Find Out ‘What’s for Lunch?’ at Institute’s 2025 Curious Histories Fest

Immerse yourself in curiosity at the Science History Institute’s third annual Curious Histories Fest, a daylong celebration of science, history, exploration, and experimentation. This free event takes place on Saturday, June 14, from 11am to 3pm at 315 Chestnut Street in Old City Philadelphia.

Inspired by our current exhibition, Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray, this year’s “What’s for Lunch?” theme explores the science of food and the history of the school lunch. Enjoy free ice cream and other school lunch-themed food samples, hands-on crafts, family-friendly activities, and live music in our “recess yard,” as well as engaging talks, tours, and highlights from our museum collections. Plus, the first 100 visitors will receive a free Lunchtime lunchbox! (limit one per person).

Visitors can also explore our newly renovated lobby, which includes a more welcoming visitor space and the opening of a new gift shop. Guests will have the opportunity to take a piece of science history home with them, including Institute-branded merchandise and items showcasing imagery from our vast digital collections. The lobby renovation project also includes the addition of a brand new exhibition space, which is still under construction and set to open later this year.

Participating vendor and partner activities:

• Tastes and smells with the Society of Flavor Chemists and Monell Chemical Senses Center
• Fun activities and live music by Vinyl Tap 215 founder DJ DuiJi Mshinda in our “recess yard”
• Favorite school lunch memory sharing with our Distillations podcast team
• Pickle tastings with Fishtown Pickle Project
• Tap water education and tasting with the Philadelphia Water Department’s Philly Water Bar
• Introduction to sustainable composting with Bennett Compost
• Learn about Rebel Ventures, a group of student entrepreneurs based in West Philly who create healthy food for school kids
• Live pickling demonstration by Spotted Horse Provisions and tastings of their jams, shrubs, and pickled veggies
• Plant-based Peruvian food tastings with La Llamita Vegana
• Interactive pop-up displays from our special collections, from vintage coolers to Saran Wrap
• Food-themed board games
• Other school lunch-inspired food tastings including ice cream!

Curious Histories Fest is open to all ages. Admission, programs, food, and drink are all FREE. No reservations are necessary.

Featured image: Box cover from Super Sandwich: The Funny Food Game, 1973.

Major funding for Curious Histories Fest is provided by the Bolte Family Foundation, with additional support from the American Chemical Society, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and Trinseo.