Tour of San Francisco’s Exploratorium

Written by: Sasha Rosen Monday, February 20th, 2012 .

Ever wanted to go to a museum where touching the exhibits is actually allowed? At the Exploratorium in San Francisco, children and adults alike are not only allowed to play, create, and interact with exhibits, they are encouraged to do so. With a name like “Exploratorium,” one would expect nothing less. Far from a traditional science museum, the Exploratorium has “explainers” rather than docents, a “tinkering studio” rather than a special exhibits gallery, QR codes for Internet and Smartphone interaction instead of just explanatory placards, and a consortium of artists and scientists instead of traditional curators. At a place where there is as much movement and noise generated by the exhibits as by the visitors, the Exploratorium is a place where science, art, and fun converge.

It all started with Frank Oppenheimer, a brilliant physicist who taught science with innovative, hands-on methods. Frank created a “library of experiments” for his students to better understand science concepts, which was his inspiration to create the Exploratorium. Just as Disneyland came into being because of one man’s drive to create something uniquely creative and fun for families, the Exploratorium became the first fun and interactive science museum, fueled by Frank’s re-imagining of science education.

A boy and his mom play with electricity at the Tinkering Studio

Visitors can control this state-of-the-art microscope to view a developing Zebrafish embryo while the monitor records - later, the best videos are uploaded to the Exploratorium website

Today the Exploratorium has about 500 exhibits, and 499 of them are made in the museum’s own shop, which produces a new exhibit every week or two. Science museums all over the world turn to the Exploratorium to purchase or replicate their innovative exhibit prototypes. EntertainmentDesigner.com had a chance to tour (and of course play with!) these exhibits, guided by Senior Physicist Paul Doherty. Paul demonstrated how the displays work, pointing out the science behind each with a sense of wonder and delight in his voice that is not commonly associated with physics, biology, museums, or even adulthood, for that matter. It quickly became apparent that not only are the visitors encouraged to play, but so are the employees! Playful, engaging, and passionate, Paul is a testament to the Exploratorium philosophy.

Paul Doherty, Senior Physicist

What stands out most about the Exploratorium, aside from its emphasis on curiosity, is its accessibility. The machine shop is clearly visible to visitors so that they can watch as artists, scientists, and fabricators use every kind of machine imaginable – from giant drills to laser cutters – to repair exhibits or create new ones. The new exhibits go out on the floor right next to the shop so that their creators can watch as people interact with them.

Exploratorium shop

The exhibits themselves are also universally accessible. It was amazing to watch parents, teenagers, and children engage with the same displays with equal enthusiasm and curiosity. Even though younger kids can’t fully understand the underlying lessons, they are equally engaged because as Paul pointed out, “Kids find what’s interesting to them and connect with the exhibit…It’s ok to do things in different ways to have fun!”

The lesson of this exhibit is that scaling chairs up or down necessitates more reinforcing...but these girls are creating their own experience and having fun just sitting on the chairs!

By encouraging visitors to play and interact with exhibits, the Exploratorium makes two of the most commonly daunting and difficult school subjects – math and science – accessible and extremely fun. We look forward to the museum’s impending move to Piers 15 and 17, a more accessible location where there will be even more amazing things to play with, learn from, and explore.