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On potentially the eve of The Academy of Natural Sciences’ final day, Philadelphians rallied outside its doors in a last ditch push to keep the museum open.
The Academy reportedly received a lifeline from the William Penn Foundation on Sept. 25, the day prior to the rally, but there was no sign as to whether or not its operator, Drexel University, would accept the offer of enough funding to keep the academy open for at least another year.
“If Drexel’s response wasn’t an immediate ‘hell yeah,’ what are we doing here,” asked Corey Miller, an individual rallying outside the academy.
Like many, Miller said he was caught between his feelings of hope for an extension and the beginning of mourning a beloved institution.
“I am somewhere in between violent rage and delusional optimism,” said Miller. “I’ve been a member for decades. When I heard that this was closing, like everybody else did, I was outraged. It seemed disgusting to me that they would announce it with less than a month’s notice.”
Organized by Save The Academy, a volunteer group put together just days after the academy’s Sept. 1 announcement that it would close at the end of the month, the rally drew individuals throughout the afternoon to peruse the academy in its final hours and push for an extension. At the rally was a sign-making station, face painting, coloring and crafts for younger rallyers and a trio of musical performers.
Sarah McAnulty, a Philly-based scientist and educator, has acted as one of the organizers with Save The Academy, and helped organize a Sept. 8 rally as well as run the organization’s Instagram page, which was created Sept. 5 and has already amassed over 13,000 followers.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response,” McAnulty said. “So even if the decision makers don’t make the right call, it is obvious that the city of Philadelphia cares about science and educational opportunities.”
Through dreary conditions brought on by a nor’easter that dropped up to 4 inches of rain in parts of New Jersey, Lauren Kibbe waited outside the museum in a line that stretched down the block with her family, all of whom were in dinosaur costumes.
“My kiddo here, his grandfather would bring him to Dinos After Dark once a month, and they became members. He loved digging in the fossil area and seeing artifacts, the big dioramas,” said Kibbe. “It’s actually a thoughtful collaboration and helping people care about the natural world.”
“It’s been really cool becoming a parent and I’d been hopeful that my kids can grow up coming here,” she said. “I’m sad to hear that that won’t be the case.”
Suzanna Ryan, who stood outside the academy urging attendees to sign a petition and call lawmakers to keep it open, noted that although she was new to Philadelphia, she already felt connected to the museum.
A first-time visitor with her granddaughter in June, Ryan said she fell in love with the museum and applied to volunteer twice afterward, but never heard back — then in September, she heard it would be closing.
“I think there’s a lot of suspicious stuff, and I think the questions need to be answered,” Ryan said. “I mean, we’ve got Thomas Jefferson’s collections here. We have Lewis and Clark. This is where the Bone Wars started. So why would we lose that? Why would anyone say that that’s acceptable?”
Founded in 1812, Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences is packed with towering dinosaur skeletons, fossils, 37 old-school wildlife dioramas and more than 100 live animals ranging from reptiles to tarantulas. The academy was the nation’s first scientific society to focus on natural history.
Philly native Diana Lawrence said she’s been coming to the museum for over 40 years.
“I am just so sad today,” said Lawrence. “I’ve been coming to this museum since I was in the third or fourth grade. It’s terrible that they’re going to close it. So terrible.”
While not present at the rally, state and city officials have pushed for the Academy to stay open.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Mayor Cherelle Parker have backed efforts to preserve the institution, while eight City Council members — Jeffery Young Jr., Nina Ahmad, Curtis Jones Jr., Quetcy Lozada, Kendra Brooks, Jim Harrity, Nicolas O’Rourke and Mark Squilla — sponsored a resolution authorizing hearings into the closure and examining options to preserve public access. During the rally, 1st District State Sen. Nikil Saval published a letter to Drexel and the board of the Academy of Natural Sciences asking for the museum to remain open.
Still, on Sept. 30, the Academy of Natural Sciences remains scheduled to close.
“I don’t think Drexel really realized how much momentum this movement has. I think because there’s the momentum, something could happen,” said Santiago Ortiz, the founder of Philadelphia-based social media brand No Shorts. “Right? But who knows? I don’t know.”
