Programs & Events

The Wagner offers a variety of FREE educational opportunities!

The evening talk series, WEEKNIGHTS AT THE WAGNER explores a variety of subjects related to science and the history of science and includes a lively Q&A with our expert speakers. First Saturday Open Houses are a great option for the whole family. In addition to getting to explore the museum on a weekend, Saturdays often have themes that include interactive activities and informational talks that are accessible to all ages. Other programs are held throughout the year, including the annual Lantern Slide Salon in October, which showcases lantern slides from the Wagner and other special collections in the region, and the annual Westbrook Free Lectureship typically held in the spring and followed by a reception in the upstairs museum. Free Programs are typically posted on Eventbrite where you can register ahead!

Wagner also periodically hosts special, after hours events such as the Sip & Sketch and Evening with an Expert series. Sip & Sketch invites participants to experience the collection through art with guidance from a guest artist and light refreshments. Evening with an Expert is a guided tour led by a member of Wagner faculty who uses their own expertise to take a deeper dive in a particular area of the Wagner’s rich national history collection. Because these programs are held after hours and include provided refreshments, they are not free and require advanced registration to attend.

For our free evening course schedule, click here.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

APRIL FIRST SATURDAY OPEN HOUSE & 2024 WESTBROOK FREE LECTURE
Let's Talk About the Birds and the Bees:
Science and Myths of Human Reproduction
With Dr. Scott F. Gilbert
Saturday, April 6, 2024
12:00pm - 5:30pm

There is a lot of misinformation about reproduction that is passing for science, and it often finds its way into some of society’s most contentious debates. Moreover, even the scientific community has sometimes ended up at odds with itself over competing observations on the nature of reproduction, introducing nuance and conflict into an arena many of us consider to be dominated by hard facts. When exactly does life begin? How do our reproductive cells work, really? Is what could be considered our “soul” encoded into our DNA, and what would such circumstances mean for us?

Dr. Scott F. Gilbert, the Howard A. Schneiderman Professor of Biology (emeritus) at Swarthmore College, leads this year’s Westbrook Lecture on a journey into these controversial subjects and more. Hear how scientific complexities, heroic mythologies, and political ideologies have shaped our understanding of where we all come from, and see how we might be able to nurture truth in place of the myth.

As part of our monthly First Saturday Open House series, the Museum will be open to visitors to come explore the museum’s collections!

Our Annual Member Reception will follow the talk. Meet Dr. Gilbert and enjoy wine & nibbles in the Exhibit Hall.

Program Schedule:

Noon - 3pm: Explore the Exhibit Hall

3 - 4:30pm: Talk in the Lecture Hall

4:30 - 5:30pm: Reception

You may register for the Open House & Lecture, the reception or both.

The reception is free for current Members and $15 for guests.

Total Eclipse of the Sun 2024:
A FREE Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
Monday, April 8, 2024
12:30pm - 4:30pm (Eclipse from 2:08pm - 4:35pm)

Caused by the shadow of the Moon lining up to temporarily blot out the Sun, solar eclipses have fascinated people for centuries. In 2017 a solar eclipse passed over a large portion of the US, bringing with it astronomical excitement, plenty of celebration, and a stunning display in Philadelphia. On April 8 this phenomenon returns, and the Wagner welcomes you in marking the occasion! Join us for activities and multiple opportunities to view the eclipse for astronomers of all ages.

While eclipses actually occur somewhat frequently, they are not always viewable, making the times when people do get to see them all the more significant. Philadelphia is expected to see 90% coverage of the Sun, and won’t see an event like this again until 2078, so this is one celestial celebration you won’t want to miss!

This event is FREE and open to all, but advance registration is recommended for capacity reasons. Registration does not guarantee eclipse viewing glasses or entry as supplies and space are limited.

Please enter through the outdoor gate on 17th Street. Most activities will take place outdoors and the Lecture Hall will be open.

MAY FIRST SATURDAY OPEN HOUSE
Space Rocks!
Saturday, May 4, 2024
12:00pm - 4:00pm

May the Fourth be the day you visit the Wagner! Inspired by a certain legendary franchise, we’re looking to the stars for May’s First Saturday to celebrate the ways space can be even more fascinating than in science fiction. At 1:00 and 3:00, hear from Dr. Alexandra Krull Davatzes from Temple University’s Earth & Environmental Science department about on her work as a part of the HiRISE Camera Team. HiRISE is taking photos of the surface of Mars from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand major flooding events.

If you’re ready to head to space yourself, get ready for stomp rockets. Hear about some of the tools scientists use to launch vehicles into space and what’s on board. After you launch a rocket, head over to the telescopes for some solar observing! See sunspots through a mylar filter.

Participate in a design challenge to create your own Mars Rover. Learn about the challenges that face scientists when exploring rocky extraterrestrial landscapes, and see how your ingenuity can overcome the terrain.

