Exploratorium history

Oppenheimer served as the museum’s director until his death in 1985.

In 1987, Doctor Robert L. White became the Exploratorium’s Director.

He served as Director until 1990.

The Piers location was identified by Goéry Delacôte and then-board chairman Van Kasper as a potential space for relocation in 2004.

In 2005, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution exempting the museum’s 66-year lease of the piers from San Francisco’s competitive bidding process due to its unique nature as a cultural and educational institution.

Groundbreaking for the project, which required substantial construction and renovation, occurred on October 19, 2010.

In 2012, the Studio received another National Science Foundation grant, Ciencia Pública, to engage Latino youth in codesigning a public space project adjacent next to a Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco’s Mission district.

Under his guidance, the museum began a new phase of growth and exploration, including a move, in April 2013, to a new location on Pier 15 along San Francisco's Embarcadero.

In 2014, the Exploratorium solidified this commitment to the public sphere by establishing the Studio for Public Spaces, a group dedicated to transforming public spaces for inquiry, learning, and community.

Until 2015, the Exploratorium was led by Doctor Dennis Bartels, a nationally known science-education and policy expert dedicated to strengthening the Exploratorium’s culture of lifelong learning.

In June 2016, the Exploratorium welcomed its newest director, Chris Flink.