September First Saturday Open House: Back to School at the Wagner

Explore the Wagner during our Back to School Open House—the first of our fall season!

The museum will be open for self-guided exploration throughout the day. Explore our vast collection of natural history specimens, including ancient fossils, glowing minerals and animals from around the globe. Wander at your own pace or follow the path of one of our themed scavenger hunts. You can also pick up pencils and paper to draw from the specimens on display.

In addition to exploring on your own, we’re offering guided tours at 1 and 2:30 pm. Learn about the founding and purpose of the Wagner and gain insight into our National Landmark building, the museum’s collections and the arrangement of the historic displays. The tour will highlight some of the museum’s most interesting specimens and show how their stories reflect social and intellectual histories of the 19th and 20th centuries, including changing ideas about evolution, the environment and the natural world.

For all visitors, we’ll have information about our new fall program schedule, including field trips, hands-on science lessons, evening courses, public talks and special events!

This Open House is being held in collaboration with Founder’s Hall at Girard College, a free educational institution founded in 1831 as a school for orphaned boys. Founder Stephen Girard inspired William Wagner to start his own free institution and you can learn more about the connections between these two National Historic Landmarks by touring both during our paired Open Houses. Founder’s Hall, the monumental Greek Revival main building on the campus, will be open for tours and self-guided exploration from 10 am to 2 pm. It is located on Girard Avenue, west of 20th Street, only one mile from the Wagner. Visit them in the morning and then head over to the Wagner to see how Girard’s philanthropic bequest became a model for our institution and others across the country.

Schedule:

Noon – 4 pm: Museum open

1 & 2:30 pm: Guided tours – please sign up at the registration desk

Admission is free to everyone and donations are welcome to support our mission.

Things to Know Before Your Visit

• Walk-ins are welcome! Advance registration speeds your entry to the museum. Visitors who register in advance do not need to present their registration or confirmation email at the desk—just your name!
• There is no coat check or place to stow personal items – please travel light.
• The museum is located on the second floor of the building. There are 5 steps at the entryway and a flight of stairs to access the museum. It is not wheelchair accessible.
• To protect the specimens and our historic interiors, photography is not allowed in the museum. Open containers of food and drink are not permitted in the building.
• The Institute does not have a parking lot. Street parking on Montgomery Avenue and 17th Street is free. There is 2-hour free parking on Bouvier Street and on many blocks near the Wagner and metered parking on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The nearest parking garage is at the Liacouras Center on 15th Street and Montgomery Avenue.

A dream that keeps growing…

In 1855, William Wagner had a dream of providing free science education to anyone who wanted to learn, regardless of background or ability to pay. Today, the Wagner offers more programs to more people than ever before! Your support helps us provide free education, not only through the museum, but through a wide range of courses, lectures, field trips, and children’s science programs. Donations also assist us in caring for the museum and library collections and in preserving our wonderful building, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. To learn more about what we do please visit our website.

Registration Information

In keeping with its original charter, admission is FREE—donations are suggested to ensure the future and quality of Wagner’s free education programs and to preserve its National Landmark building and collections.

Suggested Donations

$25/Family

$10/adult

$5/student

For any questions, please email communications@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x17.

If you are a group leader and wish to bring a group of 10 or more to the program, please email our museum educator, TobeyC@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x17.

If you would like to check your membership status or become a member, please email KellyT@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x11.