The Exploratorium

NileGuide Expert tip:

If you're feeling puckish after your visit, head to nearby Chestnut Street, the Marina district's main commercial strip, where a variety of restaurants (plus bars, shops , and a movie theater) beckon.

Description:

• We couldn't think of a better name for a museum that invites visitors of all ages to explore the world and how we perceive it. Yes, science takes center stage at the Exploratorium, but in such innovative, interactive ways that kids of all ages—including us grown-up kids—will hardly notice time go by (how's that for playing with human perception?). Among the Exploratorium's 650 exhibits are a completely darkened tactile dome, a miscroscopic imaging station in which visitors can check out microorganism's embryos and more, an exhibit that explores the mind and how we think, feel, and make decisions, and one that plays with how humans interpret sound. The Exploratorium is housed inside the Palace of Fine Arts, whose scenic grounds are the perfect place for a post-museum breath of fresh air.
• © NileGuide2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2009