Academy of Natural Sciences-Philadelphia

It’s practically a requirement of childhood that at some point you visit an academy of natural sciences.  All the realistic dioramas and dinosaur skeletons are sure to fascinate kids and peak their interest in animals and the natural world.  I decided to throw in a visit while we took our Center City CityPASS tour of Philadelphia (as it is NOT included on the CityPASS ticket).  Located on the Logan Circle right across from Franklin Institute, it has the added benefit of convenience to other major tourist attractions.  We visited on a hot, sunny day and the Swann Memorial Fountain (center of Logan Circle) directly across from it made a great respite from the heat.  I’m going to make a very important recommendation right off the bat…try to visit late in the day.  If you go like we did at 3PM, you will easily see all of it by closing at 4:30PM.  We did other touring in the morning, so this was our last stop of the day, and I couldn’t believe how deserted it was.  We practically had the place to ourselves.  Another HUGE advantage was that by starting at 3PM, I was able to purchase tickets online ahead of time and get a big discount ($9.95 instead of $15.95 for adults!)

Oftentimes there is a special exhibit going on which runs for a few months, and this makes it a little more exciting.  I would recommend going while there is a specific topic your children are interested in.  Our 2-day trip happened to be a dry spell for the Academy as far as special exhibits were concerned so that was part of the reason the visit didn’t take much time.  Currently they are featuring a “Backyard Adventures” exhibit geared to younger children where they can participate in lots of fun, hands-on activities relating to the biodiversity found in the typical backyard (additional fee to include this on your ticket).

We are in a movie with dinosaurs!

A few highlights from the permanent exhibits include the main floor dinosaur skeleton displays.  What kid doesn’t love that?  We particularly enjoyed making ourselves into a video that had us hanging out with meandering dinosaurs.  Of course, the classic dioramas of many varieties of taxidermist animals are fun to look at.  Sometimes it’s even better than the zoo because at least these critters can’t hide from you!  An exhibit on “Secrets of the Diorama” gives insight into the making and sustaining of these blends of art and science.  The live “Butterflies!” garden was lots of fun if you don’t mind stepping into some tropical conditions for a bit.  My youngest was not on this trip but I know would have loved to see so many beautiful butterflies all at once.  Additionally, we witnessed a feeding session a museum employee conducted with some crazy looking bugs they had in a glass paneled cage. “Inside Out” was a quiet, relaxing (at least when we visited) spot to let the kids play and do a little hands-on exploring and role-playing concerning the forest and seashore, as well as a chance to touch some live animals.  “What Eats What” was a fascinating look at the food chain and its impact on the ecological environment.

Lions Diorama

The Academy of Natural Sciences is a relatively small museum and can be covered in 2 hours or less, so I would definitely combine a visit here with something else to make it worth your time.  Smaller children would really enjoy this destination.  My 11 and 13-year olds were a little out of the targeted range I would say, especially since most of the museum is presented visually and not text dependent.  Although not as exciting as the Franklin Institute for example, the classic nature of this museum makes it appealing and worth the trip to notch one in the belt for science exploration.

Admission:  I will list the online prices, because if you buy tickets at the desk it will be a couple of dollars more per ticket, so it pays to plan ahead.   $15.95/adult, $11.95/children 3-12, FREE/children 0-2.  Special rate for entering after 3PM on a weekday is $9.95 for all ages (online only).

Petting a snake in “Outside In”

Hours:  10AM-4:30PM on weekdays, 10AM-5PM on weekends and holidays.

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 299-1000

Please visit www.ansp.org for more information!

 

 

 

Learning how the dioramas are created

Day Tripper Mom

Jeanette Knaub is a wife and an at-home mom to four children; Jackson (17), Eliana (15), Amalia (13), and Lilah (8). During the school year, she works part time as a Classroom Aide. In what little spare time is left, she enjoys volunteering at church and community organizations, reading, running, and of course researching and blogging about her family’s next trip!

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