Science History Institute

Great museum! Love all of the dinosaur stuff and so do my nephews. I feel like even though this is kind of in the museum circle its still one people don't notice as much sadly

I enjoyed the museum. There were many exhibits on analytical equipment on the first floor. The second floor highlighted many pioneers and innovators in science. I also enjoyed the Object Explorer which was a fun way to learn about the many artifacts on display. Finally, the Downstream exhibit was also very interesting, as well.

Relatively small but pretty impressive collection of various scientific devices, books, and other science-related historic artifacts. Very informative interactive desk on the first floor. Overall very well-organized display of the information. I’ve learnt a lot of new stuff about chemistry and physics, that’s for sure. If you get lucky, you might catch one of their guided tours around the museum where they tell you all about science and social activism and how they are interconnected.

This, along with the Franklin Museum, the Mutter Museum, and the UPenn Archaeology Museum, are on my list of the best and least visited museums in the city. Great for kids and kids of all ages, if you're in the city for more than a day or two, it's definitely worth checking out and enjoying the variety of displays and interactive exhibits.

Fantastic! Anyone who has an interest in the history of science should definitely visit. Free as well! Very well presented exhibits with authentic displays. Enjoyed it immensely

This free museum near Independence Hall is a hidden gem for anyone who's curious about the history of science.Their exhibits make an effort to be inclusive, celebrating unsung research pioneers who were women and/or persons of color. Their first floor interactive game made learning about chemicals fun. Another highlight explores the highs and lows of protecting Philly's watershed through the centuries. The staff are friendly and there's a table full of hands-on activities for children.

Small but mighty, great quality exhibits, and growing. Totally worth a drop by in person, and checking out online.

Very nice science museum in center city with interesting exhibits and free admission. For most people 45 to 60 minutes will be enough here unless you are a science buff. Customer service at front desk was nice and courteous. They have have a small art gallery in the back as well. Excellent place to spend some time on a cold or rainy day and if you are a very interested in science you will probably want to try to make it here for a visit. Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturday 10AM to 5PM.

Great free museum in Old City that you should visit. Their programming is always interesting--don't miss their First Friday events. The changing exhibits are always on topics that fascinate me: pollution, circularity, color. I visited the library during an open house and was so impressed we "adopted" some materials to help pay for conservation. The staff are enthusiastic about the institute's mission and are as welcoming to randos like me as they are to the scholars who frequent the museum and library. i always learn something new when I visit, and I like to bring out-of-town guests here.

It's a great museum, especially for a chemistry lover like myself! Lots of fun exhibits and a feature exhibit, currently on water pollution and how the qaulity improves over time. It's located in a conference center which can be rented out for various seminars, meetings, and talks. Great idea, great location, and great content! Highly recommended!

One of the things I love about Philadelphia is the abundance of history, learning, exploration. It's woven so thoroughly into the fabric of our culture that we barely notice it's there. Our cups, as they say, runneth over. I didn't realize that until I lived other places. What happens with this abundance is that sometimes, you miss something really cool. In this case, for me it was the Science History Institute. I was at the Institute for an event, and as part of that event we were given a tour of their museum. This place, well, it's amazing how much information they share in compact exhibits. If you're a reader, like me, wear comfortable shoes because you'll be there a while. The museum is inside the building, as you enter it's to the left. We were there for a tour so someone took us around - and she struggled to give just the highlights because she was very knowledgable and passionate about this. I was also able to stroll around, taking in the exhibits, and honestly in an hour I was only maybe 1/5 of the way through. I reluctantly left, as I was expected elsewhere. I plan to go back, with comfortable shoes, when I have many hours to soak this place in. $5 suggested donation, however they were not pushing that at all - the donation box was kind of tucked away along a side wall. Lovers of science, history, engineering: This is your place. Go.

If you're at all into science, this is the place to unleash your inner geek. The museum house a magnificent collection of historical scientific artifacts, building narratives about the nature of the scientific process and how discoveries build over time. I've walked away with great ideas and resources for my classroom.

