The Science History Institute will be closed for Christmas on Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25.

Join our museum’s Gallery Guides for a “drop-in” tour highlighting the remarkable scientific properties of natural dyes and textiles, the technology behind synthetic clothing, and the impact of fashion on human health and the environment. 

Have you ever thought about the science behind the contents of your closet? The technology that produces our modern clothing is the result of an unlikely collaboration between prehistoric humans, an 18-year-old chemist in Victorian London, and a Harvard professor employed by DuPont on the eve of World War II.  

Our Dyes & Textiles Tour bridges content from our BOLD exhibition and our permanent exhibition, offering a broad picture of the scientific developments that shifted clothing production from the home to the factory to the laboratory. 


Drop-in tours are free and no reservations are necessary.

More events

book opened to annotated skeleton illustration
December 20, 2025
For Families

Stories of Science: 2025 Wrapped

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

film and foil packaging for pizza ingredients
December 20, 2025
Drop-In Tours

School Lunch Tour

This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.

December 27, 2025
For Families

Stories of Science: 2025 Wrapped

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

    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.