About Magazine Podcasts Events
Museum Hours:Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm
Gouache painting of a fireworks displayGouache painting of a fireworks display
NEWS

Institute Presents Historical Fireworks, Pop-Up Museum, Giveaways at Philly Fair 250

Join us June 20 and 21 for a family-friendly celebration that will bring history to life.

Learn More
man in glasses sitting in front of a computer screen holding a mouseman in glasses sitting in front of a computer screen holding a mouse
COLLECTIONS BLOG

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

Celebrating 15,000 historical works in our digital collections.

Read
Two people in silhouette in front of a museum exhibit, a large detail of the Declaration of Independence blown up on the wall behindTwo people in silhouette in front of a museum exhibit, a large detail of the Declaration of Independence blown up on the wall behind
DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

The Freedom Plane

At a fragile moment in U.S. history, a flying roadshow looks to the past.

Read
illustration of colorful flowersillustration of colorful flowers
EXHIBITIONS

First-Class Flora: A Stamp Collection of Medicinal Plants

This outdoor exhibition presents a unique historical intersection between professional science and a personal hobby.

Learn More

Flash! Bang! Boom!
A History of Fireworks

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

On view through July 31, 2027

Learn More

Featured

dining table with orchids and test tubes
CONFERENCE CENTER

Host an Event
People observing exhibits in a museum setting.
Visit

Group & School Tours
Portrait of Joseph Priestley
SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHIES

Joseph Priestley
Acetate film negative containing X-ray diffraction images of DNA
Collections

History of Molecular Biology Collection
overhead view of museum displays
EVENTS

From Our Forefathers: Climate Crisis in Chemistry History
people in a library
Research

Schedule a Library Visit

Collect. Preserve. Interpret. Share.

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

plastic yellow oven mitt and flip flop

Museum
rare books

Library
illustration of man blowing out a fire

Stories
teacher at chalkboard

Education
mechanical teddy bear

Collections
A Beckman Center fellow conducts research in the Othmer Library.

Research

    Republish

    Copy the above HTML to republish this content. We have formatted the material to follow our guidelines, which include our credit requirements. Please review our full list of guidelines for more information. By republishing this content, you agree to our republication requirements.