Stories of Science: CollegeFest 2026

Join us in our museum this Saturday as we welcome new and returning college students to the Science History Institute for CollegeFest, Campus Philly’s annual city-wide, weekend-long, “Welcome to Philadelphia!” celebration!

All visitors to the museum will experience interactive activities designed for science lovers of all ages. For the month of September, we are heading “back to school” to explore the history of science education. 

During your visit take an up-close look at interesting items in our handling collection. This week we are bringing out some of our favorite objects in the collection: historical chemistry sets! Stop by our Object Explorer touch table to learn about the science behind everyday items like refrigerators and LED light bulbs. Chat with our experienced Gallery Guides to find out more about the people responsible for the science embedded in our daily lives.

From 11am to 3pm our colleagues from the Othmer Library of Chemical History will be on hand to discuss the resources available to students within our research library’s extensive collection, including our freely accessible Digital Collections. 

During your visit, you can also check out our themed “drop-in” tours at 11:30am and 2pm. 

Admission to our museum is ALWAYS FREE for all visitors and reservations are not required. 

College students interested in participating in all CollegeFest weekend-long experiences can get your free ticket here.