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Wagner Free Institute of Science

Wagner Free Institute of Science Where little has changed but the century! A free Victorian era natural history museum in Philadelphia
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Founded in 1855, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is dedicated to providing free public education in science. Its programs include free courses and lectures, field trips and lessons for children and museum tours for all ages. The evening science courses are in their 157th year, making them the oldest program devoted to free adult education in the United States. The Institute also has a strong

commitment to children’s science education and offers a range of programs for school groups and through partnerships with neighboring schools and community groups. The Institute’s Museum houses more than 100,000 natural history specimens, a collection begun by founder William Wagner in the early nineteenth century and expanded by the pre-eminent scientist Joseph Leidy in the 1880s. Completed in 1865, the Institute’s National Historic Landmark building is essentially unchanged since the late-nineteenth century and includes a Victorian Exhibition Hall filled with fossils, shells, minerals and mounted animal skeletons and skins displayed in original wood and glass cabinets. The Museum is open to visitors Tuesdays - Fridays, 9 AM to 4 PM, year-round. Evening and weekend programs are offered during the fall, winter and spring.

Operating as usual

TONIGHT MAY 8, 6 - 7pm Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics  Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia...
05/08/2023

TONIGHT MAY 8, 6 - 7pm Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia) with "Losing the Forest for the Seas: How Shipbuilding and Agriculture Changed Early American Port Cities"!

Did you know that the ground we walk on every day might be held up by a 300-year-old ship? Join Chelsea M. Cohen, doctoral student in The Anthropology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and who's background is in maritime archaeology, paleoethnobotany and historical GIS, for a discussion about how changes to the landscape led to wooden ships being recycled to build 18th and 19th-century ports like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.!

Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

More info: https://www.scienceontapphilly.com

Join us TODAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House for Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhib...
05/06/2023

Join us TODAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House for Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

Science On Tap is THIS COMING MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm, IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Phila...
05/05/2023

Science On Tap is THIS COMING MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm, IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia) with "Losing the Forest for the Seas: How Shipbuilding and Agriculture Changed Early American Port Cities"!

Did you know that the ground we walk on every day might be held up by a 300-year-old ship? Join Chelsea M. Cohen, doctoral student in The Anthropology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and who's background is in maritime archaeology, paleoethnobotany and historical GIS, for a discussion about how changes to the landscape led to wooden ships being recycled to build 18th and 19th-century ports like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.!

Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

More info: https://www.scienceontapphilly.com

Foraging Frenzy! is TOMORROW May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Ha...
05/05/2023

Foraging Frenzy! is TOMORROW May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

Science On Tap is THIS COMING MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm, IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Phila...
05/03/2023

Science On Tap is THIS COMING MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm, IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia) with "Losing the Forest for the Seas: How Shipbuilding and Agriculture Changed Early American Port Cities"!

Did you know that the ground we walk on every day might be held up by a 300-year-old ship? Join Chelsea M. Cohen, doctoral student in The Anthropology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and who's background is in maritime archaeology, paleoethnobotany and historical GIS, for a discussion about how changes to the landscape led to wooden ships being recycled to build 18th and 19th-century ports like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.!

Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

More info: https://www.scienceontapphilly.com

Foraging Frenzy! is THIS SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhib...
05/03/2023
Wagner's May 1st Saturday Open House: Foraging Frenzy!

Foraging Frenzy! is THIS SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

Learn all about foraging & mushrooms plus explore the Wagner museum and the collections.

Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics  Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia)! Join us for "Losing ...
05/01/2023

Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia)! Join us for "Losing the Forest for the Seas: How Shipbuilding and Agriculture Changed Early American Port Cities" NEXT MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm.

Did you know that the ground we walk on every day might be held up by a 300-year-old ship? Join Chelsea M. Cohen, doctoral student in The Anthropology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and who's background is in maritime archaeology, paleoethnobotany and historical GIS, for a discussion about how changes to the landscape led to wooden ships being recycled to build 18th and 19th-century ports like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.!

Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

More info: https://www.scienceontapphilly.com

Foraging Frenzy! is THIS SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhib...
05/01/2023

Foraging Frenzy! is THIS SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

In honor of  here is a  (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open ...
04/28/2023

In honor of here is a (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open House: Drawing from Nature event! The theme: Brittle Star Fish
What lurks in the deep?
How many arms does it keep?
It haunts, and it creeps.

