Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
At the Academy of Natural Sciences, you can wander among towering dinosaur skeletons. Explore ecosystems from around the world through our historic dioramas or be transported to the great outdoors through our hands-on discovery center for children. Visit our Special Exhibits Gallery for our newest exhibit, or watch scientists at work in Science Live or our Fossil Prep Lab.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: City Center West
How to get there
- 19th St • 6 min walk
- 22nd St • 8 min walk
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
399 reviews
Excellent
156
Very good
153
Average
66
Poor
20
Terrible
4
nbell8
Collegeville, PA106 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Visited with my 2 kids (twins almost 10 yo) and a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. We had visited a few years back before. I tried to spend most of the time talking to my friend and my kids could look at the exhibits themselves. There really are only 2 floors of things. After 3pm the tickets are only $10. I got there at 2:58pm and went up to the lady at the desk and she actually said: oh you need to wait 2 mins….’ I was like ‘really?!?’ So stood off to the side and saw other people also just hanging around til literally 3pm so we could use their tickets. I was thought that was pretty petty to make us all wait (especially with covid to have bunch of people clump in one little area).. I don’t get why letting people in 5 mins early is the end of days! Whatever.. my kids wandered around but they were done with the place in like an hour.. plus the gift shop closed before the museum so my daughter couldn’t shop when we finished (well before 5pm when the museum closed). For $10 a head I thought it was ok and was very glad I didn’t pay full price. The water exhibit was not super interesting and not much else was different from the last time we were here before covid. Don’t think I will come back here with my kids since they seem already bored by it. Not much changes exhibit wise.
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chris M
Pocono Mountains Region, PA438 contributions
Sep 2022
If you can, run, don't walk, to catch the exhibit the museum has about the Delaware River and watersheds. It is top-notch Found the staff super helpful and friendly and the layout and displays very engaging. Fun place for kids.
Written September 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Maryann L
Fair Oaks, CA1,227 contributions
Sep 2022
On the day we visited there were many families and the children were having a wonderful time. There were staff members there to answer questions and explain the exhibits. At Outside In there is a discovery center that features hands-on science. Dinosaur Hall has more than 30 dinosaurs and other reptiles. You can watch a staff member prepare fossils in the Prep Lab. There are numerous Dioramas throughout the museum depicting wildlife from North America, Asia and Africa. All are well done. There is a cafe, gift shop and a fee for admission.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tom and Heather
Swedesboro, NJ840 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
My husband and I have not been here since we visited as elementary school students on a field trip. Flash forward three decades and it is another Philadelphia museum treasure.
We are thirsty for getting out on our day trips and was happy to see this museum open during this pandemic. There are a few things to keep in mind to that end:
1. You must wear a mask in the museum.
2. There are lots of reminders throughout to maintain social distancing.
3. The cafe and gift shop are not open yet. (I was very disappointed. The website did not mention this!)
4. You must buy tickets online. You may use your email to show purchase. You do not have to print them out.
5. The museum and especially restrooms are clean! They also put many hand sanitizer stations through the museum.
6. Part of the butterfly exhibit was closed.
The bottom line. We had a very nice day even with the limitations. They have a wildlife photography exhibit beginning in September so I will go back. I also love to but a souvenir and a book from gift shops so I will be back!
That aside I also I like to mention accessibility options. I have limited mobility and I require handicap parking and use a walker.
First, of you have a stroller, wheelchair, or walker you want to go in the 19th street e trance. We were able to find parking right in front of the door. Check website for varied pricing. Sunday’s are very reasonable.
The bathroom was such a good size I was able to go in with my walker. There were also lots of benches to sit on as we enjoyed the museum. I felt very well accommodated with my limited mobility.
This is a great stop for all ages. We spent over three hours there and would have been there much longer if those few things were not closed.
We are thirsty for getting out on our day trips and was happy to see this museum open during this pandemic. There are a few things to keep in mind to that end:
1. You must wear a mask in the museum.
2. There are lots of reminders throughout to maintain social distancing.
3. The cafe and gift shop are not open yet. (I was very disappointed. The website did not mention this!)
4. You must buy tickets online. You may use your email to show purchase. You do not have to print them out.
5. The museum and especially restrooms are clean! They also put many hand sanitizer stations through the museum.
6. Part of the butterfly exhibit was closed.
The bottom line. We had a very nice day even with the limitations. They have a wildlife photography exhibit beginning in September so I will go back. I also love to but a souvenir and a book from gift shops so I will be back!
That aside I also I like to mention accessibility options. I have limited mobility and I require handicap parking and use a walker.
First, of you have a stroller, wheelchair, or walker you want to go in the 19th street e trance. We were able to find parking right in front of the door. Check website for varied pricing. Sunday’s are very reasonable.
The bathroom was such a good size I was able to go in with my walker. There were also lots of benches to sit on as we enjoyed the museum. I felt very well accommodated with my limited mobility.
This is a great stop for all ages. We spent over three hours there and would have been there much longer if those few things were not closed.
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
K & L LeBoeuf
20 contributions
Jul 2020
My wife & I visited last July. We had to satisfy our kid desire to see dinosaurs, fossils, geodes & gemstones and this is a great place to do it. Great set-up for kids and educational for us adult children too - lots of wildlife displays.
