Academy Happenings
The Academy is open!
We are so excited to be welcoming visitors again!
Current Hours
General Public: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Members only: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Click here for more details and FAQs
about our current safety protocols.
Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss
Explore the mysteries of the deep sea, encounter recently discovered creatures and experience the technology that allows scientists to travel to the bottom of the ocean in Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss. See bubbling thermal vents, compact research submersibles and shipwrecks including Titanic in this adventure.
Learn about the geological forces deep within the earth and how superheated water erupting from deep vents supports life. Fly a remotely operated vehicle over a model of the Titanic’s deck, manipulate the robotic arm of a deep-ocean submersible and arrange an underwater ecosystem.
The sun doesn’t penetrate the water at these depths, yet seafloor inhabitants thrive in total darkness thanks to a unique life support system. Extreme Deep reveals the secrets of the ocean and enriches our understanding of and connection to it.
Mask Mornings
Mask Morning Hours: 10 a.m.–noon
Special Mask-required Members-only Hour: 9–10 a.m.
While masks are typically optional in the Academy galleries, the Academy will begin offering Mask Mornings twice each month to welcome visitors who prefer or need a masked environment. Mask up and visit our dinosaurs, dioramas and special exhibits on the following mornings:
- Sunday, July 10
- Saturday, July 23
- Saturday, August 13
- Sunday, August 28
The River Feeds Back
The Lenni Lenape call the Schuylkill River the Ganshowahanna, or roaring waters, for its noisy course over rocks and stones, and the Wissahickon Creek the Wisameckhan, or cat-fish stream. In The River Feeds Back, you can traverse these aquatic environments through an immersive sound installation created by artists Annea Lockwood and Liz Phillips.
Recorded at sites along the 135 miles of the Schuylkill River from its headwaters to its mouth, this layered sound map offers glimpses of the river system above and below the water’s surface through a variety of listening portals made of wood, slate and clay pottery. Experience swirling currents, water slipping and rushing over rocks, the underwater lives of aquatic insects and fish, trumpeting geese crashing into water, chirping birds, cheeping frogs, and the long, slow sweeps of toad calls. The River Feeds Back attunes us to the life-giving waterways of the Schuylkill, vital sources of water for Philadelphia.
The River Feeds Back is a companion piece to Lockwood and Phillips’ outdoor installation, Inside the Watershed on the Schuylkill River Trail, in which passersby can experience a live feed from the river as well as a sound composition. Both projects are presented as part of Watershed Moment: How to Get to the River, an art adventure walk (opening August 3, 2022). Both works have been created as part of Water Year 2022, a yearlong celebration and investigation of water designed to inspire a more intimate connection with our local waterways and the vital need to protect them.
Academy Science Camp
Monday–Friday, June 27–September 2, 2022
For kids ages 6–10
Spend your summer at the Academy with our fun educators, cool exhibits and wild science! Sign up for one week or sign
up for them all; each day will feature hands-on activities, creative crafts and untold secrets of the museum. Learn
about the naturally awesome science at the Academy, from fossils and dinosaurs to bugs, birds and botanicals! Get
outside for lunch and to explore the urban environment around the Academy. Meet live animals, see rare specimens and
explore the museum as you never have before.
This program features small group, socially distanced activities. New topics will be explored every day. Bring home
useful make-and-takes and practice your science skills with experiments and projects. Chill out as you take in a
socially distanced show or look alive when you meet our animal ambassadors. What will you discover about the world?
Each week contains a different theme. Click here for more details and to register for Academy Science Camp.
Outside In
Our Outside In exhibit has reopened as of July 28!
Inquisitive minds of all ages can investigate animal habitats, explore science and the natural world and discover how
we all have a role to play in our ecosystem.
All exhibits are included in general admission.
Birthday Parties at the Academy
With a T. rex that has celebrated millions of birthdays, the Academy really knows how to throw a party!
Celebrate your child’s special day in a one-of-a-kind way! We offer theme parties for kids who love dinosaurs, butterflies, and bugs. Basic parties and add-on options are available. Members also save!
Click here to explore birthday parties at the Academy.
Self Guided Tours
Down the Hall and Around the World Self-Guided Family Expedition Tours
Free with admission; pick up onsite or download at home.
Ready to embark on an expedition? When you visit the Academy, grab a brand new, free self-guided tour to take a
closer look at Dinosaur Hall, North American Hall, and African and Asian Halls.
Explore each exhibit at your own pace. The answers will be right before your eyes or printed in the labels, so have
some fun on this expedition and travel to a whole new world in the halls of the Academy. What will you discover
today?
Like to preplan your route? Download the guides here!
Science From Home
Visit our Science From Home page for simple science activities, coloring pages, outdoor activities to explore the
nature around you, and more! We are constantly adding and changing the contents of this page, so check back often!
Click here for 50+ activities to try from
home.