Foraging Frenzy! is NEXT SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhib...
04/28/2023

Foraging Frenzy! is NEXT SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm at our May Open House! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

In honor of  here is a  (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open ...
04/27/2023

In honor of here is a (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open House: Drawing from Nature event! The theme: Pelican.
Fill my sack with fish
Always hungry for more
Ocean has my fish

Haiku by Hungry Pelican

In honor of  here is a  (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open ...
04/26/2023

In honor of here is a (& illustration) just for you from a visitor to the Wagner during our April First Saturday Open House: Drawing from Nature event! The theme: a Hawk.
A Hawk will fly high
Keeping its eyes fixated
on the world below

Our May Open House, NEXT SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit...
04/25/2023

Our May Open House, NEXT SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics  Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia)! Join us for "Losing ...
04/24/2023

Science On Tap is BACK IN PERSON at the National Mechanics Restaurant (22 S 3rd St, Philadelphia)! Join us for "Losing the Forest for the Seas: How Shipbuilding and Agriculture Changed Early American Port Cities" MONDAY, MAY 8, 6 - 7pm.

Did you know that the ground we walk on every day might be held up by a 300-year-old ship? Join Chelsea M. Cohen, doctoral student in The Anthropology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and who's background is in maritime archaeology, paleoethnobotany and historical GIS, for a discussion about how changes to the landscape led to wooden ships being recycled to build 18th and 19th-century ports like New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.!

Seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

More info: https://www.scienceontapphilly.com

Happy ! At the Wagner, we are always celebrating and appreciating Mother Nature. To do our part in caring for our planet...
04/22/2023

Happy ! At the Wagner, we are always celebrating and appreciating Mother Nature. To do our part in caring for our planet, we participated in a zero-waste cleanup project with the City of Philadelphia this year; a team of volunteers shredded the fallen leaves in our yard and used them as a nutrient-rich compost for our plants, instead of bagging the leaves and letting them go to the landfill. Our plants are now thriving, and you can enjoy them, too, when visiting the Wagner!

The Wagner museum is open Tuesday through Friday 9:30 - 4:30pm & the First Saturday of the Month from 12 - 4pm.

Get more info: https://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org

Our May Open House, on SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit H...
04/21/2023

Our May Open House, on SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

04/18/2023

We are proud to partner with Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective (PSEC) in their pursuit to cultivate STEM equity, access, and inclusion in STEM career pathways for Philadelphia students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM occupations! Check out their latest highlight, the beauty of a STEM career!

Join us TODAY, April 18, 9:30am-5pm to celebrate International Day for Monuments and Sites, as part of a citywide celebr...
04/18/2023

Join us TODAY, April 18, 9:30am-5pm to celebrate International Day for Monuments and Sites, as part of a citywide celebration organized by the Global Philadelphia Association & part of the National Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia! We are having for an Open House & guided tour.

Explore the Wagner’s historic architecture and its collections. The Exhibit Hall will be open for self-guided exploration. We have scavenger hunts and drawing activities for all ages. Also on display is a special exhibit focused on the construction of our National Landmark building, illustrated by photographs and materials from the Wagner’s archives.

At 4pm there will be a presentation in the Lecture Hall followed by a guided walk through the museum, highlighting the architecture and a few of the most intriguing specimens—including dinosaur bones and the cabinet of human evolution. The tour is designed in collaboration with Girard College, our neighboring National Historic Landmark, whose founder Stephen Girard inspired William Wagner to build his own educational institution. They are also offering a tour at 2:30pm.

More info: https://loom.ly/9yVWKwc

Today is International Day of Haiku! For your enjoyment we have a recent visitor made postcard, created at our Open Hous...
04/17/2023

Today is International Day of Haiku! For your enjoyment we have a recent visitor made postcard, created at our Open House "Drawing from Nature" Event, that includes a Haiku inspired by one of our exhibits!

Image shows the front of postcard with a drawing of human teeth on a part of a jawbone. The back of the postcard has the following haiku with the title "Tooth Story":
When is the last time
that you counted all your teeth?
Watch out! I'll steal them.

TOMORROW, April 18, 9:30am-5pm we are having an Open House & guided tour, as part of a citywide celebration of the Inter...
04/17/2023

TOMORROW, April 18, 9:30am-5pm we are having an Open House & guided tour, as part of a citywide celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, organized by the Global Philadelphia Association & part of the National Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia.

Explore the Wagner’s historic architecture and its collections. The Exhibit Hall will be open for self-guided exploration. We have scavenger hunts and drawing activities for all ages. Also on display is a special exhibit focused on the construction of our National Landmark building, illustrated by photographs and materials from the Wagner’s archives.

At 4pm join us for a presentation in the Lecture Hall followed by a guided walk through the museum, highlighting the architecture and a few of the most intriguing specimens—including dinosaur bones and the cabinet of human evolution. The tour is designed in collaboration with Girard College, our neighboring National Historic Landmark, whose founder Stephen Girard inspired William Wagner to build his own educational institution. They are also offering a tour at 2:30pm.

More info: https://2023WagnerIDMS.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

Our May Open House, on SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit H...
04/14/2023
Wagner's May 1st Saturday Open House: Foraging Frenzy!

