Science & Activism Tour

Join our museum’s Gallery Guides for a “drop-in” tour that explores the vital impacts made by engaged communities on scientific discovery, environmental justice, and public health.
Our Science & Activism Tour invites visitors to consider these questions: Who is a scientist? Who is an activist? How does each bring about change?
Stories include the influential book Silent Spring by conservationist Rachel Carson and the rise of the environmental movement; ACT UP, the AIDS crisis, and the development of the patients’ bill of rights; the Black Panthers’ lead role in community testing for sickle cell anemia; and the community-led research conducted by neighborhood coalition groups fighting to make government and industry accountable for environmental injustice.
This tour offers a broad picture of the ways activists have reshaped our understanding of science and how visitors can become engaged today through community science.
Drop-in tours are free and no reservations are necessary.
PLEASE NOTE: Our museum will be temporarily closed December 22, 2024, through March 7, 2025, for renovations.
More events
School Lunch Tour
This interactive drop-in tour reveals how food scientists, the government, and the public have shaped in-school nutrition.
Stories of Science: Spooky Science
Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!
The Elements of Marie Curie
Join author Dava Sobel for an exciting evening exploring how the glow of radium lit a path for women in science.