Discover the Wagner Free Institute of Science, a National Historic Landmark natural history museum with more than 100,000 specimens on display! Founded in 1855, the Wagner is devoted to free science education and provides a unique experience of a Victorian science museum that is remarkably unchanged since the 1890s. Visitors can explore our landmark building and historic museum collections, including rocks, minerals, fossils, taxidermy animals, mounted skeletons, and much more!
The exhibit hall is self-guided, allowing visitors to explore and learn at their own pace. For first-time visitors and anyone preferring more direction, we have themed scavenger hunts to guide them and knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions. We also have drawing materials and coloring sheets and encourage drawing from the collections. In addition, we’ll offer a guided tour of the museum at 3:00 pm beginning with a presentation on the founding and history of the Wagner, followed by a guided tour of the museum that will highlight the architecture of the building and some of the specimens on display.
Tickets/registration are not required to visit the museum, but visitors can click here to sign up in advance if they wish. Advance registration for the guided tour will reserve a place on the tour. Sign-up will be available on the day of the tour if space is available.
