DESTINATION
IDEAS
California
Nevada
Other
West
Bargain
Travel West guide to unique destinations, sight-seeing, history and
culture, budget travel vacation ideas for the U.S., Canada and Caribbean.
San
Francisco Tour and Attraction Discount Tickets
PALACE
OF FINE ARTS & EXPLORATORIUM
40 Years of Touching Things at the Exploratorium
The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco is one of the most iconic sights
and photographed structures of the bay city. Essentially a dome and columns
of both Roman and Greek elements at the edge of a small lagoon lake and
European style green park lined by eucalyptus trees the Marina District,
the “palace” itself has no real function other than a beautiful
object to be looked at and walked around. The Palace of Fine Arts Park,
a place to sit and watch the ducks and seagulls. Originally constructed
for the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, to celebrate both the completion
of the Panama Canal and San Francisco's revival from the devastation
of the 1906 earthquake, the dome and columns fronted an exhibition hall
presenting an impressionist 
paintings exhibit. With nearly all of the
other signs of the exhibition long gone. the arches and dome were intended
to be temporary, built of wood, plaster and canvas like a movie set,
but the city rather fell in love with it. The palace suffered from weather,
time and vandalism until eventually being recast in concrete in the 1960s
and a brand new earthquake retrofit in 2009. The Palace of Fine Arts
has been a popular backdrop of San Francisco set films and TV shows like “Vertigo”, “The
Streets of San Francisco” and “Monk” and its ochre
and beige dome arches a setting for many weddings. The exhibition building
mostly concealed behind the arches of the palace is the real working
space of the park. Once the hall where paintings where exhibited in 1915,
now spilt between the Exploratorium and the Palace of Fine Arts Theater.
EXPLORATORIUM
Celebrating
42 years since first conceived by Dr. Frank Oppenheimer in 1969 as an
alternative to the staid form of look but don’t touch
museum, the Exploratorium is a wonderland for kids to explore science
and technology in a hands-on fun play environment. (Adults are allowed,
too, but be prepared to fight for space.) Many museums around the world
have followed the example of the Exploratorium, 
focusing
on learning and discovery through touch and experience, but the San Francisco
version
has continued to grew and expand. Over 400 exhibits explore biology,
physics, visual perception, listening, and the mind. The Exploratorium
is rather like a Dr. Seuss world of tink-tinkers and woo-wookers with
a science bent, from skeletons in closets to the mechanics of sound,
electricity and gravity, things to grab, spin, 
and marvel at in a two
block long vast hall on two levels to spark curiosity and imagination,
with new exhibits constantly under development. Theme programs and events
are regularly offered at the Exploratorium, from Cow Eye Dissecting for
the whole family to science workshops for home schooling. For the 40th
year special events from the magic of bubbles to a man in a metal suit
zapped by Tesla coils are offered. The Tactile Dome is a special space
for sliding and climbing, in around and through a variety of textures
in blacked total darkness.
Palace of Fine Arts Theater
Half of the exhibition building is taken up by the large Palace of Fine
Arts Theater added in 1970. The theater offers a range of events from
televised political debates, lectures, comedy performers, to music concerts,
movie premiers and both the San Francisco International and the American
Indian Film Festivals. The theater can be rented for special events and
functions.
Admission to the Exploratorium is $14 for adults, $11 for ages 13-17
and $9 for childen 4-12. The Tactile Dome including the Exploratorium
museum is $17 for all. Annual membership discounts are offered. To explore
the palace dome and the enjoy the park is free. To get to the Palace
of Fine Arts by car take Van Ness to Lombard Street following the 101
North signs to the Marina District, you’ll see the signs for the
palace parking area. Except for special events, daytime parking is along
the side of the exhibition hall for 4 hours or street parking for 2 hours.
Check the signs. By city bus, from Fisherman's Wharf take the #30 Stockton
Bus. From other locations, Municipal busses 22, 28, 29, 41, 43, or 45. © Bargain
Travel West
Find
best hotel and vacation deals in San
Francisco on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Exploratorium
Palace
of Fine Arts Theater
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel West and WLEV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See these other articles on Bargain Travel West:
SAN FRANCISCO GO CARD - ATTRACTIONS DISCOUNTS
SAN FRANCISCO TO GERMANY & SWITZERLAND IN 2010
DE YOUNG MUSEUM "BIRTH OF IMPRESSIONISM"
Discover budget travel ideas at
Bargain Travel West or visit Bargain Travel Europe for Europe
Travel Ideas
©
2006-2014 Winged Lion
Entertainment Ventures, LLC
