Exploratorium To Go

Gifts and Learning Tools from the Exploratorium Store

A message from the director...

In 1969 men first walked on the moon, and Frank Oppenheimer first opened the doors to a new museum--the Exploratorium. Only a handful of exhibits were on the floor for the museum's first visitors. Today there are over 650 playful and interactive works of art, science, and human perception.

At the Exploratorium, you can experiment with echoes and optical illusions, pendulums and prisms. Come and visit this "mad scientist's penny arcade" and go for a spin on the Momentum Machine, stand inside the giant kaleidoscope, blow soap bubbles bigger than your head, or stick your hand in a tornado. It's all part of the Exploratorium experience.

The products on these pages, like the Exploratorium itself, are intriguing, stimulating, and playful. "The most exciting place in San Francisco" is as close as your phone. Just call our toll-free order desk number, 1-800-359-9899. (If you become a member at the same time you place your order, you'll receive a 15% merchandise discount. )

Please accept my personal invitation to come and visit us.

Dr. Goery Delacote
Executive Director

Pendemonium

Chaos in action! The parts in this kit can be interchanged to create a host of unusual pendulum systems which move with regular or chaotic motion depending on how they're assembled and propelled. Available with a magnet that attaches to a metal surface, this will make your refrigerator the most unusual on the block!. This 11" tall model is based on the captivating Exploratorium exhibit "Chaotic Pendulum."

(Model with stand shown above no longer available)
Magnetic model 94702 ($11.95; Members, $10.16)

Pinscreen

This interactive sculpture really makes an impression. Designed by Exploratorium artist-in-residence Ward Fleming, the Pinscreen preserves 3-dimensional images of anything it touches, so let your imagination run wild. A hand-held version of one of the Exploratorium's most popular exhibits.

Small [3-3/4" x 5"] 68602 ($12.50; Members, $10.63)
Large (shown) [5" x 7"] 68601 ($24.50; Members, $20.83)
Round [5" dia.] 68606 ($12.50; Members, $10.63)

Animal Speak T-Shirt

"Oink!" say American pigs. But Russian pigs say "Kitroo Krrook!" Animals make the same noises wherever they live, but people interpret them very differently. This colorful children's T-shirt features common animals and the words for the sounds they make, in 10 languages.

Child sizes S (6-8), M(10-12), and L(14-16)
69815 ($9.95; Members, $8.46)

Megabubbles

Bubbles are never out of style. Create phantasmagoric colors in the sun. Make 6-foot bubbles ride on the breeze or shimmy around a corner. Comes with hoop, tray, concentrated bubble solution, bubble recipe, and flight guide.

08305 ($19.95; Members, $16.96)

Bending Light

by Pat Murphy and the Exploratorium staff
Create a telescope, make a slide projector out of a flashlight, even make a magnifier out of Jell-O! Fooling around is the key to discovery. It's never been so easy—or so much fun—to learn the basic principles of light and lenses. A magnifying lens comes packaged with the book. With it and a few familiar household items, you can bring the Exploratorium home.

($15.95; Members, $13.56)

Explorabook

by John Cassidy and the Exploratorium
More than just a book, this nationwide best-seller from Klutz Press includes all the tools you'll need for scores of exciting scientific activities - including a mirror, moiré spinner, diffraction grating, Fresnel lens, plastic magnetic wand, even agar growth medium. It took the Exploratorium staff three years of intensive work to adapt our best activities to book form. The result is a book that will inspire and fascinate all ages.

($17.95; Members, $15.26)

Lumina Clock

The science of light and the art of color are wonderfully combined in this unique and mesmerizing clock. Hours, minutes, and seconds are indicated as clear film disks rotate and overlap, continually changing color. Each clock is backlit and has a polished acrylic face, trimmed in anodized aluminum. Clock face is 6-5/8" square; 3-5/8" deep.

01701 ($225.00; Members, $191.25)

By Nature's Design

Unveil the secret blueprints of nature. Captivating photographs and fascinating text reveal the order, economy, and elegance of nature's diverse forms. Writer Pat Murphy of the Exploratorium and photographer William Neill worked together to bring you the beauty and symmetry of the natural world, often overlooked by the casual observer.

Paperback ($18.95; Members, $16.11)
Hardcover ($29.95; Members, $25.46)

Lizard Kaleidoscope

This unusual necklace is from the studios of kaleidoscope artist David Kalish. The miniature masterpiece is as beautiful to look at as it is to look through. A brass Escher-esque lizard decorates the kaleidoscope's outer case. Chrome with 24k gold end caps, 2-1/4" x 5/8". Chain not included.

47204 ($46.00; Members, $39.10)

Glass Puzzle

For the flexible thinker, this unusual glass puzzle is a real challenge! Stack the 6 glass plates one on top of the other so that the colors of the resulting 9 small squares are all different (9 colors in all). Chip-resistant paints have been fired on the bottom of each plate to make this puzzle durable as well as attractive.

82005 ($40.00; Members, $34.00)

Relative Time

Albert Einstein pioneered the concept of a curved time-space continuum, so it's only fitting that you can now wear his concept curved nicely around your wrist. This unique quartz timepiece features a superior-quality Swiss movement, impact-resistant casing, and black leather watchband. It's the ideal gift for any Einstein fan. Or for anyone with their own, unique concept of time.

48001($40.00; Members, $34.00)

Tower of Illusion

What you see (or don't see) determines your path to the top of this colorful and unique game. Players are entertained (and educated) as optical illusions are tilted, wiggled, and turned on their heads. It's a game for your intellect and your imagination! Game is played with 198 optical illusion cards and three 11" x 17" towers that pop together in minutes. An instruction booklet helps you see what is real and what is not. For 2–6 players ages 8 to adult.

47901 ($ 29.95; Members, $25.46)

Eagle Microscope

This student microscope is affordable, easy to use, and built to last for years. A 10x eyepiece allows magnification up to 400 times actual size. With a rugged, cast-metal frame and baked-on enamel finish, it combines quality and features found on far more expensive models. Safety rack stops and spring-loaded objectives prevent lens and slide damage. Manufacturer provides a 5-year warranty.

With Mirror 47701 ($99.00; Members, $84.15)
With Light 47702 ($129.00; Members, $109.65)

Prepared Slides Set of 12 mounted, stained, and labeled microscope slides. Specify plant or insect.

07224 ($6.95; Members, $5.91)

WildWOOD

Like no other pendulum you've ever seen! You never know what it will do next. It bounces erratically, twirling and circling in figure eights. It's mesmerizing as it swings day after day, month after month. Its "endless" operation is made possible by 5 magnets, a coil and a battery (included). Stands 6" high on a handsome wooden base.

00401 ($39.95; Members, $33.96)

Gyros

Another wonderful spinning toy, this precision gyroscope comes boxed complete with pedestal and instructions. 72313 ($8.95; Members, $7.61)

To place an order:

By phone, call our 24-hour toll-free order line 1-800-359-9899 Ask for extension 6925.
By FAX, click here for an order form to print. FAX to 415-353-0476.

By mail, click here for an order form to print. Send to:

              Exploratorium Mail Order

              Dept. I

              3601 Lyon Street

              San Francisco CA  94123

For further product information or inquiries about scientific products you don't see here (we've got thousand's of them!) please call the customer service number below.