Make it a Dino-mite Summer and hang out with T. rex and his pals at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Starting Wednesday, July 5, Philadelphia’s dinosaur museum invites visitors to beat the heat and enjoy a host of free, dinosaur-themed activities, explore a garden of wonders in Backyard Adventures, and learn about insects from all over the world during Bug Fest.

Visitors can meet a backyard dinosaur (bird!), enjoy a dioramas tour, build creatures with LEGO bricks, laugh with Marty the Moose during story time, and more. In addition, and with admission to the special Backyard Adventures exhibit, visitors can make seed bombs and binoculars to take home.

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12 and 13, it’s time to celebrate the 10th annual Bug Fest, the Academy’s most popular festival. Visitors will see hundreds of live insects, chat with Academy entomologists, taste cooked bugs, engage in buggy shows, and more.

Dino-Mite Summer runs from July 5 through Aug. 30. Backyard Adventures, an exhibit featuring interactive play stations, mini golf, and a lot of fun continues through Sept. 10.

Here are some of the activities during Dino-mite Summer. For more details, visit ansp.org.

• North American Hall Tours. Every Friday at 2 p.m. and every Saturday at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Tour the backyards of North America and investigate the amazing stories and mysteries behind the animals and creators of the Academy’s dioramas.

   

• Dino Brick Club: Bugging Out! Every Saturday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Hang out with fellow LEGO-lovers and build dinosaur and bug-inspired creations.

   

• 2:30 at the T. rex. Every Monday, 2:30 p.m. Meet a backyard dinosaur at the T. rex and learn how dinosaurs still live among us.

   

• Thursdays with Marty. Every Thursday, 1 p.m. Join Marty the Moose, with his terrible jokes and goofy sense of humor, to hear a special story and meet a live animal.

   

• Make and Takes. Every Sunday, 1–5 p.m. Design your own binoculars and wildflower clay seed bombs. Free with admission to Backyard Adventures.

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