Exploratorium
Kid essentials
About this place
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.
How kid-friendly is it?
Featured in
- The San Francisco Standard10 San Francisco playgrounds worth crossing town for, according to experts2026
- 510 FamiliesThings to do with Bay Area kids when school is out2025
- TinybeansNew & Improved: 100 Adventures in the Bay Area for Families2023
Nearby places
A free covered stretch of photos and drawings showing the old piers being rebuilt; a two-minute stop on a walk, not a destination.
A boat-themed play structure and a climbing frame modeled on the Bay's shipping cranes, with a lawn and two picnic tables, in the Hunters Point Shipyard.
An enclosed playground with a ship-shaped structure, good for toddlers to play safely.
A park near the Ferry Building that's part of a family day out before heading to the Exploratorium.
A virtual flight ride at Pier 39 that simulates a tour of San Francisco from above.
Wharf seafood house with a kids' menu and boats to watch from the window.