Women in Chemistry Tour

Every Saturday, the Science History Institute’s museum offers drop-in tours that give visitors the opportunity to hear the stories behind our objects.

Join our museum educators this Saturday as we shine a light on the role of women in shaping chemistry throughout history.

The Women in Chemistry Tour profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change. On this tour, you’ll learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy, explore the connections between domesticity and distillation, and understand how wartime changed the field.

Guests will be introduced to pioneering chemists and chemistry educators, such as 17th-century French alchemist Marie Meurdrac; Mary Maynard Daly, the first Black woman in America to receive a PhD in chemistry; and the uncredited women who labor in the chemical and technological industries.

Together, we will explore how the sciences can become more accessible, not only to women, but to anyone who has been marginalized or excluded.

Our longer tours are designed to offer visitors a comprehensive exploration of artifacts in our collection with unique stories. These tours last approximately 50 minutes and provide a deeper understanding of how science history and the present day are linked.

Know Before You Go:

• Drop-in tours are free and reservations are not required
• Space is limited to 20 participants
• Participation is first-come, first-served
• The recommended age for our tours is 13 and up
• Guests will be standing for most of the tour; limited bench seating and portable folding stools are available to the public
• Please contact us at museum@sciencehistory.org if you have further accessibility concerns you would like to discuss

Featured image: Mrs. M.K. Murray using nitrometer at the Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory, April 1926.