Exploratorium (San Francisco)
The Exploratorium in San Francisco is a museum that focuses in particular on teaching natural sciences ( Science Center ). It was founded in 1969 by the physicist Frank Oppenheimer , Robert Oppenheimer's brother . Many of the exhibits are designed to be interactive and thus encourage active engagement with the topic. This interactivity is particularly suitable for the acquisition of education with children, but also reaches adults more easily than conventional documentary museum concepts. The Exploratorium is therefore not only aimed at children.
The hands-on museum has over 400 employees; for example scientists, artists, teachers, exhibition organizers, authors and designers. Instead of museum guides, they deliberately employ young “explainer” who can be identified by orange vests. This conceptual change began in the early stages of the museum and has since spread widely as a model.
The Exploratorium was housed in the Palace of Fine Arts until January 2013, and has been in Pier 15 and 17 on San Francisco's Embarcadero since April 2013 . The historic Pier 15 was extensively renovated beforehand.
With its interactive concept, the Exploratorium in San Francisco was a pioneer and model for other interactive museums. In Germany, for example, the Mathematikum in Gießen, which opened in 2002 (motto: “Mathematics you can touch”), and the Exploratorium Potsdam (today's name Extavium ), which opened in 2006, are comparable institutions. For more examples see Science Center .
literature
- Hilde Hein: Science, Art and Perception. The new type of museum from San Francisco. Klett-Cotta Oktagon, Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 978-3-608-93176-1
Web links
- Official website (English)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 37 ° 48 '10.4 " N , 122 ° 26' 53.8" W.