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Academy of Natural Sciences

Location: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia

Time: Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm

Cost: Adults $9, Seniors $8.25, Students, Kids $8, under 3 FREE

The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural sciences institute in the entire Western Hemisphere. Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences was established in 1812 "for the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences and the advancement of use learning."

The academy opened its doors to the public in 1828 but, prior to that, members of the academy were integral in organizing expeditions to the wilds of the west.

Explorers brought back many new species to the museum for eventual public viewing.

This was just the start of the Academy of Natural Sciences' growing exhibits which now includes four floors of exhibitions and activities that center on the environment and its diverse species.

Children especially love the dinosaur dioramas and the opportunity to pet a live snake or a hissing cockroach.

The academy still boasts two research centers; one that studies the impact of human activities on water quality and another which maintains a collection of 17 million specimens and focuses its research on the diversity of plants and animals: how they evolve, adapt, survive and become extinct.

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