The Science History Institute is a tough one to review. On one hand the displays are very unique, nuanced and interesting. On the other hand the material is very, very dry. We're talking like psoriasis on an 80 year old's elbow dry. The basic premise is that you initially feel almost like you're out of place. Instead of walking into a traditional museum environment/setting, you walk into what looks like an office building. If you haven't been before the receptionist will likely understand that and tell you to turn left into one of the sets of glass doors that lead inside the museum. During our visit they had displays on: Second Skin: The Science of Stretch featured garments and textile-based medical devices created over the last century. From 1920s corsets and girdles to today's lymphedema sleeves with a fashionable flair, these second skins changed how we move through the world. Transmutations: Alchemy in Art featured portraits depicting chemistry and alchemy from the 17th through the 19th century. The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art: The images in this exhibition are photo-reproductions, mounted on glass panels, of engravings from alchemical books published in the 17th century. These beautiful, fantastically detailed engravings depict a wide range of topics, including the secrets of the philosophers' stone and fanciful images of the search for knowledge and attempts to understand the natural world. Making Modernity: Drawn from our world-class collections, Making Modernity includes scientific instruments and apparatus, rare books, fine art, and the personal papers of prominent scientists. Topics range from alchemy, synthetics, and the chemical-instrument revolution to chemistry education, electrochemistry, chemistry sets, and the science of color. No matter how much or how little you know about chemistry, Making Modernity will give you a new perspective on the everyday objects around you. There was more by but now if you've mistakenly read this far you should have the gist. We got here as soon as they opened on a weekday in July and naturally no one was there yet. We stayed about two hours and during that time maybe four or five other people stopped in. There are usually two staff members at a table near one of the sets of entrance doors but they were not getting up to engage anyone and no one was bothering them as they looked content to mess around on their phones. The parts that I like about SHI are of course that it's free and that they cover a lot of ground on material that I feel most places ignore or wouldn't touch because of how specialized it is but when you read about it you see how useful a lot of the materials are and how it is relevant to our everyday lives. But that aside, the dryness of the material is very palpable and it would be great if there was more of an interactive angle or if the staff were a little bit more engaging. There are so many other amazing and world class historical sites and museums in the immediate area that no doubt this place gets overlooked by comparatively 99% of tourists & locals. If you're on the fence about coming here I wouldn't make this a bucket list or even an A-list stop but if you're in the Old City area and if you've got an hour or two to kill you could do far worse than spending it here.

Small compact museum. If you love science, you will enjoy here. It is located in the heart of the city. Many tourist attractions nearby. So many museums in this area!!

Damn this is a small museum. History of science should be a little bigger, but I can't complain because of the price: free. That's right, free. Better science museums in Philly but none of those are free.

At first glance I thought this place was for chemists, and being a biology major, I figured why not check out this free museum on my day off. It really has something for everyone! From the elements to organic chem distillation, to the inner workings of PCR machines and blood test development, to the history of fabrics used in the fashion industry, you'll definitely find at least something interesting. Specimens are labeled in a very organized way, and upstairs is for history of chemistry. They even have a room with toys for kids (or kids at heart) to check out. Very educational and cool museum! Took me about 3-4 hours to run through it all but I read every word except for the upstairs

You should be ashamed if you haven't been here; I sure was. I was invited to attend First Friday: Sci-Fi Radio Play by my Yelp BFF Jessica W. The CHF hosted the play which was performed by the Mechanical Theater and it was outstanding. It was an adaption of the Ray Bradbury's classic "The Veldt", a 1950 Science fiction story. It was performed as if you we're listening to it on the radio. It was soo intriguing to see the actors use nothing but their voices to transform you into the story; all the sound effects were done by hand which made it even more authentic of the 1950s. I also had 4 Girl Scouts with me and they loved it as well (age 10). After the show we toured the museum. I was so engaged and so were the girls with all the different exhibits. We had multiple conversations about the history of science and how those things we saw progressed over the years; for the example color, plastics, erosion of metal, the plastic breakdown of Barbie and they would not stop talking about the interactive Periodic table. I personally would not take a child under 4th grade unless they are in a straight jacket. Many exhibits are fragile and a curious mind would make for a dangerous and embarrassing situation. Do yourself a favor and visit, and as others have mentioned, it's free. It also wouldn't hurt to sign up for their mailing list so you can been informed of the upcoming First Friday events. CHF is quiet place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown; give yourself a chemistry refresher, you will thank me later:)

A very cool chemistry museum! You get to see a lot of old school science tools that scientists used to use. The best part is that the museum is FREE!

