Special Architecture Walking Tour

This event is no longer on sale.

Saturday February 12

2:00 PM  –  4:00 PM

**Special Tour** Wagner Free Institute of Science - POSTPONED to Feb 12 at 2:00pm

Designed by Philadelphia architect John McArthur, Jr., the Wagner Free Institute of Science opened its doors in May 1865, at the end of the Civil War. Its ambitious architectural program features an innovative roof system with exposed arched trusses, a 500-seat lecture hall, and a soaring three-story exhibition space with more than 100,000 natural history specimens. A National Historic Landmark, the Wagner’s museum, library and lecture hall are nearly unchanged since the end of the 19th Century.

Join the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia as we explore Wagner’s remarkably preserved Victorian interiors and learn about its purpose and history. Today, the Wagner is both an educational institution that teaches contemporary science and a historic site that offers an unparalleled experience of a Victorian science museum.

Susan Glassman, Executive Director of the Wagner will lead the tour and provide an illustrated introduction in the lecture hall and a look at the museum’s first gallery, areas not regularly accessible to museum visitors.

Susan Glassman is the Executive Director of the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia.  She currently serves on the board of the Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM) and the Advisory Board of the Penn Museum.  She has prepared many National Historic Landmark nominations for Philadelphia historic sites, including the Wagner Free Institute of the Science, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the Church of the Advocate.  She is a past board member of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. 

Meet at the entrance of the Wagner Institute of Science at 1700 West Montgomery Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19121.

**Know before you go**
    • Accessibility:  The exhibit hall occupies the second story of the building and is reached by a single flight of stairs; there is no elevator. 
    • Filming and photography are not permitted in the Institute.
    • Masks are required inside the building and for the duration of the tour
    • Proof of Vaccination required for indoor tours (updated 1/4/2022)

Space is limited. Advance registration required.