Wagner Free Institute of Science

Wagner Free Institute of Science is a museums & exhibits in Philadelphia, United States, best suited for ages 6+. It is free to visit. This free Victorian-era natural history museum has barely changed since the 1880s, with wood-and-glass cabinets of fossils, minerals, and mounted animals arranged exactly as 19th-century visitors saw them.

This free Victorian-era natural history museum has barely changed since the 1880s, with wood-and-glass cabinets of fossils, minerals, and mounted animals arranged exactly as 19th-century visitors saw them. It was closely tied to Joseph Leidy, the Philadelphia scientist who named the first dinosaur ever formally described in North America, so several of the fossils on display connect directly to that history. It's a quieter, more old-fashioned stop than the big museums, best for kids who like poking around cabinets of curiosities and doing a themed scavenger hunt at their own pace; note the exhibit hall is upstairs with no elevator.

• Address: 1700 W. Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121
• Hours: Tue-Fri 9:30am-4:30pm, plus 1st Saturday of the month (Sept-May, noon-4pm)
• Official website