Wagner Free Institute Of Science

PROVIDE FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN SCIENCE.

THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES REFLECT THE INSTITUTIONAL MISSION TO PROVIDE FREE SCIENCE EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC. THE LIBRARY (45,000 VOLUMES) INCLUDES MATERIAL PRINTED BETWEEN THE 17TH AND EARLY 20TH-CENTURIES ON THE NATURAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES AS WELL AS ENGINEERING AND METALLURGY. MATERIALS IN THE ARCHIVES INCLUDE THE FAMILY, PERSONAL, AND BUSINESS PAPERS OF WILLIAM WAGNER (1796-1885), RECORDS OF THE INSTITUTE'S FOUNDING AND EARLY YEARS, AND RECORDS PERTAINING TO THE FREE LIBRARY OF PHILADELPHIA'S FIRST BRANCH (1890-1962). THE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS CONTAIN THE WORKING PAPERS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF NOTABLE SCIENTISTS. THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES ALSO ENCOMPASS MAPS, PRINTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, AND 4,500 GLASS LANTERN SLIDES THAT WERE USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE COURSES. THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES ARE OPEN TO RESEARCHERS AND SERVE AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS, SCHOLARS AND THE PUBLIC.

CAPITAL PROJECTS.

THE WAGNER FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE IS LOCATED IN ITS ORIGINAL 19TH CENTURY BUILDING, WHICH WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK IN 1990. ITS COLLECTIONS INCLUDE A MUSEUM OF THAN 100,000 NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS, INCLUDING MANY SCIENTIFICALLY AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT FOSSILS, MINERALS AND ZOOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. ARTIFACT COLLECTIONS INCLUDE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT, ANTHROPOLOGICAL MATERIALS, AND THE HISTORIC FURNISHINGS AND FIXTURES. THE MUSEUM IS OPEN TO VISITORS FREE OF CHARGE, YEAR-ROUND. THE WAGNER ALSO OFFERS GUIDED TOURS AND PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON THE COLLECTIONS. THE MUSEUM ALSO SERVES AS A RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS, SCHOLARS AND THE PUBLIC. IN 2022, MUSEUM VISITORS CAME FROM 45 STATES AND 18 COUNTRIES. A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM WITH OVER 100,000 SPECIMENS, INCLUDING SCIENTIFICALLY AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOSSIL, MINERAL AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE FREE COURSES, LECTURES, AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ON-SITE AND AT LOCATIONS AROUND THE CITY FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN. PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE FREE OF CHARGE AND BENEFIT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS ANNUALLY. IN 2022, THE WAGNER SERVICE 22,000 PEOPLE BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE THROUGH ITS EDUCATION, MUSEUM, AND LIBRARY PROGRAMS. THIS INCLUDES FIELD TRIPS AND LESSONS FOR SCHOOLS AND OTHER GROUPS; GEOKIDS, AN AWARD-WINNING HANDS-ON SCIENCE PROGRAM SERVICING 600 CHILDREN ANNUALLY AT FIVE NORTH PHILADELPHIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND SNAP: SCIENCE, NATURE, AND ART IN PHILADELPHIA, AN EXTENSION OF GEOKIDS THAT SERVES 400 MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN AT THE SAME SCHOOLS. SNAP INTEGRATES SCIENCE LEARNING WITH ART. GEOKIDS LINKS A PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND INTEGRATES SCIENCE FACULTY AND GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.