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Museum Hours:Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm

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Events

The Science History Institute produces a wide range of in-person and virtual events that are free and open to the public. From exhibition openings and talks, to museum tours and late-night activities, our programming is aimed at science history lovers, students, industry professionals, scholars, educators, and the scientifically curious.

Featured

Philly Fair 250

Saturday, June 20, 2026-Sunday, June 21, 2026 | 2pm-9:30pm EDT

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Event Types

Beckman Center
Classes & Workshops
Conferences & Symposia
Drop-In Tours
Fellow in Focus
First Fridays
For Families
Free
Hybrid
Joseph Priestley Society
Library Programs & Activities
Museum Programs & Activities
Online
Performances
Programs, Lectures & Talks
Science and Society
Science on Tap
Stories of Science
Touch Tours

Thomas Paine and Joseph Priestley are seated at a table with guns, knives, a dish says phospherous, a gun butt says "Royal Electric fluid." A winged puti grins at them squatting in the center of the table. Books on treason, murders, assistination, revolution, etc. surround them. At Priestley's feat are packages of brimstone, axe and pickax. On the walls are scenes of execution and assassinations.

Aug

15

Sat

10am-5pm

Museum Programs & Activities

Stories of Science

Stories of Science: Revolutionary Ideas with Thomas Paine!

Join us as we welcome Thomas Paine—patriot, pamphleteer, AND SCIENTIST—as presented by re-enactor Dean Howarth.

Oral history bound copies, recorder, microphone

Aug

17

Mon

Aug

20

Thu

10am-1pm

Classes & Workshops

Oral History Training Institute

This virtual training workshop introduces researchers to oral history and research interview methodologies.

"Disneyland and the Rise of Automation" book cover detail

Aug

20

Thu

6pm-8pm

Programs, Lectures & Talks

Science and Society

Disneyland and the Rise of Automation

Join author Roland Betancourt for a delightful deep dive into how Disney turned the cold logic of factory assembly lines into the “happiest place on earth.”

Aug

22

Sat

10am-5pm

Museum Programs & Activities

Stories of Science

Stories of Science: Color and Light

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

Aug

26

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

illustrations of 18th century fireworks production

Aug

29

Sat

2pm

Museum Programs & Activities

Fireworks Tour

Join our Gallery Guides for a drop-in tour of our special exhibition on the fascinating history and science of pyrotechnics.

color illustration of quartz samples

Aug

29

Sat

10am-5pm

Museum Programs & Activities

Stories of Science

Stories of Science: Color and Light

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

man doing research in a library

Sep

04

Fri

5:15pm-6pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

woman crouching to feel lower part of Bakelizer

Sep

08

Tue

10:30am-12pm

Museum Programs & Activities

From Nature to Nylons: A Touch-Based History of Textiles

This private learning experience combines a personally guided exploration of select gallery exhibits and a hands-on study of objects.

person doing research in a library

Sep

09

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

cover of a notebook

Sep

19

Sat

10am-5pm

Museum Programs & Activities

Stories of Science

Stories of Science: CollegeFest 2026

All Philadelphia-area college students are invited to visit us during CollegeFest, Campus Philly’s annual “Welcome to Philadelphia!” celebration.

View inside the Jacobs Reading Room

Sep

23

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

Research fellow Eva Hemmungs Wirtén.

Oct

02

Fri

5:15pm-6pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

Science History Institute Othmer Library

Oct

21

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

A library information desk with books, pamphlets, and an adjacent Rare Book Room.

Nov

04

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

A library information desk with books, pamphlets, and an adjacent Rare Book Room.

Nov

06

Fri

5:15pm-6pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

Research fellow Eva Hemmungs Wirtén.

Nov

18

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

Book cart decorated as a woolly mammoth

Dec

02

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

A library interior with tall bookshelves, large columns, and seating area.

Dec

04

Fri

4:15pm-5pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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

Dec

16

Wed

12pm-12:45pm

Library Programs & Activities

Othmer Library Tour

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