Exploratorium After Dark: Thursday Night Series

The Exploratorium is running its adults-only After Dark program again on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Pier 15 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, with admission from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The museum describes the night’s edition, “Unplug and Play,” as a chance to “get a taste of life as an Exploratorium engineer” through prototypes and hands-on activities. (exploratorium.edu) The event is part of the museum’s weekly Thursday-night series, which the Exploratorium says is limited to guests 18 and older. Admission also includes access to more than 650 interactive exhibits across the museum. ### What is happening at the Exploratorium tonight? (exploratorium.edu) Thursday, May 14, is this week’s After Dark program at the Exploratorium, the museum’s recurring evening series for adults. The museum lists the program as “After Dark: Unplug and Play” and says it runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Pier 15. The Exploratorium says the evening will let visitors “test-drive prototypes” and “savor the creative chaos,” language that points to a program built around engineering, experimentation and audience participation rather than a single lecture or stage show. The broader After Dark series is described by the museum as a mix of science, art and perception programming. (exploratorium.edu) ### Is After Dark just a special one-off, or a weekly series? The Exploratorium calls After Dark an every-Thursday-night series. The museum’s event page says the program runs from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each Thursday and promotes it as an adults-only night with exhibits, drinks and themed programming. (exploratorium.edu) The May schedule listed on the event page continues after May 14 with “After Dark: Staying Alive” on May 21 and “After Dark: At the Edge” on May 28. The museum also lists June dates, showing the program extends beyond this month even though each week carries its own theme. (exploratorium.edu) ### What do visitors actually get with a ticket? After Dark tickets cover entry to the Exploratorium on Thursday night and access to the museum’s 650-plus interactive exhibits, according to the museum’s event and ticket pages. The museum says the exhibits span science, art and perception and are spread across indoor and outdoor galleries at the waterfront site. (exploratorium.edu) Pier 15 is the fixed location for the program, and the museum’s visitor page places it on the Embarcadero between Pier 39 and the Ferry Building. The same page says Tactile Dome reservations are required separately, indicating that some add-on experiences may need advance planning beyond general After Dark admission. (exploratorium.edu) ### Who can go, and what are the age rules? After Dark is restricted to adults 18 and older, the Exploratorium says on both its event and ticket pages. The museum uses the line “No kids allowed—but you can still act like one” to describe the format. (exploratorium.edu) The museum also says guests can “grab a drink,” and a separate membership page for the program describes a weekly lineup of art and science programming during Thursday nights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. That page reinforces the 18-and-over rule for the series. ### What comes next after tonight? (exploratorium.edu) May 21 is the next scheduled After Dark night after “Unplug and Play,” and the Exploratorium says that program, “Staying Alive,” will include experiments, debates and hands-only CPR with the San Francisco Fire Department. May 28 follows with “At the Edge,” which the museum says will include geology, neuroscience and a musical performance. (exploratorium.edu) Tickets and updated program listings are posted through the Exploratorium’s After Dark and ticket pages. The museum’s visitor information page lists the venue as Pier 15, Embarcadero, San Francisco. (exploratorium.edu) (exploratorium.edu)