Love the compact museum of science. Excellent well thought out displays... some are inner active. Dramatic first floor exhibits. Special focus feature area. Many artifacts are used to tell a story or explain why things are the way they are. Very friendly staff... eager to answer questions. And to top it all off, the museum admission is free... making this place a great attraction for families.

If you're one of those types that's into chemistry, this is a must-see museum if you are visiting Philly. The museum has a permanent exhibit with old lab equipment and other displays that discuss how chemistry has touched peoples lives in the laboratory, the factory, and their homes and learn how chemistry created and continues to shape the modern world. Topics range from alchemy, synthetics, and the chemical-instrument revolution to chemistry education, electrochemistry, chemistry sets, and the science of color. My favorite part is the large display screen in the center of the museum that discusses the periodic table and often shows elements exploding, emitting radiation, melting, or causing havoc in other ways. There is also a section of the museum in the back where tarveling exhibits rotate. Recently one focused on the science of space suits and had a number of them on display. The good news: The museum is free but you can donate if you want. It does not take long to visit and it's never crowded. The bad news: It's closed at night (except for First Fridays) and on the weekends.

This is a very cool tribute to an aspect of science that I was not all that familiar with when I visited this on my first time in Philly, but I still had so much fun! If you expect historical artifacts on two levels plus a massive LED display column, you'll definitely get your wish here, and there are heaps of displays to look at everywhere yet the place is very spacious. Another very clever and interesting exhibit at the time of visit was a room at the back of the ground level where I could poke my head into this hole at the bottom of a clear display box -pictured-, where I was made to feel like an ant in a jungle. There was a theme, Village Green, to all the displays in this room, and I would recommend a visit.

Amazing. 1) Nice permanent collection. 2) If you like science: it is must visit. 3) It is free!

How is this museum free?? Definitely deserves a donation if you visit. So clean, so well laid out, and tons of information! If you really read all the information and check out all the gadget artifacts and photos and machines, you could probably spend 2 hours in here. If you don't have that time, stop in even for a bit to get some interesting knowledge. Two floors of various topics related to chemistry and science--the past, specific innovations, certain materials, etc. Very cool and there are very friendly staff around if you have questions. Also some interactive stuff!!

I visited the Science History Institute for 5 days last week for a class. It is located in the heart of Philadelphia, there's a ton of things to do around there. Everyone at the facility were very friendly, and the place was very clean. I plan to revisit soon.

Are you... Interested in Iodine? Turned on by Tellurium? Einsteined by Einsteinium?(what?) Then step right up because I have got the museum for you! The Chemical Heritage Foundation is fun, fancy, and free, just like a simple model for the behavior of valence electrons in a crystal structure of a metallic solid!! (yeah it is free admission but I feel if you don't donate, these folks will be quick to turn a gamma laser onto the peace-loving citizens of Philadelphia in a mad attempt to get more funding). Seriously, though. This place is very well laid out, has a lot of cool artifacts, and is a great way to kill at least a half hour if you find yourself around the area. They even have an exhibit that lets you see real scientists talk about real science in their natural environment(actually it is just a conference room that just happens to have a clear door into the 2nd floor of the museum). It is a small museum and can be comfortably done in about a half hour. Architecturally, the place is really beautiful and fills one with the type of reverence(fear) required when one thinks of the power of chemistry.

