December First Saturday Open House: Mineral Mania!

Upstairs in the Wagner's Exhibit Hall you'll find rows of cases featuring shiny crystals, stinky sulphur, minerals found locally, minerals that glow under UV light, minerals as big as a dinner plate and those as small as a penny.

During this special open house explore how people historically learned about minerals and other natural elements. Visitors can view educational lantern slides from our archives, look at different minerals under a microscope, and explore optical mineralogy. Visitors may also experiment with minerals from the Wagner's teaching collection, testing things like hardness, luster, color, and cleavage to identify each mineral. We'll also have a mineral station and children's activity table, featuring the metamorphic minerals of the Wissahickon.

There will be talks and demonstrations in our lecture hall throughout the day. Make sure to join us at 1 pm for Mineral Oddities by Karenne Snow and at 2:30 pm for a glowing demonstration of Fluorescent Minerals by Bruce Mitchell—both are longtime members of the Philadelphia Mineralogical Society. The Wagner will also have a collection of minerals for sale, priced between $1 - $20. This is a great opportunity for those looking to start or grow their own scientific collection!

The Wagner's mineral collection and host of other natural history specimens will be available for self-guided exploration throughout the day in the Exhibit Hall. Browse ancient fossils, glowing minerals, and animals from around the globe. Visitors can wander at their own pace, follow the path of one of our themed scavenger hunts, or even fill in a coloring page with images from the Wagner's library!

Admission is free to everyone and donations are welcome to support our mission.

Things to Know Before Your Visit

• Walk-ins are welcome! Advance registration speeds your entry to the museum. Visitors who register in advance do not need to present their registration or confirmation email at the desk—just your name!
• There is no coat check or place to stow personal items – please travel light.
• The museum is located on the second floor of the building. There are 5 steps at the entryway and a flight of stairs to access the museum. It is not wheelchair accessible.
• To protect the specimens and our historic interiors, photography is not allowed in the museum. Open containers of food and drink are not permitted in the building.
• The Institute does not have a parking lot. Street parking on Montgomery Avenue and 17th Street is free. There is 2-hour free parking on Bouvier Street and on many blocks near the Wagner and metered parking on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The nearest parking garage is at the Liacouras Center on 15th Street and Montgomery Avenue.

A dream that keeps growing…

In 1855, William Wagner had a dream of providing free science education to anyone who wanted to learn, regardless of background or ability to pay. Today, the Wagner offers more programs to more people than ever before! Your support helps us provide free education, not only through the museum, but through a wide range of courses, lectures, field trips, and children’s science programs. Donations also assist us in caring for the museum and library collections and in preserving our wonderful building, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. To learn more about what we do please visit our website.

Registration Information

In keeping with its original charter, admission is FREE—donations are suggested to ensure the future and quality of Wagner's free education programs and to preserve its National Landmark building and collections.

Suggested Donations

$25/Family

$10/adult

$5/student

For any questions, please email communications@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x24.

If you are a group leader and wish to bring a group of 10 or more to the program, please email our museum educator, TobeyC@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x17.

If you would like to check your membership status or become a member, please email abigailc@wagnerfreeinstitute.org or call 215-763-6529 x24.