since there are many partner activities. definitely a good date option. dont smoke in the restroom- you will set off the fire alarm and waste 30 min of everyones time read more

Great venue. Learn science again as an adult. Every exhibit keeps you entertained and curious to learn more. You can easily spend hours here. read more

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Buy the members pass, and you can hit up any of the after dark events for one year. it's about the same cost as buying separate passes for 2 after dark events. I went to Sugar a couple of Decembers ago, and totally love the experience. Way more enjoyable than CAS's night life. There were vendors, tasting tables(all types of sugar served in a variety of ways... macroons, sugar cane, and other cultural treats), demos (Sugar Masters who turned sugar and chocolate into art.), and interactive activities. At the same time you get to play with their permanent displays/installments that lets you explore your senses through art and science. Worth more than the $12 price. read more

Went with a few friends and had a great time! Getting there was a bit of an adventure as we missed our stop and thought we were going to take an inadvdertant trip across the GG Bridge. Luckily, the bus stopped at the toll plaza and we reversed directions. It was a super low key event but still a lot of fun! It wasn't very crowded so we felt free to meander, spend time at exhibits we liked, and generally enjoy ourselves. Cocktails are expensive so we... brought our own, and that worked out swimmingly. All in all, highly recommend you check it out before they go on hiatus in September! read more

I came on their Thursday night glow after dark event. I wasn't too impressed with the glow after dark exhibit since there wasn't much to it. It is a cool place to come to play with the stuff without kids running around and to be able to walk around with a drink while exploring the place. But having come here before, it wasn't too magical. I came with someone who had an annual pass, otherwise I don't think I would pay for it. It came with the glasses too for having the pass, but we didn't really use it. read more

This place was fun...I wish I didn't drink so much wine so I can retain all the cool information I learned... lol Fun activity to do, there's street parking .50 per hour--CHEAP. And who doesn't like going to the city at night with a nice view of the Bay. read more

I fell in love with this place! It has so many interactive exhibits, that there's always something for you to do - no excessive lines. We chose to Uber there, but parking might have been an issue. If you are visiting, have never been, or are just looking for something to do this is IT. I went on a Thursday where tickets were only 19.95 at the door and 17 before 5 online. Definitely worth it. The staff is is also amazing! Sooo science, booze, good food and beautiful scenery... what more could you ask for!? read more

SO. MUCH. FUN. We got there a half hour after the doors opened and we didn't even get close to seeing everything. The little presentation on Nitrogen was fun and informative and the sheer amount of clever contraptions is awesome. A throwback to high school physics class but with the addition of red wine. Perfect date night! read more

I loved taking my school kids to the Exploratorium but chasing after them was a lot of work. It was nice to do an "adult" night, and actually try the stuff out for yourself- however I must have picked a popular night. The gastronomy definitely drew in the foodie crowd and boy was it ever crowded. Exploratorium didn't seem to worry much about capacity but it was too crowded to actually try many of the exhibits, old or new. There were just too many people and the lines were very long. A lot of the special booths ran out of food samples before the lines finished. It doesn't seem like an easy place to start random conversations or meet people either. People are already in groups or on dates and are preoccupied with the exhibits. I do have to give the Exploratorium some credit for giving a student discount, even Cal Academy doesn't do that in the evenings. Some of the old exhibits are just as fun as I remembered when I was a kid. I saw some ad about them relocating to another space- I hope they don't get pushed out. This is a classic. The one take home lesson that you can actually do (since most of us don't have easy access to liquid nitrogen, etc) is wine + blender = hyperdecantation (decanted faster and tastier!) Give it a blind taste test and determine if the 5 volume cookbook set stands up to the test. read more

Ok, so I'd say I had just an ok time here... I had never been to the Exploratorium, so I didn't really know what to expect. It's a cool place to check out, yes but maybe on a free museum kinda day...This was an experience, good date kinda night but nothing crazy exciting. Somewhat overwhelming where I caught myself more interested in people watching than playing around, only so much to do, that could keep my interest, for so long. California Academy of Sciences has a similar night - which I'd say is more enjoyable and would go back to, not the same feeling here. read more