I was just walking down Chestnut St, on my way to a coffee shop, when I saw a sign for an exhibit on alchemical manuscripts. I immediately went in. To my delight, this charming two-story museum is free ($5 recommended donation). The special exhibit was really nice, and there's plenty to look at if you're a science nerd. I only had about 45 minutes, but I reckon I could spend at least a couple hours. The exhibits are organized thematically, rather than chronologically, which makes it much easier to stop in and browse for a short while. Also, the other people in there have self-selected into a museum of chemistry, so you are likely to get into (or at least eavesdrop on) a good conversation. If you could combine this with a visit to the Mutter museum, you'd be one happy nerd. Unless you're not a nerd. In which case (a) you'd be bored and (b) why are you reading this? Nerd.

Chemical Heritage Foundation must have stolen an electron from me, because it left me positively charged! (Lame joke, but it really made me geek out. HARD.) On my first First Friday in Old City, I had to make it perfect. I mapped out several galleries I wanted to try out, but one in particular stood out, and I just KNEW I had to make my roommates go with me. The Chemical Heritage Foundation was having a demonstration of carnivorous plants! For some reason that excited me to no end, and my party involved (though they will deny it!) I'm no botanist, but it was fascinating watching the MAN-EATING plants, I mean, insect-eating plants, snap close when an insect came across its path. (Don't worry, the plants were kept in glass bowls and were covered with saran wrap to prevent little Drisophila from flying all over the place.) And then just to complete the botany angle, there was an arch that displayed the equation of photosynthesis and I was in love. When you walk in, it doesn't really look like a museum lobby. It sort of looks like a corporate lobby or a small hotel lobby, with its bright lighting and smiling greeters. We were worried that we might not be in the right place, but we trudged on. The rest of the museum is actually quite small, but very spacious; it's on the quaint side, but it is chock full of exhibits that run the gamut from molecular cell technology to Bell telephones to centrifuges to alchemy to the role plastic has on our lives. I think it provides a presentation that is palatable to both hard-core scientists and not-so-hard-core scientists. (although I did cringe when I saw that the centrifuge wasn't properly balanced..) It's a good place to go with friends, or to take kids, and it doesn't require a whole day to decently go through the museum.

If you are into science and/or history this is well organized, user friendly, fascinating, free exhibition with really friendly staff to explain everything and direct you. I'm so glad I caught the additional Alchemy of Writing area. Donate if you can, though they are still really nice to you if your pockets are empty, yet you are full of curiosity!

I tripped when first walking in and almost fell onto the amino acid sequencer. I thought "Oh, this is a quite different museum". A strange name for sure, but the Chemical Heritage Foundation is like the Smithsonian for wet labs, industrial manufacturing, distillers, alchemy, basically everything about how chemistry has changed our world. I particularly enjoyed the exhibit on plastics (Bakelite), and why synthetics quickly revolutionized manufacturing. The blood testing exhibit was also crazy interesting for seeing/rationalizing how and why medical equiptment(lab diagnostics) works. Some of this stuff is only 40 years old! I also learned that ping pong balls still contain nitrocellulose (Ala "Inglorious Basterds" movie theatre fire). Burning ping pong balls just made it on my bucket list. I enjoyed how the museum was widely acceptable to pretty much everyone, but the exhibits also didn't patronize the readers or dumb the material down too much. The best part imo? You can see the written journals of Nobel prize winners as they were tinkering with their machines and their theories. How cool is that? Best free thing in Philly.

You probably walked by this nifty little museum on your way to Buddhakan or at least a dozen times on your trek to olde city and may have never noticed it. It's a free museum that asks for donations and it's is really well done. There are two floors and one special exhibit room. Upon walking in the first room I found myself in front of large contraption. My befuddled look immediately prompted the introduction of one of the museum guides who was pleasant and did a great job explaining how to tackle this joint. The museum is comprised of independent vignettes that each tell their own story. It's not ALL chemistry per se. For instance, one vignette is about colors and dyes, another about the first plastics. I just don't want people thinking this would all be beyond grasp to the average person. Everything was well laid out and interesting. The special exhibit was also pretty neat. A glass wall lined with glass jars for every day of the year for rain water collected just outside gives an interesting visual perspective on our rainfall. And pollution for that matter...some of that water was brown! There were also 2 large terrariums designed to allow your head to pop up from beneath to get a ground level perspective on plant life. I highly recommend stopping in here when you get the chance. Especially if going to the art museum for the millionth time has lost its charm.

