Exhibitions

Bugs and Bakelite buttons. Lab notes and lifesaving letters. Gas chromatographs and glowing minerals. Our digital and in-person exhibitions explore the diverse and surprising histories behind the science that shapes our world.

Featured

Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks

Opening April 10, 2026, this exhibition celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

woman and child in front of a museum exhibit

Permanent Exhibition

Explore more than 500 years of scientific inquiry into the material world.

Aerial View of Rohm and Hass Plant in Bridesburg section of Philadelphia

Philadelphia: Workshop of the World

Explore the companies that defined the city’s industrial era and their lasting imprint on its neighborhoods today.

Earthly Matters

Explore a unique collection of minerals that tells the story of human curiosity about the material world around us.

Objects That Tell Stories: Recent Acquisitions

This ExhibitLab looks at the types of objects the Institute collects and the reasons for doing so.

Fats, Butter, Beef, and Lard

This outdoor exhibition explores the battle between butter and oleomargarine in the late 19th century.

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art

The ongoing exhibition features photo reproductions of engravings from 17th-century alchemical books.