All new and returning Philadelphia-area college students are invited to visit the Science History Institute’s museum during CollegeFest, Campus Philly’s annual city-wide, weekend-long, “Welcome to Philadelphia!” celebration featuring free experiences, fun activities, contests, entertainment, giveaways, and more.

The Institute joins more than 25 of the City of Brotherly Love’s most iconic cultural organizations and attractions offering free admission exclusively to college students. Your official ticket also includes free SEPTA rides right to our front door in Old City.

Students can explore the intersections of environmentalism, education, and fun with our latest outdoor exhibition Playing Dirty, hear the voices and learn the stories of scientists and engineers who immigrated to the United States in the 20th century with our Migrating Science ExhibitLab, and discover the connections between rare earth elements and glass art with Enabling Transparency. And don’t miss our permanent exhibition, which will take you on a journey through more than five centuries of scientific inquiry into the material world.

CollegeFest is organized by Campus Philly. Registration is required.

More events

Science History Institute Othmer Library
July 1, 2026
Free

Othmer Library Tour

Curious about the other half of the Science History Institute? Step into the Othmer Library of Chemical History!

rainbow overlaid photo of people enjoying fireworks, "Celebrating ACS 150" logo in upper left corner
July 2, 2026
Free

American Chemical Society Webinar: Flash! Bang! Boom!

Join curator Jesse Smith for a special presentation exploring how fireworks have illuminated humanity’s biggest moments across time and around the globe.

Logo for Red, White, & Blue To-Do July 2, Philadelphia Historic District, on dark blue background
July 2, 2026
For Families

Red, White, & Blue To-Do

The Science History Institute is one of 23 museums, historic sites, and local businesses in Philadelphia’s Historic District coming together for a day of star-spangled festivities in the nation’s most historic square mile.

    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.