If you are interested in science, San Francisco's Exploratorium is for you. Mainly geared toward children and adolescents, the Exploratorium lets you explore scientific principles with real-world experiments. There are such exhibits as exploring how tornadoes work, how a seismograph works, how the human brain perceives its senses, etc. There is also a Tactile Dome that is immersed in complete darkness that you can work your way through by touch. The museum is really quite different from any other than I have ever found in my travels.
While I recommend it highly for families, I also would recommend it for one of those times when you want to take a date to do something different.

The Exploratorium is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Admission is as follows:
Adult 18-64 $13
Students & Seniors $10
Disabled $10
Youth 13-17 $10
Children 4-12 $8
Children 3 and under are free.

To experience the Tactile Dome with admission, it is $17.

To learn more, you can go to www.exploratorium.org or call 415-561-0360.

A nice tip is that the museum has free admission for all on the first Wednesday of each month!

Exploratorium is a fun place for kids, as it is for adults. Science is fun in this setting, where you can touch things and explore. It's next to the Palace of Fine Arts.

Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm

Closed Mon (except Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day, and President's Day), Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Admission: $10; tactile dome $14 (requires advance purchase and reservation, and includes general admission). Free admission on the first Wednesday of the month.

Phone: (415) 563-7337

Muni 30 to end of line, 76

I'm not sure about the price since I joined the museum as a member. You get free admission to other science museums, free admission to the Exploratorium all year and a percentage off in the gift shop.

This place is great if you have all day and lots of patience. Try to go during the week as opposed to weekends or on a Wednesday afternoon and stay until they close at 9 p.m. They have some changing exhibits but many are there all the time. The shadow box is fun as you can look like you are flying. It's more fun to see this museum with at least one other person as some things are set up for 2 people. Check out the indented seating area on the upper floor where you can speak to the person across the room and be heard in a normal voice. It's interesting. The electricity area, music and light areas are my favorites. But so are the big bubbles, but you'll have to wait behind the kids for that. Children above age 8 who are explorers will love the Tactile Dome. You need reservations but can sometimes get them the same day. My 9-year-old loved it and stayed inside with a buddy for almost an hour. If you are curious with a scientific bent, this place is a dream come true.

While visiting a friend and I decided to visit the Exploratorium. Wow, what a fascinating piece of architecture. It wasn''t very crowded since the weather was acting strange. We merely walked all the way around the building to shoot images of the architecture as well as admire the beauty. I don''t think we ever went inside . . . smile . . . And then we proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the building admiring the real estate offered there. Some of the homes were just gorgeous!

The Exploratorium is located near the Golden Gate Bridge, in the Palace of Fine Arts. ~~ This was a great experience for our family. It's very fun and hands-on for kids, who will also learn a lot. Your kids can blow huge bubbles, learn about (and feel) a tornado, work on brain teasers, and learn about optical illusions. ~~ The Tactile Dome is a completely dark area where you must rely on touching and no other senses to find your way through. It's a really unique experience to feel all the textures, while crawling and feeling your way through. ~~ This is a great outing for a Sunday when other things are closed. You can make a picnic and enjoy it on the grounds and take in the views, then tour the museum. Hours are 10 to 6.