Nonprofit · EIN 94-1696494
THE EXPLORATORIUM
Tax-exempt · SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $63,991,919 | $67,798,808 | -$3,806,889 | $292,041,625 | $47,313,039 | $244,728,586 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $66,629,029 | $65,980,256 | $648,773 | $293,014,681 | $50,041,593 | $242,973,088 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $27,618,230
- of which government grants
- $3,643,647
- Program service revenue
- $29,866,618
- Investment income
- $4,092,353
- Net rental income
- $2,119,074
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $2,489,104
- Net income from fundraising events
- -$510,872
- Net income from sales of inventory
- $806,516
- Other revenue
- $2,414,718
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $29,357
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $3,224,320
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $45,465,147
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Occupancy
- $3,637,904
- Travel
- $783,580
- Depreciation
- $4,639,892
- Program services (functional)
- $51,907,282
- Management and general (functional)
- $12,372,029
- Fundraising (functional)
- $3,519,497
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $293,014,681
- Total assets, end of year
- $292,041,625
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $47,313,039
- Net assets, end of year
- $244,728,586
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $158,804,474
- Publicly traded securities
- $74,793,896
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $130,641,819
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $114,086,767
- Gross unrelated business income
- $60,775
- Gross receipts
- $101,246,098
- Employees
- 724
- Volunteers
- 175
- Year formed
- 1968
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARK BIERMAN | EXEC DIRECTOR Officer | 37.5 | $744,010 | $26,984 |
| ROBERT SEMPER | CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER Key employee | 37.5 | $355,605 | $17,296 |
| LAURA ZANDER | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (THRU 6/30/2025) Officer | 37.5 | $328,417 | $32,114 |
| ANNE RICHARDSON | CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $296,384 | $22,831 |
| BLAIR WINN | CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Key employee | 37.5 | $282,663 | $25,282 |
| JASON PACELY | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Key employee | 37.5 | $240,149 | $49,744 |
| JULIE NUNN | CHIEF BRAND OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $246,545 | $24,278 |
| ANNE HOLMES | CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $237,632 | $24,351 |
| THOMAS ROCKWELL | CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 22.5 | $178,365 | $44,787 |
| JULIE YU | PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $195,237 | $23,598 |
| WILLIAM BILL F MELLIN | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MARTHA EHMANN CONTE | VICE-CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| SHARON FLANAGAN | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| KEVIN FOSTER | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| RAVIN AGRAWAL | DIRECTOR (THRU 12/31/2024) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
34 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GENO ARMSTRONG | DIRECTOR (THRU 4/1/2025) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DARREN BECHTEL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GARY BENGIER | DIRECTOR (THRU 12/31/2024) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| LAMAR BUNTS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JASON CHENG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GEORGE W COGAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| W BREWSTER ELY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| CHRIS FOSTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| LYNN C FRITZ | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JOSIE HASPEL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JONATHAN HEILIGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| FRANCES HELLMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| GREGORY HUNTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| MIMI ITO | DIRECTOR (THRU 10/29/2024) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| MICHAEL R JACOBSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JAMES JONES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| ROBERTA KATZ | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| MARTIN LAUBER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| PHIL MARINEAU | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| ALISON MAUZE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| MARY HOPE MH MCQUISTON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| KENNETH G MOORE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| REMY NTSHAYKOLO | DIRECTOR (THRU 12/31/2024) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| SAUL PERLMUTTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| CAMERON PHLEGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| ALBERT BERT RICHARDS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| VIJAY SHRIRAM | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| CRAIG SILVERSTEIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| RACHEL SKIFFER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| E PAYSON SKIP SMITH | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| REMY WILKINSON | DIRECTOR (THRU 8/11/2024) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| ESTHER WOJCICKI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| JENNIFER VAN NATTA | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| DAN YUE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 50 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARK BIERMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer | 37.5 | $583,952 | $25,058 |
| PHOEBE WHITE | CHIEF OPERATING OFC. (THRU 9/22/23) Key employee | 37.5 | $344,719 | $10,416 |
| ROBERT SEMPER | CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER Key employee | 37.5 | $314,320 | $16,844 |
| LAURA ZANDER | CHIEF FINANCIAL & OPERATING OFFICER Officer | 37.5 | $286,820 | $37,493 |
| BLAIR WINN | CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Key employee | 37.5 | $257,640 | $23,118 |
| JULIE NUNN | CHIEF BRAND OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $216,235 | $21,545 |
| ANNE RICHARDSON | CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $215,636 | $16,672 |
| JASON PACELY | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $209,277 | $22,896 |
| THOMAS ROCKWELL | CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $183,092 | $29,019 |
| ANNE HOLMES | CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 37.5 | $181,139 | $19,299 |
