Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences to Close After Nearly 200 Years

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the oldest natural history museum in the United States, will close its doors to the public this weekend, ending nearly two centuries of operation in Philadelphia.

Drexel University said the museum had struggled to rebuild attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic while operating costs continued to rise. Officials said the decision to close was made to preserve resources for the Academy's research and collections.

On Friday, visitors filled the museum's dinosaur hall, home to a towering T. rex cast and other prehistoric mounts. Others examined fossils, meteorites and habitat dioramas as the institution prepared for its final public weekend.

For some families, the closure marked the loss of a long-standing tradition. Serafina Armbruster, 11, and her brother Everett, 9, were visiting for the first time and said they were saddened it might also be their last.

"My whole family has gotten to be here, so it's pretty sad that it's closing," Everett said.

Robert McCracken Peck, a senior fellow emeritus who worked at the Academy for five decades, said the museum's collections include more than 19 million specimens, fossils, archives and other scientific resources. He acknowledged Drexel's financial challenges but argued that the institution's cultural importance to Philadelphia extended well beyond its role within the university.

"The Academy of Natural Sciences, this museum, has become a bit of collateral damage in that process," Peck said. "It's not just the department within Drexel. It's a major museum that's been serving Philadelphia for 200 years."

The closure has mobilised advocates, including former Academy employee Isa Betancourt, an entomologist and member of the Save the Academy Coalition. Betancourt, who returned to Philadelphia from Arizona to help organise rallies and petitions, said the museum helped shape her path into science and remains a vital resource for young people and the wider community.

A public rally opposing the closure is planned this weekend outside the museum. Drexel and the Academy's board said they are committed to safeguarding the collections, continuing research and finding new opportunities for public engagement with natural science.