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Of all the museums I’ve visited, the Exploratorium in San Francisco is one that will always stick out in my mind. The Exploratorium is located inside a large warehouse at Pier 15 (along the Embarcadero) and focuses on interactivity in science. The museum contains over 600 exhibits across 6 areas, all of which encourage guests to learn by doing. Visiting the Exploratorium was a highlight of my trip to San Francisco. Its a great place to spend a few hours. You’ll learn something without even realising it.
The Exploratorium was originally located near the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco’s Marina district. In 2013, it was relocated to the current spot on Pier 15 and has since expanded into a massive version of its former self. Stretching over 300,000 square feet, the Exploratorium’s exhibits sprawl both indoors and outdoors. Seeing the size of the Exploratorium was a huge surprise. Its very easy to lose track of the time here and not know where to start. In this post I’ll look at some of the highlights I encountered when exploring the Exploratorium.
Overall, I’d allocate around 2-3 hours to spend at the Exploratorium. As always, buying tickets in advance online will save you time queuing up (or buy the San Francisco CityPass if you’re planning on visiting other attractions). There’s a lot to see, so the more time you have the better. Despite the size of the place, the Exploratorium is very easy to navigate. Most of the exhibits are all located on one gigantic level and are divided up into a number of themed sections. Lets take a look at what you’ll find here.
The first gallery you enter at the Exploratorium focuses on the human psyche, exploring concepts such as thoughts, feelings and social interactions. I loved this part of the museum and I found a lot of the exhibits reminded me of the TV series Brain Games. Its that fun kind of learning that you can apply to your every day life to try to understand our daily human interactions and emotions. The majority of exhibits in this gallery will require you to work with another person, be it a friend or a random (you’re exploring human interactions after all!). The experiments that you take part in are great icebreakers to meet fellow explorers as well.
To give you an idea of the kind of experiments here, lets look at one entitled ‘Sip or Squirt’. The exhibit consists of two back to back drinking fountains. Each player stands beside their fountain and has the option of pressing a blue or red button. The blue button, marked ‘Sip’ allows the other player to take a drink from their fountain, while the red button marked ‘Squirt’ causes the other player to be squirted in the face with water. The catch however is what happens to you is based on what you and your partner have both chosen. Its bound to bring about some laughs while also illustrating the applications of game theory in practice.
Other highlights in this gallery include:
The Human Phenomena gallery also contains the impressive Tactile Dome. This immersive experience requires a separate ticket for admission (add $12 to your ticket). You’ll enter a dome structure and be surrounded by complete darkness. Your mission is to navigate your way through using only your sense of touch. Its a lot of fun as you crawl, climb and slide without knowing what lies ahead. I highly recommend having a go at it. I did it at the end of the day after seeing the other galleries. Just grab a ticket when you first arrive at the Exploratorium.
This next gallery focuses on the concepts of creativity and innovation. This is perhaps represented best by the Tinkering Studio, a neat space where you can create your own gadgets with the assistance of museum staff. However, my favourite display in this part of the Exploratorium was the impressive toothpick model of San Francisco entitled Rolling Through the Bay. Created by Scott Weaver, this constantly growing replica of the city is made entirely from (over 100,000) toothpicks and contains countless tracks for small balls to pass through its ‘streets’. I could have spent much more time than I did just admiring the details of this masterpiece. Its incredible what people can make, and this section of the Exploratorium showcases the great power of innovation.
Moving deeper into the Exploratorium, you’ll reach the Seeing and Listening Gallery. This part of the museum actually holds the majority of the exhibits from its old Marina site. The emphasis here is on the way we perceive and interact with the world using our senses of sight and hearing.
One of my favourite exhibits in this section of the museum is entitled Out Quiet Yourself which shows just how noisy we can be, even when we’re trying to be quiet. To demonstrate this, participants had to walk carefully along a gravel floor, attempting to make as little noise as possible in the process. Meanwhile a sound meter indicated the level of noise being produced by the person as they snuck across. It was both fun and frustrating, with a tiny errant step causing the meter to trigger.
