The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is dedicated to welcoming to all visitors and ensuring their full participation in the natural sciences. This webpage provides information to plan your visit.

Guests of the Academy should always feel comfortable requesting assistance from the staff.

The Academy will grant free admission to one caregiver or aide accompanying a guest with disabilities, as needed. Please ask at the front desk and a Visitor Services manager will assist you.

For the Mobility Impaired

The main building that houses the Academy is wheelchair accessible, but because of its age, it can be difficult to navigate for visitors with mobility impairment. The following should help:

• Visitors with wheelchairs are welcome to enter through our barrier-free entrance located on 19th Street.
• A limited number of wheelchairs are available on request.
• The elevator in the rear of the museum (near the 19th Street entrance) provides access to all floors. The elevator at the front of the building provides access to the main level, mezzanine, and second level.
• All restrooms have stalls that can accommodate wheelchairs, and all stalls have railings. Automatic doors are available for the restrooms on the ground level.

For the Visually Impaired

Some exhibits and activities may be of particular interest to the visually impaired:

• Outside In  is our children's discovery center. It contains many specimens that can be handled or smelled. It is also a place where all visitors can meet and touch live animals. Outside In is located on the third level.
• The Big Dig is a place where you can dig for dinosaur bones. It is located in the back of the mezzanine in Dinosaur Hall.
• There are a number of dinosaur skulls and other hands-on displays in the front of the mezzanine in Dinosaur Hall.

Service Animals Welcome!

The Academy welcomes Active Service Animals to all our programs and exhibits. (Handlers of in-training service animals, please see below). We ask that handlers consider our museum’s many live animal ambassadors. In some situations, our animals could be startled, frightened, or potentially injured by the presence of service animals. Please understand that we may have to relocate an animal or return an animal to its enclosure for its safety or the handler’s.

If your group will be accompanied by one or more service animals, please inform our Visitor Services Department in advance at visitorservices@ansp.org or 215-299-1000. This will help us decide which animals to select for your lessons or programs.

Service Animals In Training (e.g., seeing-eye puppies) are not permitted in the Academy without prior permission from our Visitor Services Department. Animals in training may not have all their vaccinations or be as predictable as fully trained and working service animals. This is for the safety and security of our Live Animal Collection. 

Encounters with our live animal ambassadors are most likely to occur in the following exhibits:

• Outside In: Children’s Discovery Center, Third Level

Sign Language Interpretation

The Academy of Natural Sciences provides sign language interpretation free of charge for visitors to the museum and programs. Arrangements must be made at least two weeks in advance of your visit. To make a reservation, please email us at reservations@ansp.org or call 215-299-1060.