The Exploratorium in San Francisco gives public school PreK–12 teachers a break on admission, and the break depends on where you teach. On its Free and Reduced Admission page, the museum says California public school PreK–12 teachers receive free admission, and public school PreK–12 teachers not from California receive a $10 discount on admission.
If you’re headed to San Francisco and wondering whether your teaching job gets you anything at the door, it does. Which steps you follow depends on which of the two groups you’re in, so we’ve split them apart.
How To Get The Exploratorium Teacher Discount
If you teach at a California public school, the page invites you to apply by completing an online form. The form’s own page is headed Free Admission for California Public School PreK–12 Teachers, and it tells you to fill out the form and bring your teacher ID when you come to the museum. Teachers who qualify are given one free, nontransferable, general admission voucher.
If you teach at a public school outside California, the page lists no form. It says to bring your teacher ID, and that teachers who qualify are given one nontransferable general admission voucher along with the $10 discount on admission.
Either way, the page asks for a teacher ID, so put yours in your bag before you leave. For questions, the page lists visit@exploratorium.edu.
Who Counts As A Teacher
Both offers are written for public school PreK–12 teachers. The page doesn’t mention private school teachers, homeschool teachers, substitutes or charter schools, so we can’t tell you whether they qualify. If you’re one of them, email the museum before you count on a voucher.
Bringing A Class
In its California section, the page says the vouchers aren’t applicable toward admissions associated with Field Trip groups, so the free voucher won’t cover a class visit. The page does have a separate answer for classes: Title I K–12 schools receive free admission, subject to availability, throughout the school year. The museum’s School Field Trips page is where it sends you for the planning details.
Other Ways In When You’re Visiting On Your Own
The same page lists a few routes that aren’t aimed at teachers but might fit you. One is your local library: it says the Discover & Go program gets you free admission to the Exploratorium and 35+ other Bay Area cultural attractions, and to check with your library to see if passes are available. Another is a membership at a science center or museum that belongs to the ASTC Passport Program. The page has a section for those members, and it says the home institution and the member’s home address must be at least 90 miles away from the Exploratorium.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
We didn’t look up the full ticket price, so we can’t say what an adult ticket comes to after the $10. The vouchers are described as nontransferable, but the page doesn’t say whether one covers anyone besides the teacher. The note about field trip groups sits under the California offer, and the paragraph for teachers from other states doesn’t repeat it, so ask before assuming either way. The page also gives no end date and no limit on how often you can use a voucher.
Q&A
Do teachers outside California get anything?
Yes. The page says public school PreK–12 teachers not from California receive a $10 discount on admission.
Do I have to apply before I visit?
California teachers are invited to apply with the online form and bring a teacher ID to the museum. For teachers from other states, the page names no form and asks you to bring your teacher ID.
Can I give my voucher to a colleague?
No. The page describes the vouchers as nontransferable.
Does the voucher work for my class trip?
The page says the vouchers aren’t applicable toward admissions associated with Field Trip groups. Title I schools receive free admission for field trips, subject to availability.
Do private school or homeschool teachers qualify?
The page only describes public school teachers and doesn’t mention the other groups. Email visit@exploratorium.edu to ask.
Where can I ask questions?
The page lists visit@exploratorium.edu.
More Information:
The details above come from the Exploratorium’s own Free and Reduced Admission page and its teacher application page as they loaded when we checked, and programs change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
