animated fireworks displayanimated fireworks display
NEWS

‘Flash! Bang! Boom!’ Exhibition Comes to Life at Philly Fair 250

Wawa Welcome America’s multiday celebration draws more than 2,500 visitors to the Institute’s pop-up museum, activity tent, and historical fireworks show.

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COLLECTIONS BLOG

Live from Philadelphia, It’s the History of Science!

Celebrating 15,000 historical works in our digital collections.

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visitor touching an inert firework shellvisitor touching an inert firework shell
EVENTS

Wawa Welcome America: Free Museum Day and First Friday

Join us in our museum for family-friendly programming as part of Welcome America’s 4th of July Free Museum Days and First Friday!

Friday, July 3 | 10am-7pm

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Man observing plant samples with a magnifying glassMan observing plant samples with a magnifying glass
DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

Floral Arraignment

Plant evidence can be a powerful crime-solving tool. So why is it used so rarely?

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Color illustration of fireworks on the Seine, Paris

Flash! Bang! Boom!
A History of Fireworks

Part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, this sparkling exhibition explores the origins of and the science behind fireworks. 

On view through July 31, 2027

Collect. Preserve. Interpret. Share.

Through research, storytelling, public programming, and educational outreach, we reveal how science is embedded in our daily lives.

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