Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Philadelphia official fighting to keep Academy of Natural Sciences Museum open

nbcphiladelphia.com · 6h · first reportShare

We are just days away from the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum closing for good . Sept. 27, 2026, is the last day for the museum with Drexel University pointing to declining attendance and rising operating costs which they said made operating the museum essentially unsustainable. In response, there have been been rallies outside of the building on the Ben Franklin Parkway with families and supporters calling on the city and Drexel to find a way to keep it open. City Councilmember At-Large Dr. Nina Ahmad was among those at a rally on Sept. 17 and introduced a resolution to hold hearings on the closure. Dr. Ahmad partnered wtih also shared four possible routes that the city could take to stop the museum from closing. In a statement on Thursday, her office wrote: “ Orphans’ Court Petition : Deputy Mayor Wellenbach and the Academy of Natural Sciences Board can petition the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court under Pennsylvania Act 141 guidelines to release or modify a restriction under the foll