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