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San Francisco’s Exploratorium is a place to think about science and perception by touching and trying things for yourself. Daytime admission with kids and After Dark, the adult-oriented Thursday night event, need to be considered separately. Even if you find a cheap evening ticket, that does not mean everyone in your family can get in.
In this article, we cover getting to Pier 15, Sunday hours and experiences that require separate reservations. It is not an account of trying the exhibits ourselves, but a summary of the official visitor information and our editors’ approach to planning.
On Sundays, general admission starts at noon
| Day / category | Officially listed hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday–Saturday daytime | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Sunday general admission | Noon–5 p.m. |
| Sunday 10 a.m.–noon | Hours for daytime members, donors and others |
| Monday | Normally closed |
| Thursday After Dark | 6–10 p.m., ages 18+ |
Regular hours may change for special schedules. On Sundays, check the hours that apply to general tickets so you don’t arrive at 10 a.m. after looking only at the opening time. If you are bringing children, choose a daytime admission ticket.
Treat admission tickets and the Tactile Dome separately
The officially listed prices are $39.95 for daytime general admission (ages 18–64), $29.95 for eligible categories such as ages 4–17 and 65 and older, and free for ages 3 and under. A general After Dark ticket is $22.95 but is only for ages 18 and up. Do a final check of price categories and conditions on the purchase screen.
The Tactile Dome, where you use your sense of touch in total darkness, requires a reservation, and its price is listed separately from regular admission. If it is an experience you want, don’t consider yourself done once you have bought an admission ticket; check the conditions of use and remaining availability first. We are not recommending it across the board to young children or to people who are uncomfortable in dark places.
Besides the official website, the ticket booking site Tiqets also sells admission tickets (See Exploratorium tickets on Tiqets, PR). Compare how the Tactile Dome and After Dark are handled, as well as prices and cancellation terms, with the official site on the purchase screen before choosing.
Getting to Pier 15
The museum is at Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street. Its official directions include walking along the waterfront from BART’s Embarcadero Station, taking the Muni F streetcar, and walking routes from the Ferry Building. With kids, include the outdoor walk after leaving the station in your plans.
Parking is not operated by the museum itself, so you need to check availability and rates with the parking operator. If you drive, think about the walk from where you park to the entrance and getting back to the car to go home. Keeping your belongings to a minimum so you don’t have to leave bags in the car is also part of preparing.
Try one thing rather than trying to “finish” the exhibits
Our editors suggest that, once inside, you drop the plan of going through every exhibit in order, and instead pick one thing your child shows interest in and try it. Rather than translating every description, thinking together about “what happens if we change this?” makes it easier to start a conversation, regardless of how comfortable you are with English.
For example, divide your time into first touching and trying things freely, then reading the explanation, and finally trying the same thing once more. This is not a route set by the museum, but our editors’ suggestion for an easygoing family experience. Leave room to wrap up early depending on your kids’ ages and how crowded it is.
How should you combine meals and other sightseeing?
The places to eat inside the museum have different hours from the museum itself. On days when you enter late, have lunch beforehand or check the museum’s dining information. Ticket refunds and date changes also have conditions, so check the terms rather than assuming you can freely switch days depending on the weather.
If you also go to Japantown or Golden Gate Park on the same day, you will need to travel between areas. Separating days focused on waterfront sightseeing from days focused on the park’s facilities reduces the times you have to worry about departure times in the middle of the exhibits.
You might also like
California Academy of Sciences guide for families with kids
Official information and sources
Information checked: October 15, 2026. Hours, prices and terms of use may change. Please check the official information as of the day you visit or buy.
This article is also available in Japanese.
Featured photo: Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0, taken in 2022).
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