The Exploratorium (San Francisco, California)

 museum, science museum

Pier 15
San Francisco, CA 94111-1456
(415) 528-4360
www.exploratorium.edu

The Exploratorium is a museum in San Francisco that has created over 1,000 participatory exhibits that mix science and art, almost all of which were made onsite. It is considered by some to be the prototype for participatory museums around the world. It has been engaged in the professional development of teachers, science education reform, and the promotion of museums as informal education centers since its founding in the Palace of Fine Arts in 1969 by physicist and educator Frank Oppenheimer. Since Oppenheimer's death in 1985, the Exploratorium has expanded into other domains, including online communities, and has helped to create an international network of museums working to solve problems with general science education. The current location opened to the public on April 17, 2013.