Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences Is Closing After Nearly 200 Years

After nearly 200 years, a Philadelphia landmark will be closing, and the news comes as a shock to many of us.

Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is closing its museum, which first opened to the public in 1828. The news was shared by officials in a memo to staff earlier today. The story was initially reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer midday Tuesday.

When Does the Academy of Natural Sciences Close?

The last day that the museum will be open to the public for tours is slated to be Saturday, September 27.

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The decision comes as a surprise even though visitorship had declined in recent years (particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic).

“Patterns of visitation and audience behavior changed in lasting ways, while the costs of operating the museum continued to rise,” the announcement read in part as it explained the decision. 

Philly's Academy of Natural Sciences Has Been Visited By Everyone

The news hits many pretty hard. Of course, it's a bad day for those who love science and learning.

But the Academy of Natural Science has been a staple for anyone who has lived in Philly or the surrounding area. After all, it’s been a rite of passage for decades upon decades as a recurring field trip for schools across the Tri-State area as well.

Some of the most popular exhibits have include dinosaur displays, plants and more.

For me personally: that ginormous Tyrannosaurus Rex, which is displayed in the Great Dinosaur Hall, was the first time I fell in love with dinosaurs as a kid.

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I didn't realize just how large the Museum truly was. My mind was actually kind blown to learn just how many collections the museum housed. Today’s press release said that the museum housed nearly 19 million biological specimens, fossils, archives and other scientific resources. Drexel expects to continue working with them.

COVID-19 Is Partially to Blame for the Closure

In recent years, the Academy had drastically reduced its hours. Most recently it’s been open only three days a week to the public (Friday through Sunday).

The closure of the museum, which is located on the iconic Ben Franklin Parkway, will affect about 27 of the Academy’s 80 employees, according to Drexel officials.

They say that they didn’t reach the decision to close the museum lightly, by the way.

“After examining a range of alternatives, Academy and Drexel leadership concluded that continuing to operate the museum in its current building and form would place increasing pressure on the resources required to safeguard the collections and sustain the research enterprise,” they said on Tuesday.

If you’d like to visit one more time, the museum is open Friday through Sundays in September from or its final few weeks of operation, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. each weekend.