Story thread · 6 reports / 5 sources

Protesters push to stop Academy of Natural Sciences from closing museum

nbcphiladelphia.com · 7dShare

Less than a week after the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University announced it will close its museum in Philadelphia , protesters are pushing to keep it open. The rally — organized by Green Philly , Philadelphia Science Action and Skype a Scientist — is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 8, outside the museum on 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “We are asking Drexel to find a way to keep the museum open to the public past September of 2026,” organizers wrote in a post on the Philly subreddit. “For almost 200 years, the Academy of Natural Sciences has been dedicated to understanding the natural world and inspiring everyone to care for it.” On Sept. 1, the Academy announced it will officially close the museum on Sept. 30, 2026. “As part of this broader effort and following careful consideration, grounded in deep respect for the Academy’s extraordinary legacy, Academy and Drexel leadership have made the difficult decision to close the Academy’s museum as of September 30,”

First report: ‘It’s such a special place’: Visitors crowd the Academy of Natural Sciences ahead of impending closure — inquirer.com, 10d