I met with Dennis Bartels and Rob Semper from the Exploratorium staff since I was nearby at the end of last week, and they shared the plans for their new building, scheduled for moving into around 2013. I’m already excited for them – they’ll be taking over two full piers of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and will be able to create both indoor and outdoor interactive experiences on a scale they’ve only dreamed of before this.

I got pretty excited just brainstorming with them all the possibilities of this, and am thrilled that this museum will be able to take on a central location in one of the hearts of the city. Anyone who has visited before knows how iconic this museum is already for San Francisco. And anyone who has tried to find its currently location or –- worse yet -– has mistakenly become routed onto the Golden Gate Bridge while trying to knows how this current location has given them problems. I’m excited about this at a time when people are realizing that informal education and the blurring of lines between formal and informal experiences for kids may be more important than ever.

Follow the progress and plans for their new building, and check out the Exploratorium’s great website while you’re at it.

Oh, and I snuck into the main museum for old times’ sake – here are some pictures and video snaps to refresh your memory or entice you to visit one of the world’s best science museums. (For the non-Flash version, check it out on our Flickr page.)