The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a leading natural history museum dedicated to advancing research, education, and public engagement in biodiversity and environmental science. Visitors to the Academy have the opportunity to get face-to-face with towering dinosaurs, meet live animals, and explore a tropical garden filled with live butterflies. Philadelphia’s natural history museum offers surprises for all ages, from changing interactive science exhibits to a children’s discovery center, a fossil dig, and opportunities to interact with real science experts.

The Academy’s working scientists spend their days focusing on critical global issues in biodiversity, evolution, and environmental science. In the field, Academy scientists have traveled as far as Vietnam to sample wild bird populations for emerging diseases such as avian influenza, and closer to home they have been studying the effects of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. These research efforts and many others enable the Academy to provide accurate, real-time scientific information to the public on environmental and sustainability matters.