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Stephanie M
Woodbury, NJ421 contributions
Jan 2020
Enjoyed a family morning outing at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The tickets were expensive buy my daughter really enjoyed the dinosaur and butterfly exhibits. As cool as the dioramas are, I do with there were less of those and more interactive experiences for bigger kids. Worth checking out once but not sure we'll go again unless they change things up.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
QuackerzDaTraveler
Philadelphia, PA231 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Completely in love with the dinosaur and butterfly exhibit. The wild animals is pretty cool too. This is nice spot to take 3-6 years old on a rainy day! Staff was very friendly!
Written June 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sheetal S
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India193 contributions
Mar 2019 • Solo
I spent around 1.5 hours here. The dinos here are cool.Meteorites can be touched.Nice games are available for kids. Butterfly section is cool and shows larva to butterfly transformation. Mystic creates gallery was additional cost and not worth.Many animals in their habitat dummies are kept.Egyptian mummy was also cool.
Written March 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Colin B
Cardiff, UK125 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
I have to confess that we only really went in to see the dinosaur exhibit, but the museum does indeed have more to it than that.
Our main talking point however, was not about dinosaurs, but how to make the animal displays, the dioramas. The time, detail and skill levels that go into each diorama in phenomenal. Well worth watching the video and sitting on the chairs provided.
The dinosaur animatronic exhibit was also good mind. I never realised that there were so many different species.
Well worth a visit if you're in the area.
Our main talking point however, was not about dinosaurs, but how to make the animal displays, the dioramas. The time, detail and skill levels that go into each diorama in phenomenal. Well worth watching the video and sitting on the chairs provided.
The dinosaur animatronic exhibit was also good mind. I never realised that there were so many different species.
Well worth a visit if you're in the area.
Written November 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
podrozniczka60
New Jersey14,579 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
The size of this museum is manageable, the contents interesting, the tradition of this museum quite rich. They just added a new dinosaur to the collection and dinosaurs are indeed the focus of the trip for many kids. For adults what may be interesting is the history of the dioramas many decades old but somehow amazingly not dated. There is quite a variety of artifacts including mummies, gems and stones, butterflies, some of the stuff almost random ( nothing wrong with that! ). It is not a museum for adults looking for science lesson of any kind or great experience. Take your kids or grandkids - they will learn and have fun. It is a great place for them.
Written February 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Robin c
Lancaster, PA3 contributions
Is it interesting for teens or more geared toward little kids? We have a range of ages.
Janou J
New Hope, PA301 contributions
Based on my observations of the children at the museum, the 4-11 year olds were enjoying the museum. Most the the 12+ children appeared disinterested.
Where do you park.?
Chris S
Bayville, NJ310 contributions
Best deal is go on the parking websites for philadelphia, I think it's SP+, and you can get a discount voucher for their garages. I always park at the JFK house on 19th and JFK it's about a two block walk up 19th to the side entrance to the academy and on the weekends if you pay online it's $12.
Andrew H
Audubon, NJ27 contributions
I will be walking alone with 3 kids. Where is the closest parking?
WillSkiforFood
Shawnee on Delaware, PA93 contributions
There is a surface lot directly behind the Academy of Natural Sciences.
The address is:
114 N 19th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
We have used it several times. It costs a few bucks but is worth it for the convenience.
Cheers!
Catherine B
Philadelphia, PA
Are battery operated air mattresses permitted at the museum's sleep over events?
Cindy C
Stuart, FL290 contributions
I just was there for a day visit. I didn't even know the museum had sleep over events. Sorry I couldn't help :(. I think your best bet is to call the museum and ask that question:
Phone: (215) 299-1000
How many hours would I need to spend here to see 4 or 5 exhibitions?
WillSkiforFood
Shawnee on Delaware, PA93 contributions
At least two hour though I would plan on half a day. It depends on who is with you and the interest and attention span of the participants.
Hope that helps!
dderonde
Randolph, NJ3 contributions
Parent of 4-6 year olds, How much time did you spend there?
Jason D
64 contributions
I was there with a 4 and a 12 year old, and spent about 2.5-3 hours. It was a little long, and the younger child was getting bored. The age gap didn't help, so doing things with one child was sometimes less interesting for the other. I think 2 hours could have been very sufficient.
Take a little time to map out a plan, too. We spent a bit of time bouncing back and forth from one area to the other to try and find things, which wasted some time and tired the kiddos a little.
Is it in walking distance of the train station?
Rick K
SF Bay Area, California106 contributions
10 minutes, 15 minutes if you walk slowly.
If you enlarge the map for site you can see the (30th Street) train station, just across the river. The museum is effectively at 19th street, so including the bridge it is 11 city blocks (not avenue blocks) east.
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Philadelphia) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is open:
- Wed - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- We recommend booking Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 7 Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University:
- Go City: Philadelphia Explorer Pass - Choose 3, 4, 5 or 7 Attractions (From $55.00)
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- Hotels near Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University:
- (0.06 mi) The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton
- (0.14 mi) Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center
- (0.18 mi) The Windsor Suites
- (0.11 mi) Embassy Suites by Hilton Philadelphia - Center City
- (0.20 mi) Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown
- Restaurants near Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University:
- (0.06 mi) Urban Farmer Philadelphia
- (0.11 mi) City Tap House Logan Sq.
- (0.07 mi) Assembly Rooftop Lounge
- (0.06 mi) Restaurant Aleksandar
- (0.12 mi) Matt & Marie's Logan Square
- Attractions near Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University:
- (0.09 mi) Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
- (0.08 mi) The Underground Spa & Wellness
- (0.12 mi) The Franklin Institute
- (0.09 mi) Ben Franklin National Memorial
- (0.09 mi) Logan Square