Old City, Phila One of those science museums focused on Chemistry. Possibly a an idea to place to take the class for a trip. Friend had some free passes for us to check it out.

This is a museum about chemistry. There are pictures of chemistry, displays of chemistry, artworks of chemistry. If you're studying for your MCAT and you feel as though you've hit a lull, come on down to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. You'll be reinvigorated to study and develop a renewed interest in the wonderful world of medicine. And you'll thank your lucky stars that you no longer have to bleed patients...though those bleeding bowls are really kind of pretty.

A little nerdy, a little off the Philly historical theme, but certainly worth a visit. If you are interested at all about chemistry and science, or just enjoy learning a something new, come check it out. The two-story exhibit room walls are filled with historical artifacts and knowledge tidbits. My favorite part is the interactive periodic table in the center of the room, showing how all the elements react. And if that doesn't sound good, at least it's a free place to stop in to escape the weather, and use the spotless bathroom lol.

Stopped by the CHF on First Friday for their cider tasting event. Michael McCaulley, the wine director at Tria, was the guest speaker for the event, and he taught me everything I'll ever need to know about cider and how versatile it is. I never knew there were so many varieties from different regions. He was very engaging and funny! There were three varieties to sample following his talk, but that part was so disorganized that we ended up leaving after waiting 10 minutes to sample one cider. Cider sampling chaos aside, all in all a great, free event! We only had a few minutes in the actual museum before the talk - but it looked to have lots of interesting exhibits - a few interactive as well.

The museum stayed open late during Pittcon so I stopped in to see some old lab equipment. The displays are lovely and the people all very courteous and enthusiastic. I'm a fan if the old alchemist genre paintings upstairs in the Fisher collection, which you can view with an appointment. Great place for science history or general instrumentation buffs.

Great Free Museum. You can leave a donation if you wish. Great for the science lover or casual fan.

The building is really really nice, everything seems really well taken care of, its free, and theres bathrooms! However, its pretty small and I am just not that into chemistry. It would be cool to come here for an event.

MUSEUM, LIBRARY, CONFERENCE CENTER, ARCHIVE, everything into one place. and FREE?? are you kidding me? that's crazy and amazing! totally recommend. a place to go to to build your knowledge on the history of chemistry for all you science people.

From the moment you enter this museum it will be easy to let go of your fears like "I just don't get chemistry"..... This institution is NOT the chem class you cowered in. Oh what a wonderland of science geek delights ... and the STAFF!! They are approachable and keen to share. The displays are beautiful with lots of interactive options. Don't overlook this hidden gem close to famous sites like the Liberty Bell. CHF is an amazing resource for lighting up interest in science.

After 25 years in the hospitality service this is the single worst experience I've ever encountered by management.. I would never use this venu ever again.

This museum looked cool, but on November 27th, the museum was said to be open 10 am to 5 pm, but it was not!

This was an unexpected pleasure in the historical district: a museum of chemistry! And it's free! There is actually more here than chemistry because chemistry is part of many different aspects of science. If you are interested in science at all, at any level, you should stop by. They have lots of old instruments, glassware and apparatus. They also had an exhibit on the writings of alchemy, which included a lot of paintings of alchemists. Very interesting place.

The company I work for has hosted two conferences at CHF. I was not on-site but working with Lou leading up to the programs was great. The venue is cost effective and accommodating. My colleagues who worked the event on-site loved the venue, location, and service as well.

Absolutely by far... The Chemical Heritage Foundation has some of the most interesting and stimulating exhibits on display in the city. A could not believe that for years I walked right by this place without realizing that it was a museum and that it was also free to get into. The Chemical Heritage Foundation is definitely one of Philly's best hidden gems.