On the other hand, the Monochromatic Room illustrated the way in which our sense of sight could be impacted by our surroundings. In this really cool exhibit, you’ll enter a room where everything appears to be coloured golden yellow. However, if you use a torch on the surroundings to reveal their true colours, you’ll quickly realise that’s not the case. In actuality, the room had been lit up using a sodium vapour lamp which resulted in only a single wavelength of monochromatic light being reflected about the room.
The last of the chambers on the Exploratorium’s main floor investigates the biological world around us. This part of the museum was quite a shift from the previous three sections and I couldn’t help but feel there was a lesser degree of interactivity here due to the subject matter. Its still interesting though as you’ll be able to observe various specimens under microscopes. Don’t miss the Live Chicken Embryo exhibit to see the rapid growth of an embryo in the different stages of development. It was amazing seeing the tiny heartbeat among the otherwise gooey mess in the early stages of incubation.
The fun doesn’t stop when you leave the main Exploratorium building. There’s even more displays and exhibits on hand as you step out onto Pier 15. Take in the views of the beautiful San Francisco Bay while exploring its natural phenomena here. Outside you’ll find the Remote Rain umbrellas where you can stand underneath and experience various levels of rain storms. Meanwhile, the Fog Bridge is an Exploratorium highlight. San Francisco is known for its unpredictable fog, but along this walkway to the next pier, you can experience a recreated fog storm every half hour. High pressure pumps create an artificial mist out of desalinated water that shroud this section of the pier in fog. It looks really cool and is a lot of fun to walk through. I remember seeing it from inside initially wondering what was going on. Don’t miss it when you’re here.
Up above all this fun, you can head into the Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery. This part of the Exploratorium feels more like a research station than the rest of the interactive museum. While there’s exhibits exploring the natural landscapes of the Bay Area (including a really cool interactive 3D model of the area entitled Visualising the Bay), I have to admit I was a bit worn out by the rest of the museum by the time I got up here. Its a wonderful place to take in more views of the Bay however. You can even peer down into the tinkering hall and watch the experiment makers building future exhibits from above. Its also a nice place to get way from the hustle and bustle of excited museum guests elsewhere in the Exploratorium.
There’s so much to see and do at the Exploratorium. If your visit is anything like mine, you won’t notice the time flying by as you explore this unique museum. There’s something here for everyone regardless of their interests. While I enjoyed the exhibits focusing more on human behaviour and perception, others will be drawn towards the biological exhibits at the Exploratorium’s rear or even the Observatory upstairs. I can’t emphasise enough how much fun the museum is. If you’re in San Francisco for a few days, take a couple of hours out of your time and visit the Exploratorium. Its conveniently located along the waterfront and you might pick up a fun fact that will help you in a trivia contest somewhere down the line.
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Whether you’re making a trip specifically to explore the island state of Hawaii, or you’re stopping over on your way somewhere else, you’ll instantly fall in love with the charm of Oahu. While its not the largest of the Hawaiian islands, its the most well known and home to 85% of the state’s population. The city of Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and is located on the south-east part of Oahu. Its also where you’ll fly into Hawaii internationally (or from the mainland USA). However most travellers tend to stay a little further east in Waikiki. For the purpose of this itinerary, its a great place to base yourself. So lets take a look at how to spend your time on this magical island, the centrepiece of Hawaii.
You’ll want to make an early start on your first day before the tropical heat kicks in. Grab breakfast then set out for a hike up to Diamond Head Crater. The trail does involve climbing a fair few stairs as you ascend 170 metres, but if you’re doing it early in the day it shouldn’t be too difficult. The hike takes around 45 minutes each way from the trail entrance and you’ll be rewarded with some of the most panoramic views over Honolulu, as well as the crater which occupies the centre of a dormant volcano.
When you get back from your hike, enjoy lunch and spend the rest of the day with a bit of relaxation along Waikiki Beach. There’s plenty to see and do here. Enjoy the warm Pacific ocean at the Kuhio Beach Park and take it easy along the beachfront. Just a few spots of interest nearby include the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for its unique pink Art-Deco design and the beautiful Kap’iolani Regional Park. Or if shopping is more your style, take a ride to Ala Moana Center, a four story mall with all your retail needs.
