1. San Francisco CityPASS
    2. /
  2. Exploratorium

Exploratorium

The Exploratorium is more than a museum — it’s a gateway to exploring science, art and human perception with every visit. Let your curiosity roam through more than 700 interactive exhibits in six spacious indoor and outdoor galleries. You’ll find our one-of-a-kind store, dining and more at our beautiful San Francisco bayside location — Pier 15 on the Embarcadero.

San Francisco CityPASS includes:

General Admission — Entry includes all indoor and outdoor interactive galleries and option for ages 18+ After Dark event on Thursdays.

San Francisco C3 includes:

General Admission — Entry includes all indoor and outdoor interactive galleries and option for ages 18+ After Dark event on Thursdays.

San Francisco CityPASS + Alcatraz includes:

General Admission — Entry includes all indoor and outdoor interactive galleries and option for ages 18+ After Dark event on Thursdays.

Ida Høyrup
Ida Høyrup

Highlights

  1. 01.

    Investigate forces shaping the City, Bay, and region in the spacious Outdoor Gallery 5. Walk on a fog bridge, watch shifting winds and tides, reveal hidden life, observe human behavior, and find new ways to notice the places we inhabit.

  2. 02.

    Explore the Osher Gallery 1, where you and others are the exhibits — play with social interactions, observe others and contribute your reflections. Humans think, feel and interact, and these phenomena are all open to scientific investigation and creative exploration.

  3. 03.

    Experiment with light, mind-bending mirrors, bubbles, and more in the expansive Bechtel Gallery 3.

Visit Exploratorium with CityPASS®

CityPASS® tickets offer multiple great ways to see Exploratorium. No matter which you choose, you'll save.

Compare All San Francisco Tickets

Advice for Visitors

Tips

Best Time to Visit

Crowds tend to be lighter on weekday afternoons and Thursday evenings (18+).

Adults (18+), don't miss the Exploratorium After Dark every Thursday from 6-10 p.m. Unplug and play with 700+ interactive exhibits exploring science, art and perception. Encounter the unexpected with programming that invites you into the worlds of the thinkers and creators changing our communities. Get inquisitive, grab a drink, and let the DJ set the vibe. CityPASS guests can choose this event instead of General Admission.

To get the full experience, allow about three to four hours for your visit. If you're short on time, don't miss Gallery 3, exploring light and sound. The exhibits in this space are mesmerizing and fun!

Learn more on the CityPASS Blog about what you'll experience at Exploratorium.

Attraction Features

Amenities

Dining: Seismic Joint Café, Seaglass Restaurant

Gift Shops: The Exploratorium Stores

Accessibility

Exhibition spaces, stores, café, restaurant and all public restrooms wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs available for no charge. Service animals welcome. Get more information on accessibility.

Parking/Transportation

Get information on parking, transportation and directions.

Offers & Upgrades

$4 off Admission

San Francisco CityPASS includes option attractions that allow you to choose which attractions to visit. To visit extra attractions at a savings, you can take advantage of this exclusive discount for CityPASS ticket holders.

Contact Information & Hours

  • Exploratorium
  • Pier 15
  • San Francisco, CA 94111
  • Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 12-5pm
  • Thu, 6-10pm (Ages 18+)

Open some holiday Mondays; other days and hours of operation may vary. Check the schedule when planning your visit.

Closed Jan. 5-7, May 1, June 19, Oct. 4, Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), and Christmas Day with an early closure at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and no After Dark event on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31).

Ida Høyrup
Ida Høyrup

Read reviews from CityPASS® travelers.

San Francisco CityPASS
Amazing
So happy I bought the citypass in San Francisco. It helped make my trip there unforgettable. Would definitely do it again!
Great
I bought Citypass for my boyfriend’s birthday to show him some cool places in the city and I thought it was perfect. We went to four different places, and it was extremely affordable. 10/10 would recommend.
Great Deal
Easy to use and save you quite a bit of money. Our family had a trip to San Francisco and didn’t know what to do out there and this gave us a great option to enjoy activities as a family while still getting to know parts of San Francisco.
Great value for money!
It was a great trip and we loved the city pass . Will definitely recommend !!
NorCal CityPASS
We had an amazing experience visiting Northern California and much of it had to do with the activities included within the San Francisco CityPASS we purchased. Thank you, CityPASS, for helping to create lasting memories for my family!
San Francisco CityPASS is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 3344.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good price on a selection of attractions Good price on a selection of attractions. Be aware that they will continue to pester you for a review, even after you have posted.
Date published: 2026-02-10
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Great trip, but wish Alcatraz had been an option I went to San Francisco in September 2024 to try the Giants stadium, and chose the California Academy of Sciences, SFMOMA, the Blue & Gold Fleet Cruise, and the Disney Museum as my four options for the four item pass. I really enjoyed all four of them. That said, I wish Alcatraz had been an option back then. I'm glad it is now. We passed it on the cruise, but I would have enjoyed exploring the island. I also wish DeYoung was an option for the four destination pass. I particularly liked the sea lions at Pier 39 at the Blue and Gold Fleet Cruise and passing Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, the polka dot room at the SFMOMA, and the rainforest and endangered species paintings at the CAS. Overall, I loved SF, can't wait to be back, and would get a CityPASS again.
Date published: 2026-01-14
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Worth your money! Best bang for your buck when seeing all the great attractions in SF. My boys always like going to aquarium and exploritorium everytime we go to SF. Unfortunately, we werent able to use the Blue & gold bay cruise as it rained so much the remainder of the week we were in SF. I tried to go talk to someone at cruise stall but closed early due to the rain/flooding. No cruises were going out those days at the end of December 2025. We would have loved to see the bay out on a boat, Mother nature was not cooperating.
Date published: 2026-01-11
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy app We bought CityPASS ticket for our SanFrancisco trip. The app is really easy to use, a couple of attractions we had pre book, but was very easy process on app. Everywhere we avoided line to purchase tickets.
Date published: 2025-12-03
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Cool App I bought CityPASS for my trip to San Francisco. Overall, I was happy with it. I liked the fact that I could see highlighted only the experiences I had left. I also liked the fact that I could book my upcoming visits via the app. My only "complaint" is that I had to log in every time to the app to see my pass. Other than that, it is a good app.
Date published: 2025-11-10
  • y_2026, m_2, d_22, h_8
  • bvseo_bulk, prod_bvrr, vn_bulk_3.0.42
  • cp_1, bvpage1
  • co_hasreviews, tv_9, tr_3335
  • loc_en_US, sid_san-francisco, prod, sort_[SortEntry(order=FEATURED, direction=DESCENDING), SortEntry(order=SUBMISSION_TIME, direction=DESCENDING)]
  • clientName_city-pass
Hide reviews.

Get inspired. #citypass

Plan your visit.

The My CityPASS® app has all of the details you need for a great experience, including reservation and entry information, attraction details, maps, and extra offers and discounts from our partners.

All images courtesy of Exploratorium