I haven't been in the Exploratorium since I was 8 at the old location and had decided to come here with a friend of mine to see the new place. This place is pretty cool! I've gone to this event twice now and I have to say that for 4 hours of interactions with the museum with drinks (sold separately) for $13 is a fair deal to me! What makes this a great place to go out with friends or going out on a date are the interactive stations (from sight, sounds, feels, to even mental experimental stations) that you can hop on do the experiment with them. Another cool thing about this place is that every week is a new theme so there's at least one new exhibit in the place. I haven't tried the tactile dome yet but I plan on trying that sometime in the future. Definitely recommending this place to anyone that wants to have fun time with friends or a couple that wants to go out on a date. I will be back! read more

A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! A M A Z I N G! read more

The Exploratoirum throws a night life very similar to the Academy of Science. I think Academy of Science is every Thursday night, but Exploratorium is the first Thursday of each month, so put a reminder on your calendar if you are planning to go! Hmm. I got there at 7, and it was kind of dead... but it started to pick up around 8! So if you want to play with some of the exhibits, I suggest getting there early so you can 1. get parking and 2. play with exhibits without people hustlin you to hurry up. Haha. But even if you come later, you still have time to play with the exhibits and find parking in the residential areas. SO no worries. Alright if you aren't a Physics nerd like me, I think the exhibits are just fun to just play around with. It's interesting since I have no idea what the concept behind each one is. There are placards with information on why... but I just skimmed it. Haha. I'm there to have fun, not really learn. But if you're interesting behind the concepts of it, then read away! So every After Dark is themed... I went to the heartworks one that happened last night, and it was fun. Hearts all over and you can make your very own secret encoded QR tag. I still don't know what it is, but its that square bar code thing. There are scavenger hunts and did I mention always a new activity to do at each After Dark. It's just nice to look around. This is an 18+ event, and 21 to drink. So there are no kids hogging up the exhibits or running around the museum. Pretty nice if you ask me. I don't have to worry about walking into strollers or wait for kids to be done playing with an exhibit, since some can take forever! This is great for a date night or just a fun night out with friends! Check it out. I'm not sure how much it is usually. But I had a google offer which was 2 tickets for 15... I think originally its 15 a person read more

Been to the Exploratorium a few times back when it was next to the Palace of Fine Arts. At this next location, there are more exhibits since the space is larger. The After Dark event is neat since there aren't screaming children running around & you can browse around with a drink in your hand. The tactile dome was a great experience! read more

Went to the Molecular Gastronomy event last month. The place was dimly lit, (ok, it's always dimly lit) but this time it felt more adult. This was likely due to the copious amounts of alcohol. Parking in the neighborhood is awful. Take. A. Cab. Even if its going to be $30. It is worth your sanity. The lines were super long. After looking for parking for 60 minutes, I only stayed an hour. This meant I only got to see one demonstration. It was great! I'm a Supertaster! Yea! That being said, all demonstrations should require the following: 1. Good Signage. Oh heck, how about signage period? 2. Some kind of audio system - the presenter should have a microphone. 3. Any visual things - like monitors - should be where everyone can see them, not just the 4 people in front. I'm not the only one who was frustrated. There were plenty of people complaining about the event planning. At the Academy of Sciences they hand out passes. That way you can have some fun while you wait to see your show. 'Cause no one likes to stand in line all night. Right? PS: Don't go hungry, the food isn't great. read more

You know...I had high hopes for this...and it didn't quite deliver. I used to go to the Exploratorium all the time when I was a kid and absolutely loved it. Going back as an adult was a sobering experience because I realized not much has changed since I was there 15 years ago. Some of the stations were pretty interesting but some of them were old and didn't work. I enjoyed the After Dark experience mainly because my manfriend and I could walk around and not have to deal with crazy kids everywhere...and the booze helped :) Caution: DON'T eat the food there! My date got sick from the ahi tuna wrap and I thought the popcorn tasted like cardboard. Bottom line: Cool to do just once, especially if you have never been to the Exploratorium before. read more