| WILLIAM BILL F MELLIN | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MARTHA EHMANN CONTE | VICE-CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| IRVENIA WATERS | VICE-CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| SHARON FLANAGAN | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| LAMAR BUNTS | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| RAVIN AGRAWAL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GENO ARMSTRONG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DARREN BECHTEL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GARY BENGIER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GEORGE W COGAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| W BREWSTER ELY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| CHRIS FOSTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| KEVIN FOSTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| LYNN C FRITZ | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| JONATHAN HEILIGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| FRANCES HELLMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| F SCOTT HINDES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| GREGORY HUNTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MIMI ITO | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MICHAEL R JACOBSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| JAMES JONES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ROBERTA KATZ | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MARTIN LAUBER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| PHIL MARINEAU | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ALISON MAUZE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| MARY HOPE MH MCQUISTON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| KENNETH G MOORE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| REMY NTSHAYKOLO | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| SAUL PERLMUTTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| CAMERON PHLEGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| VINCENT L RICCI | DIRECTOR (THRU 12/12/23) Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ALBERT BERT RICHARDS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| VIJAY SHRIRAM | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| CRAIG SILVERSTEIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| RACHEL SKIFFER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| E PAYSON SKIP SMITH | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| JENNIFER VAN NATTA | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| REMY WILKINSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| ESTHER WOJCICKI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| DAN YUE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- PIER 17 SUITE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111-0000
- In care of
- % LAURA ZANDER
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- MARK BIERMAN, 17 PIER 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 941111455
- Signed the 990
- MELANIE TWARDZICKI, ACTING CHEIF FINANCIAL OFFICER
- Phone
- (415) 528-4444
- Return prepared by
- RSM US LLP
Mission
THE EXPLORATORIUM IS A PUBLIC LEARNING LABORATORY EXPLORING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE, ART, AND HUMAN PERCEPTION. OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE INQUIRY-BASED EXPERIENCES THAT TRANSFORM LEARNING WORLDWIDE.
Program accomplishments
- MUSEUM AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE:WE'RE AN R&D LABORATORY THAT EXPERIMENTS WITH CUTTING-EDGE IDEAS. WE CREATE, EXPERIMENT, TEST, AND BUILD NEARLY EVERYTHING AT THE EXPLORATORIUM OURSELVES, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE MOST INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT IDEAS TO PURSUE, OFTEN PUSHING THE LIMITS OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE. IN THIS SENSE, WE'RE A CLASSIC RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, CONSTANTLY CREATING NEW ACTIVITIES, WEBSITES, EVENTS, ARTWORKS, EXHIBITS, AND MORE.Expenses $34,141,791 · revenue $11,645,149
- GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS:WE LEARN AND SHARE WITH PARTNERS WORLDWIDE. BY DRAWING ON THE EXPLORATORIUM'S BROAD EXPERTISE, GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF CREATIVE SERVICES FROM MASTER PLANNING TO PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO EXHIBIT FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION. WE LIKE TO BE AS FAR UPSTREAM IN OUR CLIENTS' CREATIVE PROCESS AS POSSIBLE, EXPLORING THE RICH QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO TRULY AUTHENTIC, INNOVATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.Expenses $7,502,446 · revenue $12,250,790
- EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT:WE'RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION. BY MAKING SCIENCE VISIBLE, TOUCHABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AT THE MUSEUM, ONLINE, AND IN THE CLASSROOM, OUR EXPLORE-FOR-YOURSELF WAY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING INFLUENCES SCIENCE EDUCATION WORLDWIDE. OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH THE SKILLS, TOOLS, AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO APPLY INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THEIR CLASSES. WE ALSO DESIGN PROGRAMS THAT MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE TRADITIONALLY SEPARATE WORLDS OF FORMAL (SCHOOL) AND INFORMAL (MUSEUM) EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING.Expenses $10,263,045 · grants $29,357 · revenue $6,701,072
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 94-1696494
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1969
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Arts, culture and humanities (A500)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $292,041,625
- Income (IRS master file)
- $101,246,098
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-T | June 2025 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-T | June 2024 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2023 | $61,024,177 | $64,760,247 | $284,732,614 | IRS |
| 990-T | June 2023 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2022 | $79,571,391 | $59,221,371 | $275,042,102 | IRS |
| 990-T | June 2022 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-T | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS publishes only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years appear here as 990.tax collects the monthly files. 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS.
Questions about THE EXPLORATORIUM
- What is the EIN of THE EXPLORATORIUM?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of THE EXPLORATORIUM is 94-1696494.
- Is THE EXPLORATORIUM tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1969.
- Are donations to THE EXPLORATORIUM tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does THE EXPLORATORIUM file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of THE EXPLORATORIUM due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did THE EXPLORATORIUM last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of THE EXPLORATORIUM?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names MARK BIERMAN.
- Who are the officers and directors of THE EXPLORATORIUM?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 49 people; 10 received compensation from the organization, the highest $744,010 (MARK BIERMAN, EXEC DIRECTOR).
- How much revenue does THE EXPLORATORIUM have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $63,991,919, expenses of $67,798,808 and total assets of $292,041,625 at year end.
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