Exploratorium

Take a glimpse at the early years of San Francisco's innovative institute of arts, science and perception with the 1974 film Exploratorium. Commissioned by founder Exploratorium founder Frank Oppenheimer, the film was intended as a promotion of both the Museum and its innovative, hands-on approach to learning. Inspired by the museum's philosophies, filmmaker Jon Boorstin took a non-traditional route, creating a tone poem of space in motion foregrounded by exhibits and visitor interactions highlighting innovation and wonder. The result is singular film work that manages to capture the tactile learning environment and focus on play and experimentation fosters by the Exploratorium for over 40 years, Exploratorium was recently preserved by the Academy Film Archive through a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.