eirekay's travel recommendations

With all the things to see in San Francisco, a Science Museum may not seem worthy, but think about San Francisco's proximity to major science centers like Stanford, UC Berkley, Lawrence Livermore Hall of Science and UCSF's new Biotechnology Center, and you have some idea for what you are in for! Ironically, the Exploritorium is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, an homage to Art Deco, built for the 1915 World's Fair. Located in the Marina District, close to Lombard Street (the world's crookedest street), the Palace of Fine Arts has a beautiful lagoon filled with swans - worth the trip for a walk around the grounds. The exhibits are mostly hands-on and VERY engaging. My favorite? The Tactile Dome, an ever changing excursion into total darkness where your sense of touch is your guide. Also cool are the Traits of Life area, exploring human DNA, Mind & Learning and Matter/World. Some of the exhibits may seem more aimed at children; all of them are bound to bring out the child in you.

Address: 3601 Lyon Street San Francisco California United States Phone: + (415) 674-2893 E-mail: exploring@exploratorium.edu Price: mid range