May First Saturday Open House: Go Birds!

Birdwatching requires a combination of skills: a watchful eye, a patient demeanor, and a working knowledge on what local birds look like, sound like, and where you might best find them. At this First Saturday Open House, be an ornithologist by practicing your bird watching skills in the Wagner’s Teaching Garden. Visitors can imitate bird calls and learn tips on how to accurately identify our flying friends. This is a perfect opportunity for folks to freshen up on their ornithology knowledge in preparation for Global Big Day, an annual celebration of birding to be held on Saturday May 9th.

This event is also a part of , a national celebration of innovative experiences and opportunities for youth to develop their sense of creativity, perseverance and curiosity.

The Wagner's 100,000+ natural history collection will also be available for self-guided exploration throughout the day. 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!

• Walk-ins welcome! Advance registration speeds your entry to the museum. Visitors who register in advance do not need to present a ticket 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. Parking along Montgomery Avenue and 17th Street is free and there is no time limit. There is 2-hour free parking on Bouvier Street and on many blocks near the Wagner; there is 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.

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 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.

Images: Studer, Jacob Henry, Jacob Henry Studer, Theodore Jasper, John Graham. Bell, Frank M. Chapman, Natural science association of America (New York, N.Y.), and E.G. Williams & Bro.,. 1895. The Birds of North America; One Hundred and Nineteen Artistic Colored Plates Representing the Different Species and Varieties, Drawn and Colored from Nature. Including a Copious Text Giving a Popular Account of Their Habits and Characteristics, Based on Observations Made in the Field by the Most Eminent Writers on Ornithology. Prefaced by a Systematic Table and Index to Page, Plate and Figure. Arranged According to the Classification Adopted by the American Ornithologists’ Union. New York, U.S.A: Published under the auspices of the Natural Science Association of America. .

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Wagner Free Institute of Science, 1700 W Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, United States

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