This post was sponsored by The Academy of Natural Sciences who was a Jersey Family Fun Partner in Fun.
Yesterday my family and I had the pleasure of taking our very first trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Being originally from Pittsburgh, this was the first Philadelphia museum that we have had the opportunity to visit so we were all very excited for the experience. We were especially excited to check out the newly renovated ‘Outside In’ exhibit.
About the ‘Outside In’ Exhibit
The ‘Outside In’ exhibit was recently renovated to provide more of a hands-on experience to bring the “outdoors in”. It offers the chance for children, and adults alike, to bring the outdoors in! This new area offers a natural exploration in the forest, mountains, pond, or ocean shore giving children a great deal of activities such as touching live animals, digging in sand, or role playing with dress up costumes. There is even a section with table and chairs where children and adults have the freedom to build a puzzle, read a book, or touch shells, animal furs, bones, and rocks.
The Woods
This section offers children the chance to crawl through large fallen tree trunks or to view hidden forest animals. They can even put on a set of wings and hop into a large Eagle’s nest. And if your lucky enough, you will have the opportunity to touch a real live bunny rabbit!
The Mountains
In this section, you can make your own fossil rubbings or play a magnet matching game with large cards that pertain to mountain life. There are tanks with tarantulas, cockroaches, and lizards. There is also a fully functioning bee hive that you can view.
The Pond
Children can view the large pond to see various types of Coy and Goldfish then take a peek inside the tanks at the small turtles and snakes!
The Beach
In this area, children can play in a large sandy area with shovels and buckets or go panning for shark teeth. This is where we had the opportunity to meet, see and touch Otis the Tortoise while he was roaming around getting to know the area.
A Few of Our Favorite Activities in the Academy of Natural Sciences ‘Outside In’ Exhibit Were
- Touching and watching a live tortoise. His name was Otis!
- Panning for real shark teeth.
- Playing in the sand with buckets, shovels, and rakes.
- Viewing objects up close using the giant microscope.
- Reading books and learning about birds.
Would you like to Adopt a Critter for the ‘Outside In’ Exhibit?
The new ‘Outside In’ exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences is home various types of small critters such as rabbits, fish, and turtles. These live animals have been given new homes and more opportunities to meet guests face to face. Because of this, the museum is asking for your help! By donating you will help provide food to the critters, toys and treats, and new books and games that pertain to the animals that are being housed. You will also get to choose a plaque that will be placed and viewed outside of the exhibit. The plaque can be inscribed with your family name or dedicated to someone special. For more information, please visit http://www.ansp.org/get-involved/support/adopt-a-critter/.
Other Exhibits at the Museum
While we were there we also had the chance to visit the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit. The exhibit has been running since October and will be over on the 30th of March, but don’t worry if you missed it because the next new Exhibit, Birds of Paradise, will be sure to pleasure. It will take you on a life like journey into the rain forests of New Guinea and educate you about exotic birds of paradise through photography, video, and various kinds of displays. It will open on May 3, 2014 and run until September 1st.
Academy of Natural Sciences Hours:
- Monday-Friday 10am to 4:30pm
- Saturday & Sunday 10am to 5pm
Academy of Natural Sciences Location:
The Academy of Natural Sciences is located at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Read more about The Academy of Natural Sciences by checking out our The Academy of Natural Sciences series. You can also visit our Academy of Natural Sciences videos on our YouTube Channel.
