About this Event
NOVEMBER FIRST SATURDAY OPEN HOUSE: MONSTER MASH!—Cryptozoology at the Wagner
Spooky stories, like an abominable snowman lurking in the mountain range, a sea monster hidden in Loch Ness, or a hairy humanoid leaving giant footprints in the forest, raise the hairs on our necks and excite our imaginations.
While some cryptids can be described as fanciful folk stories, or even misinterpreted/misidentified animal remains, others are real animals thought to be long-extinct. Join us for this First Saturday Open House as we highlight the real-world animals that inspire many of the cryptids people know and tell stories about to this day.
All-day Family-friendly Activities Include:
- Animal Footprint Make & Take— See how cryptids and other animals can be tracked using their footprints. Make a cast of an animal footprint to take home!
- Mix & Match Creature Craft—Create your own paper creature by cutting out and combining attributes from different animals.
- Mystery Touch Boxes—Can you guess a scientific specimen by feel? Reach into mystery boxes to touch specimens from our teaching collection and guess which animals they belonged to.
- Cryptozoology Scavenger Hunt— Learn about different cryptids and find examples of the animals that they may have been inspired by in our historic collection.
The Wagner's Exhibit Hall will be open 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!
Admission is free to everyone and donations are welcome to support our mission.
Things to Know Before Your Visit
• 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.
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 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:
M. A. Wetherell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Visitors in the museum, Wagner Free Institute of Science.
Coolgeorge5, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.
Human & Chimp Skeletons, Wagner Free Institute of Science.
AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Event venue & nearby stays
Wagner Free Institute of Science, 1700 W Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.