Nestled
deep in the back of
San Francisco's
Exploratorium, hiding in the
darkness near the
sound exhibits is a
geodesic dome, the size of a
house or two, the Tactile
Dome.
The Tactile Dome, due it's popularity throughout the over twenty years of it's
life is the only
exhibit in the
museum that doesn't come bundled with the
admission costs. To get into the
tactile dome, you must pay an extra twelve
american dollars, and, not only that, you must make
reservations well in
advance, though you can sometimes make it on a waiting list and get in that very day should someone not show up to
claim their coveted
right to
walk,
crawl,
creep,
slide, and
bounce thier way through the
unseen.
Upon the
hour of your
appointment, an
attendant emerges from the small door and declares that it is
time. Only about 8 to 10 people enter the dome for each session, during which they must wait on
benches with no
shoes or jewelry in silence, while the
attendant listens to the progress of those in the
darkness and declares when the next
victim is to enter.
The
idea is simple, you must make your way through
total darkness, relying
only on your
four, or as the case may be
five other senses to get through
alive.
It's
fun!
Tactile Dome hours:
Tuesday through Sunday : 10:15am, 12 noon,1:45pm, 3:30pm, 5:00pm, and 6:45pm
Wed. Evening: 8:30pm
Tactile Dome Reservations:
(415)-561-0362 between 10am and 4pm, Monday through Friday