All afternoon, you can also explore what’s here on earth in the Wagner’s exhibit hall filled with 100,000 specimens that range from tiny insects to giant dinosaurs bones. There are scavenger hunts to guide you or you can draw from the collections. Can you find our meteorite? Search your feelings, you know it to be true. This is one First Saturday you don’t want to miss!

This event is a part of Remake Learning Days, which is a festival of events and experiences for children to celebrate innovation, curiosity, and creativity. Events are held at museums, libraries, schools, universities, and industry sites throughout Pennsylvania.
More local events can be found here.

Walk-in visitors are welcome. Advance registration is appreciated and will speed up your entry to the museum.

1st Saturdays Open House Schedule 2024

On the 1st Saturday of the month, the Wagner opens its doors from 12 - 4pm! Guests are invited to enjoy family-friendly activities, a special presentation, or themed tour highlighting one field of scientific study. At all events, the Wagner’s exhibit hall will be open for self-guided exploration, with scavenger hunts and sketching supplies available to all visitors looking to engage deeper with the collection.

Spring

February 3, 2024:
Endangered Species

March 2, 2024:
The Science of Shells

April 6, 2024:
The Annual Westbrook Lecture with
Dr. Scott Gilbert

May 4, 2024:
Space Rocks

June 1, 2024:
St. Joseph’s University STEM Fellows

Fall

Themes to be announced!

September 7, 2024

October 5, 2024

November 2, 2024

December 7, 2024

1st Saturday Open Houses are NOT held in the months of January, July, or August.

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS

  • image of taxidermy birds from the Wagner's natural history collection

    1st Saturdays: October Open House

    Saturday, October 7, 2023
    Noon - 4pm at the Wagner

    October’s special theme is FlightFest: All About Birds! This Open House falls in the middle of the annual migration of birds south for the winter, and Philadelphia is perfectly in the path of the Atlantic Flyway. Learn about migratory birds and the challenges they face on their travels. Bird Safe Philly will demonstrate ways to protect native and migrating birds from collisions with buildings, a major cause of bird fatalities.

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  • Franklin’s First Arrival in Philadelphia. From the collections of the American Philosophical Society.

    Annual Lantern Slide Salon

    Thursday, October 19, 2023
    6 - 7:30pm at the Wagner

    Celebrate Archives Month Philly at the Wagner as we showcase glass lantern slides from our own collection as well as the special collections of: the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the American Philosophical Society, The Historical Society of Frankford, the Penn Museum, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

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  • Program partner Dr. Thomas Twardowski from Thomas Jefferson University making soap

    1st Saturdays: November Open House

    Saturday, November 4, 2023
    Noon - 4pm at the Wagner

    November’s special theme is The Chemistry of Clean: Art & Science of Soap Making! What does pH balanced mean? Why are there shells in my soap? Join Dr. Thomas Twardowski from Thomas Jefferson University will share his vast knowledge of suds and surfactants. Everyone will have a chance to make (and take) their own soap, too!

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  • 1st Saturdays: December Open House

    Saturday, December 2, 2023
    Noon - 4pm at the Wagner

    A Peek into the Archives - Teaching What the Eye Can’t See. This Open House will feature early teaching materials from our archives, including examples of ink and watercolor teaching charts made by Joseph Leidy of microscopic organisms and lantern slide photomicrograph used to teach Botany, Mineralogy, and Entomology in the 1890s and early 1900s. There will also be a historic microscope on view with slides in the Lecture Hall.

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  • Sip & Sketch with Cait McCormack

    Wednesday, December 6, 2023
    5:30 - 7:30pm at the Wagner

    Explore the Wagner’s rich collection of specimens on a whole new level, with pencil, paper, and a cocktail - to get your creative juices flowing! This evening series invites participants to experience the collection through art a guest artist, whose own work explores science and nature, leads attendees in sketching from the museum specimens, accompanied by light refreshments and a seasonal cocktail provided by the Wagner.

    Visit the Artist's Website

  • 1st Saturdays: February Open House

    Saturday, February 3, 2024
    Noon - 4pm at the Wagner

    In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act this year, February’s First Saturday theme is Endangered Animals. We will be joined by acclaimed artist and author Allen Crawford, whose most recent book, A Wild Promise, beautifully represents in lavish full-color illustrations eighty animals that embody the spirit and commitment of the Endangered Species Act. He will give short talks about his art and process to create the book as well as his abiding passion for nature and for preserving the habitats - oceans, mountains, deserts, prairies, and forests - where animals live.

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  • Weeknights at the Wagner: The Transparent Eye of Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Saturday, October 7, 2023
    Noon - 4pm at the Wagner

    In his latest book, Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Marcus explores the complex life of philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), known as the leader of the Transcendentalist movement. He will be joined by author and essayist Robert Sullivan for a sweeping conversation that explores the many facets of Emerson, beginning with his early interest in science to his evolution as an abolitionist, activist, and one of the most influential thinkers of 19th century America.

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