As the evening sets in, you’ll want to head back towards the beach and find the famous Duke Kahanamoku Statue. As the conch shell sounds around 6.00pm, you’ll be able to watch an authentic torch lighting and hula show to experience Hawaiian culture. Once the show is over, its time for a late dinner. You’ll find plenty of dining options in Waikiki, being the tourist hub that is is. If you’re after a big feed, the Cheesecake Factory is excellent. You’ve earned it after the day’s adventure.
Today you’ll be able to learn about the events that took place during World War II in Hawaii. The words Pearl Harbor have become synonymous with U.S history, and today you’ll be visiting the site of the Japanese attack that took place on December 7, 1941.
You can arrange your trip to Pearl Harbor through a tour company or independently. Either way, you’ll want to spend plenty of time here as there is a lot to see. Make sure you take the boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial. The Memorial floats above the remains of the battleship of the same name that was sunk in the Japanese attack, resulting in the loss of 1,178 lives. Heading out onto the memorial requires a timed ticket, so book this well in advance.
While you’re here, take a tour of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the refurbished battleship that saw action in three different conflicts. The Pacific Aviation Museum here is also a worthwhile experience if you have time. Here you’ll find numerous aircraft on display and see the very hangars that were bombed in the Pearl Harbor attacks. On your way back from Pearl Harbor, stop in at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (also known as Punchbowl). Pay your respects to the 53,000 veterans buried here that served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Head back to Waikiki via Honolulu. Don’t miss the Iolani Palace. This significant building originally served as the palace of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Its the only royal residence in the United States. Out the front of the palace, you’ll find the King Kamehameha Statue, commemorating the ruler that united the Hawaiian islands into a single kingdom, ending years of conflict.
Today you’re going to venture further out and explore some of the other parts of Oahu. There’s a lot to see on the island, so today will be a busy one. Again, today’s tour can either be arranged as part of an organised trip, or you can rent a car and drive yourself.
After eating breakfast, set off for the touristy, but popular, Dole Plantation. You won’t find any pineapple fields here, but the famous destination is built on the site of an old plantation. Aim to get to the Plantation around 9.30am for opening so you’ll have enough time to spend here (it will take you around 40 minutes to get to the Plantation from Waikiki). Once you’ve arrived enjoy a ride on the Pineapple Express train and learn all about the significance of pineapples to Hawaiian culture. You’ll also want to explore (or get lost in) the world’s largest maze. If you’re a fellow Disney Parks enthusiast, you’ll also need to grab a Dole ice cream before leaving (Adventureland calls!).
Next up is a brief stop at Sunset Beach Park near the town of Haleiwa. Its about 25 minutes drive north from the Plantation. Its too early to catch a sunset, but its still a very pretty spot along the north western coastline of the island. Go for a quick stroll or take a dip in the crystal blue waters that define the Hawaiian islands.
Your next stop is another 20 minute drive as you traverse the northern shore of the island. Make your way to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie along the eastern coast. This excellent tourist hotspot provides an insight into Pacific island life and culture. You’ll be able to explore six different ‘villages’ representing life on varying islands across the Pacific. The Center opens at midday so you should aim to get here early afternoon. Make sure you take a canoe ride along the riverbed (admire the turtles!) and stop in for the Luau traditional feast. There’s so much to see and do here that it will easily take up your afternoon.
If you’ve got time on your way back to Waikiki, stop in at the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout. The lookout is up in the mountains with view over Honolulu from below. The site also has an important place in history, as these very cliffes were the sight of a significant battlefield between island tribes in 1795. The bloody war ultimately resulted in King Kamehameha I (we saw his statue earlier!) rising up and in turn uniting the tribes of Oahu into one Kingdom. In addition to its historical significance, the lookout is also an amazing spot to take in the views before heading back to Waikiki for the evening to finish up your three days in Hawaii.
