San Francisco: The New Exploratorium!

I confess I was a little disturbed when I first learned that the Exploratorium in San Francisco was moving. Its historic home at the Palace of Fine Arts is so singular, so perfect, that it just seemed heretical to consider moving. On the inside, "Palace" is bit of a misnomer; the interior is raw, industrial, and vast. The setting is beautiful, of course, and the buildings are a romantic dream - who can forget those mysterious grecian ladies, forever peering into the depths atop their columns (the ladies are even visible on Google Maps!). Then there is the lovely lagoon, complete with swans (I'm not sure if the swans are still there, but I remember them from childhood visits). There is something very Californian about the happy contrast between the industrial, the natural, and the classically beautiful - between science and romance. The place was designed by Berkeley architect Bernard Maybeck for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, and was never intended to last...  But it did, for a good long time (it was renovated in 1965).  

(photo from the San Francisco Parks and Recreation website)

The Exploratorium in 1977

Exploratorium Founder Dr. Frank Oppenheimer

One thing that was truly fantastic about the Exploratorium (and I hope it carries over into the new space) was its transparency. New exhibits were always being created on-site, in nearly full-view of visitors. It was fascinating to be able to peer into the workshops of the incredibly creative and clever elves who made the Exploratorium the magical place it was.

The new museum is at Pier 15, and promises to be spectacular, so I won't sulk for too long. The museum is keeping hundreds of its old exhibits and adding 150 more. The space will be divided into six  areas of focus: Human Phenomena, Tinkering, Seeing and Listening, Living Systems, Landscape Observation, and an Outdoor Gallery. Have a look at their website - it looks like a fantastic place.

The Monochromatic Room

Studying Plankton Populations

The new site will also be far more accessible, particularly by mass transit - and that is something to celebrate. It's fairly close to the Embarcadero Bart station, and is on the streetcar route (these vintage beauties are also fun for kids). It's also only steps from another of my favorite places, the Ferry Building Marketplace (which I wrote about here).

Luckily, the old building isn't going anywhere, although it's not yet clear who or what will take over the space.

All photos from the Exploratorium website, except where noted.

The San Francisco Bay Model

After spending an afternoon in San Francisco, we drove north across the Golden Gate Bridge and spent an hour at the amazing Bay Model Vistor Center - a working model of the entire bay water system and much of the Sacramento River Delta. The model was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1956-57 to demonstrate what would happen if the South Bay were dammed and infilled (as had been proposed).  Using simulated tidal action the Corps were able to prove that the results would be disastrous - the plan was, thankfully, shelved.  

The model (which is still owned and maintained by the Corps) is still in good shape and is admission is free.  It is well worth a visit with your kids.  The model is enormous (over 1.5 acres), and you can wander around the whole thing. "Tides" go in and out every 14 minutes, and water flows through the delta, into the bay, and out through the miniature Golden Gate. 

In addition to the model, there are displays on the history of Bay Area watercraft, the Marin Shipyard, World War II generally, and the modern workings of the bay.  Lots of models and artifacts and maps and other interesting stuff!

A model of the Marin Shipyard as it looked during World War II; the square building just left of center is where the Bay Model is housed today.

The view from outside the Model, looking towards Tiburon

If your children are reasonably calm and patient, try to squeeze in a visit to the Heath Ceramics store, which is also in Sausalito.  They make the most beautiful ceramics, and sell lots of other beautiful housewares too.  In the back, they sell seconds at a good discount (often it's hard to tell what the "problem" is).  When we visited, there was a little wooden playhouse in the courtyard outside the shop, making it easy to tag team (it's not the most child-friendly shop, unless your child is very good at keeping their hands to themselves).

If you still have time, there is another beautiful little store in Mill Valley (a few minutes north on Highway 101) called Mint.  It's tiny but carefully stocked with the most beautiful things for children and grown-ups…  When we visited, the proprietor seemed delighted with my son trying out various display toys.  Right down the street you'll find The Depot Bookstore and Cafe, which is not in itself stellar, but is a good spot for taking a break - the kids can play in the square out back while you sip your cappuccino on the back patio.

San Francisco: Dolores Park and the Mission District

During a recent trip to San Francisco, we spent an afternoon in the awfully hip Mission District - lots of great little shops and places to eat, and, despite a great deal of gentrification, still some older places too. My husband was very pleased to see that the burrito joint he frequented during a teenage visit back in the 1980s was still going strong.

We arrived via the 16th Street BART station and walked straight to Bi-Rite Grocery for sandwiches and other picnicky stuff.  Bi-Rite is fashionable and crowded and hectic but is a good source for nice-quality lunch stuff.

For something sweet, I was determined to check out Tartine Bakery, which is just down the street from Bi-Rite. Despite the line (which looked scary-long but moved quickly), I knew this was the right decision as soon as I saw the place - good god, it smelled amazing! I bought some enormous chocolate chip cookies and some petite orange-currant ones (both proved to be delectable). Everything looked amazing.

Then we made out way to Dolores Park.  The park occupies several square blocks and features grassy slopes, scattered palm trees, and a brand-new totally-fun playground. My husband overheard one visitor remark "We came all this way to hang out at the park??" But with children, that's often just what we do. The trick is finding an amazing park like this one, with stunning views, delightful architecture all around, great food spread out on a blanket, and a well-designed play area. We were in heaven!

After getting our fill of playing and lounging and eating, we headed back into the neighborhood and paid a visit to Paxton Gate on Valencia Street. This store is fascinating for child and adult alike with its fanciful collection of taxidermy, pinned insects, fossils, stones, and related exquisite objects.  It is definitely exploring!

