Tactile Dome

I’m surprised Exploratorium took the task of updating this dome, as the original was a classic. The new one is about as good, with what looks like a bigger, updated waiting area.
If you’ve really never tried it, here’s how it works: you go in pairs through basically a jungle gym you might find at McDonald’s, but it costs $ 15 because it’s in almost total darkness. I don’t know how long they’ve been doing this, but on my last visit, they gave us a vinyl record of the odd sounds being played inside, and the composer who made them was actually with our group. I don’t have a record player, of course, but I thought it was a nice touch as a souvenir.
Two negatives:
1. The reservation system is by phone only. You have to call and ask about availability, and the only way to pay — if you’re not physically at the Exploratorium — is by card on the phone. It’s a laughably archaic system at this point.
2. This is an important *SPOILER* for your health. There are a couple slides in this dome. The latter one is not monitored very carefully, and I was kicked quite hard by someone coming down behind me. The updated tactile dome seems to have a steeper slide than the last one.

This is an activity inside of the Exploratorium itself, but since it has an extra fee I feel it is worth discussing separately. The extra fee for non-​members is $ 15 and there is a limited number of schedulings that are available each day.
Basically what happens is you make your way through this big dome in mostly total darkness, allowing you to focus on your sense of touch. Different parts will require you to walk, crawl, scoot, etc. As they will tell you, your hands are your guide here. And please do use those hands, don’t walk into a wall.
It’s a fun thing to do a time or two, but I don’t know that it justifies the extra $ 15 cost, IMO. I guess the only way to find out is to do it once and see if you like it. I will say that the guy who was manning the dome on the day we visited was very polite and helpful.

The Tactile Dome really needs its own review, so I’ll volunteer myself for it. I went recently during November’s Exploratorium After Dark event (yay! no kids!) and it had been open for about a week. My past experiences with the Tactile Dome had been at the prior location at the Palace of the Fine Arts as a kid back in the 80s, as well as an undergrad in the mid-​late 90s.
The new Tactile Dome has a lot less ‘stuff’ attached to the walls/​ceilings/​floors compared to the old one and apparently this was a very intention design decision. It definitely focuses more on texture and is less ‘explore-​y, identify this everyday item’. That said, I made it a specific point to reach around everywhere to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Speaking of reach-​around — the old location used to be one of those places one could bring a date for a in-​the-​dark makeout sess in some of the nooks and crannies (alcoves) of the old Dome. In the new Tactile Dome, that’s a bit more difficult or daring to pull off, since unlike the old location, the new Tactile Dome has (presumably infrared) camera’s installed. There is a location that a couple /​people can hang out in — but it’s more visible for reasons I won’t spoil for those who haven’t been in it yet.
Other than that, the new Tactile Dome was still fun to go through. It was interesting to experience a Dome that is probably more akin to the old Dome when it first opened. It might be worth another trip or two, but after that, I’d wait several years to see how it evolves.