Exhibitions

Bugs and Bakelite buttons. Lab notes and lifesaving letters. Vaccines and vats of bright, colorful dyes. Our exhibitions explore the diverse and surprising histories behind the science that shapes our world.

Featured

Is the Plastic Bag History?

Our latest outdoor exhibition explores the history of a familiar object from a surprising number of angles.

The Science History Institute Museum is free and open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. You can also explore our digital exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture or revisit your favorite shows from the past.

Superheroes, Science, and the Environment

This ExhibitLab display highlights the unexpected connections between the pages of comic books and real-life environmental issues.

BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile

Take a colorful journey through more than 150 years of synthetic dye-making.

woman and child in front of a museum exhibit

Permanent Exhibition

Explore more than 500 years of scientific inquiry into the material world.

Illustrations of the human heart and blood vessels

Blood and Fire

From our A Closer Read series, this exhibition features rare books that tell the story of experimental science in the 17th century.

Enabling Transparency

Glass artist Anna Mlasowsky examines the history of the rare earth elements and their socio-ecological impact on local communities and the environment.

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art

View photo reproductions of engravings from 17th-century alchemical books.