Favorite Places: The Ferry Building in San Francisco

The Ferry Building is one place I always try to visit when we’re in the Bay Area, because it is just such a reliable pleasure for everyone involved.  Hidden for decades behind an ugly double-decker freeway, the building was liberated by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake - the freeway came down for good in 1991, and the building's reincarnation as a first-rate destination and gathering place by the preservation architecture firm Page & Turnbull  (among others) was completed in 2003.

The Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market is held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm, and on Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm.  It’s worth visiting even you don’t have a kitchen to bring veggies home to, because of course they also sell fruit and other fantastic picnic-ready items. But you can eat and dine here any day, and it’s hard to find a place that is so child-friendly and also offers such high-quality eats, all in such a wonderful setting. 

The food offerings throughout are amazing, and you can’t really go wrong (Click here for a full list of merchants).  Although there are several sit-down restaurants, I prefer to get my meal to-go, and eat outdoors on the bayside.  My favorites include Acme Bread Company, Frog Hollow Farm, Boulette’s Larder, and Boccalone Salumeria…  but poke around for yourself, you’ll want to try everything.  The nice thing is you can also easily pick up some great olive oil or other edible souvenir here, and just take everything with you.  

For shopping, be sure to visit The Gardener and Heath Ceramics – both stock consistently gorgeous wares, mostly for the home.  Distract your little one with something delicious while you browse (the shops are small - almost kiosks).

We love to eat our lunch while watching the action on the bay – the bridge seems to tower over the scene, the bay is a fantastic deep shade of blue, and all manner of watercraft is continually coming and going.  Seagulls play over the water.  It's usually pleasantly breezy.  My son runs around for a bit while I relax on a bench and soak up the sun (or lack thereof – I don’t really mind either way).  

From the Ferry Building, you can journey in a number of directions.  It's fun to take a ride in one of the beautiful vintage streetcars zipping around; you can go down towards Fisherman's Wharf, or up Market Street towards downtown. Or just go for a stroll up the embarcadero, towards nothing in particular.  

Summer Museum Exhibits

My son’s tolerance for museums varies.  He can spend hours and hours at a place with hand-on components – especially if they involve water.  He has almost no interest in rooms filled with paintings, although sometimes I try to prolong our stroll with a little game of I Spy – he gets a little exposure to the art and I get a few extra minutes to gaze.  I would love to take him to the following exhibits, happening this summer around the world – I think he’d enjoy them for a reasonable amount of time, and I would too!

The Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris is hosting an exhibit on that personable elephant beloved by children the world over, Babar.  The exhibit will feature original artwork as well as artifacts and runs through September 2, 2012.

In California, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is showcasing this amazing sculpture:

 Metropolis II by Chris Burden

Created by the artist Chris Burden, Metropolis II is an exquisitely planned jumble of miniature roads and railways, with actual tiny vehicles zipping along.  We’ve seen plenty of model railroads in our day, but nothing like this.  While you’re there, you can’t miss the La Brea Tar Pits, located at the Page Museum right next door.  This amazing museum features over a million Ice Age fossils, with an active on-site dig recovering more fossils all the time.  Children can watch paleontologists at work and explore the Pleistocene garden – a landscape that recreates the Los Angeles of 10,000 – 40,000 years ago.

Yayoi Kusama isn’t exactly a children’s artist, but her work often has an undeniably child-like appeal.  I’d love to take my son to her upcoming retrospective at the Tate Modern in London and see what he thinks.  You’ll have to act fast on this one – the exhibit runs only though June 5, 2012. 

The Passing Winter by Yayoi Kusama

At the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia in 2011, Kusama installed the "The Obliteration Room," a domestic scene painted entirely white.  Over the course of two weeks, nearly every surface was covered by colored dot stickers, given to children to place where they wished.  Amazing!

The Obliteration Room By Yayoi Kusama

Another exhibit happening this summer at the Queensland Art Gallery really invites the participation of kids.  Artist Fiona Hall’s project “Fly Away Home” deals with the worlds of humans and birds, as well as issues of migration and the environment.  Children can contribute by making a bird and nest of their own from paper money designed by Hall.  The exhibit runs through September 16, 2012.

I've never planned a trip solely around a museum exhibit - but I can see doing so for the right exhibit.  I'm still sorry I missed the Alexander McQueen show at the Met last year!  I may try to catch the show on Jean-Paul Gaultier at San Francisco's De Young Museum this summer - I think my son would go for it, and when we're done, we can stroll over to one of his favorite playgrounds right there in Golden Gate Park.  Everybody wins!

M. Sasek - So Inspiring!

M. Sasek’s series “This is…” has enchanted countless young travelers – I still remember being given my now dog-eared copy of “This is San Francisco” by my grandparents – I loved the jazzy illustrations and simple descriptions of city life.  It got me excited about my upcoming visit to the city!

M. Sasek (also known as Miroslav Sasek) was a Czech austhor and illustrator who later lived in Munich and Paris (both cities are included in the series).  He originally trained as an architect, and you can see his keen understanding of structure in his drawings of buildings – the illustrations overall are very lively and uncomplicated, but the buildings are quite correct and relatively detailed.  I think they ground the pictures and make the scenes really come alive!  The people are also wonderfully drawn - real characters, all of them...

My dad recently gave “This is Texas” to my son, and it is just as captivating, if a little out-of-date. Well, they all are, really – they were written between 1959 and 1970.  New editions contain updates in the back, and it’s fun to compare the old and new, and see how things have changed.  We live in Texas, and although I love to leave the state when I can, it’s nice to see O getting interested in exploring his home state, too.

I wish we’d had the New York book before our trip there a few years’s ago –perhaps I’ll pick it up anyway, and see how it compares with our memories!

images by sarah and from miroslavsasek.com