Our May Open House, on SATURDAY May 6, 12 - 4pm, is Foraging Frenzy! Check out our new mushroom display in the Exhibit Hall with dried specimens and papier-mâché mushroom models that date back to the 1800s. Get a lesson in mushrooms from Philadelphia Mycology Club and learn how to find the best ones and which ones to avoid, with fresh specimens to view. We'll have some arts & crafts activities inspired by the theme too. Make your own "spore print" or press and dry some flowers to take home! The Wagner's backyard will also be open for exploration with nature scavenger hunts and foraging games and activities!
More info: https://loom.ly/uGlSRxE

Learn all about foraging & mushrooms plus explore the Wagner museum and the collections.

THIS COMING TUESDAY, April 18, 9:30am-5pm we are having an Open House & guided tour, as part of a citywide celebration o...
04/14/2023
International Day for Monuments and Sites - Guided Tour of the Wagner

THIS COMING TUESDAY, April 18, 9:30am-5pm we are having an Open House & guided tour, as part of a citywide celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, organized by the Global Philadelphia Association & part of the National Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia.

Explore the Wagner’s historic architecture and its collections. The Exhibit Hall will be open for self-guided exploration. We have scavenger hunts and drawing activities for all ages. Also on display is a special exhibit focused on the construction of our National Landmark building, illustrated by photographs and materials from the Wagner’s archives.

At 4pm join us for a presentation in the Lecture Hall followed by a guided walk through the museum, highlighting the architecture and a few of the most intriguing specimens—including dinosaur bones and the cabinet of human evolution. The tour is designed in collaboration with Girard College, our neighboring National Historic Landmark, whose founder Stephen Girard inspired William Wagner to build his own educational institution. They are also offering a tour at 2:30pm.

More info: https://2023WagnerIDMS.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

In collaboration with Girard College, celebrate National Historic Landmarks with a presentation & a guided tour of the Wagner Museum.

Join us for an Open House & guided tour NEXT TUESDAY APRIL 18, 9:30am-5pm as part of a citywide celebration of the Inter...
04/11/2023

Join us for an Open House & guided tour NEXT TUESDAY APRIL 18, 9:30am-5pm as part of a citywide celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, organized by the Global Philadelphia Association & part of the National Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia.

Explore the Wagner’s historic architecture and its collections. The Exhibit Hall will be open for self-guided exploration. We have scavenger hunts and drawing activities for all ages. Also on display is a special exhibit focused on the construction of our National Landmark building, illustrated by photographs and materials from the Wagner’s archives.

At 4pm join us for a presentation in the Lecture Hall followed by a guided walk through the museum, highlighting the architecture and a few of the most intriguing specimens—including dinosaur bones and the cabinet of human evolution. The tour is designed in collaboration with Girard College, our neighboring National Historic Landmark, whose founder Stephen Girard inspired William Wagner to build his own educational institution. They are also offering a tour at 2:30pm.

More info: https://2023WagnerIDMS.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

Address

1700 W Montgomery Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19121

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(215) 763-6529

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A 19th-century museum of 100,000 specimens and free scientific learning

Founded in 1855, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is dedicated to providing free public education in science. Its programs include free courses and lectures, field trips and lessons for children and museum tours for all ages. The evening science courses are in their 157th year, making them the oldest program devoted to free adult education in the United States. The Institute also has a strong commitment to children’s science education and offers a range of programs for school groups and through partnerships with neighboring schools and community groups.

The Wagner Institute’s nineteenth century exhibit hall – a soaring three-story space – houses an extraordinary collection of natural history specimens including mounted birds and mammals, fossils, rocks and minerals, insects, shells, dinosaur bones, and the first American saber-toothed tiger, discovered on a museum-sponsored expedition to Florida in 1886. Gathered largely by founder William Wagner and Institute curators and faculty during the nineteenth century, the collections are displayed in cherry-wood and glass cabinets dating from the 1880s and maintain their original “systematic” scheme, providing a rare view of a Victorian science museum.

Highlights include William Wagner’s personal mineral collection – one of the oldest in the country – and his fossil collection, representing many important European and American localities and collecting sites of the nineteenth century. The mounted skeletons, skulls and skins represent species from around the globe, including many that are now endangered. The extensive regional entomology collection is notable for its arrangement, which includes the original handwritten curator’s labels.

Originally assembled to teach science, the specimens are arranged for study. The exhibit is one of the largest systematically arranged collections on display in the country and remains in active use as a key educational tool of the Institute’s free science programs. It also serves as a resource for scholarly research.


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Comments

Hello friends,

I signed up for the class starting tonight but I haven't received the zoom link. Will it be arriving closer to 6:30?

Thank you,

Fay
Hi, friends! I was trying to send you a silly photo but I couldn't tell if it went into my post...
I've been learning a great deal in Prof. Kevin Cannon's course on recycling with its special focus on Philadelphia. I wonder if he knows what's really been going on at our waste management facilities? Thousands of Bothans died to bring you this information.... :-)
Wish I could go; great to see this museum open. Those of you are there please enjoy it for me.
x

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