Randall Museum

Description

A museum of science, nature, and art located in San Francisco.  Many of the exhibits and activities are geared toward children, but there's plenty for adults to enjoy as well.

The Randall Museum is of particular interest for space geeks (and if you're reading this web site, odds are that you're geek and proud) because the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers teach a class there each fall on building your own telescope.  The telescope is called a Dobsonian, and is named after its inventor, John Dobson.  (He apparently refers to it more modestly as a "sidewalk telescope".)  It is an elegantly simple design that can be built by almost anyone, and it's made mostly from hardware store parts.  For about $300 in materials and $120 in tuition, you can build a pretty good telescope.  Amaze your friends.  Scare your neighbors. ("So... uh... what IS that thing in your back yard?"  "It's my mind control laser.  Between that and the army of battle-bots I made from Lego Mindstorms, I'm going to take over the world.")

The Randall is also home to the Golden Gate Model Railroad Club, which has a truly mind-bogglingly large rail system laid out in the basement.

Main Web Site

http://www.randallmuseum.org/

Location

199 Museum Way, San Francisco, CA

Caution:  the Randall Museum is located in a maze of twisty little roads, all alike.  Well, OK, maybe it's not that bad, but Google Maps can't provide directions.  Google can find the address though, so you can work out directions yourself.  Also, Yahoo! can generate directions.  However, some of the twisty little roads that are all alike are also one-way, so be careful where you turn.

Computerized maps aside, the museum is just northwest of the intersection of 17th Street and Castro Street in San Francisco (that's a completely different street from Castro Street in Mountain View), and just southwest of Buena Vista Park.

Drive Time

from Ames (per Yahoo!):  50 minutes (Google maps cannot generate directions to the Randall.)

Public Transit

???

Hours

Tue - Sun 10 AM to 5 PM (closed most Mondays

Cost

FREE (donations are welcomed, and classes like the "build your own telescope" one aren't free)