Exploratorium
A pier full of things to pull, spin and stand inside. Nothing is behind glass, nobody minds the noise, and a five-year-old can lead the whole visit. Closed Mondays; Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday noon-5pm, with members and donors admitted from 10am; Thursday evenings 6-10pm are for adults 18 and up only.
Kid essentials
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday
- 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
How kid-friendly is it?
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A free covered stretch of photos and drawings showing the old piers being rebuilt, a two-minute stop on a walk.
A boat-themed play structure and the Gantry, a climber modeled on the Bay's shipping cranes, with a lawn and two picnic tables.
A fenced playground with a ship for toddlers and a big slide for older kids, across from the Ferry Building.
Jamaican patties baked from scratch: a flaky hand pie your kid can eat on the go, plus jerk chicken plates for you.
A bungee trampoline that bounces jumpers up to 20 feet in the air for aerial acrobatics, for anyone from 30 pounds up.
The pointed tower on the skyline. The redwood grove and fountain in the park beside it are the part worth stopping at with kids.