The Exploratorium is the most compelling museum I've ever been to! The "After Dark" event is a must-attend for anyone who's even mildly interested in science, drinking, how interesting phenomena work, or all of the above. Location/Atmosphere-5/5. First of all, I love the Embarcadero, and how unapologetic-ally tourist-friendly it is. The museum itself has an amazing layout. It's modern and open, dimly lit to emphasize the exhibits, and easy to walk though. Every 15 inches or so there's an exhibit to look at, touch, and experience. I've gone twice to this event and haven't managed to see every exhibit. If you make it to the back of the museum, there's a trendy bar, SeaGlass Restaurant. The decision to have Exploratorium After Dark be adults-only is brilliant. Why go to a regular bar when you could go to a top-notch museum that effectively functions as a bar? The no-kids policy gives it a nice vibe, and makes it a "safe space" for grown-ups to walk around buzzedly and examine earthly marvels in wonder without having to worry about being impolite if you're blocking a 7 year old's view of the cloud chamber. Exhibits-5/5. My favorite wing is the Living Systems gallery; I'm consistently blown away by live chicken embryos, touch-sensitive plants, algal mats, and giant logs. Upstairs there is a Landscape gallery that has a fog machine, cloud chamber, rift machine, and even more..The cloud chamber was amazing; you can see alpha radiation from the decaying lead on the brass rod in the middle of the chamber. I also love the Central Gallery, with exhibits on diffraction and other light phenomena. Food/Drink-3/5. The first time we went we had Mahi Mahi tacos and Papas Bravas to eat; they were very flavorful and delicious. The drinks were a great selection and reasonably priced, as well! The second time we went my friend and I actually both got ill from our food--vegan chili--which was unfortunate. We were both sick for a day after attending. This is the reason I'm giving 4 stars--I would go there again for sure, but I'm hesitant to order their food, now. Overall: This event is my favorite that I've had the pleasure to attend so far in SF! read more

It's fun, but you won't get to try much. If you go during the summer, you will experience so many interns that you won't be able to actually try anything. Also, getting a drink is impossible. I'd love to revisit this after the season is over. I'd highly recommend avoiding summer peak season. The wait to try anything really is overwhelming - it also gets quite toasty because of the crowds! read more

Tons of fun and so much to experience. I think I love the Exploratorium even more as an adult than I did as a kid, so I love the idea of "adults only" nights. At After Dark I got a turn at each exhibit without having to feel bad about cutting in front of kids. I loved having a glass of wine while tinkering with circuits. And I appreciated the many patio spaces where I could get some fresh air. It gets pretty warm inside. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many exhibits that I couldn't possibly see it all in one night. This gives me a good reason to go back again. You should visit too--it's a lot of fun and a great way to support this local gem as they're experiencing tough financial times. read more

My boyfriend and I had so much fun! We weren't sure what exactly to expect and we had no idea what this place was all about but it was totally worth it! My boyfriend was like a kid in a candy store, so many cool and interesting things to look at, lots of hands on exhibits. Loved it! We want to do this again next time we're in town. read more

Super! Hours of enjoyment, extremely interactive. Feels like middle school science trips on steroids. The "after dark" experience is excellent, because there's no kids running around, or even young teenagers. There's some overpriced alcohol too. read more

What's better than a beer or cocktail mixed with science fun? I'm not sure what could top this.. but the after dark adults only Exploratorium experience was one of the most fun times I've had downtown! Every Thursday 6:00-10:00pm, $15 per person to enter. There are beer/wine carts throughout the place to 're-up' your alcoholic beverage requests. And the Cafe in the back has a full bar as well. Definitely fun with a group of people. You will feel like a kid again. I would suggest to do this after dinner or plan on getting dinner afterward because the cafe can get pretty busy and I wasn't hearing good things about the food while sitting at the bar. read more

This can be really fun if you're in the right mood. Some nights are definitely better than others since the exhibits and themes change often. I tend to like the exhibits that are more entertainment oriented and interactive. You can also buy drinks at a number of locations within the museum. If you like to play with toys while drinking, you should check this place out. read more