This “Highlights” tour is a unique, interactive learning experience designed specifically for school groups. Join us as we learn about how minerals have been used and studied throughout history, from Copper Age artisans to modern chemists working on the cutting edge of technology.

In Part 1 of this learning experience, students will take a guided tour through our permanent collection and hear stories about how long-ago scientists came to identify the elements that make up our world. In Part 2, students will independently explore our new Earthly Matters minerals exhibit and complete a worksheet designed to spark their curiosity and test their observational skills. Finally, in Part 3, one of our museum educators will guide students through an interactive game where they evaluate the characteristics of one of the most valued elements throughout history—gold!

Please note that, due to space limitations in the Earthly Matters exhibit, this experience has a lower capacity than our other offerings. A maximum of 30 students may be booked at a time, and groups will be divided into smaller groups to rotate through each station.

Our “Highlights” learning experiences combine guided exploration of gallery exhibits with hands-on introductions to objects from our collection. Join our educators as we visit our history of medicine exhibit and learn about waterborne epidemics of years past. (Our collection of bloodletting instruments is a visitor favorite!)

After discussing the hunt for a cholera cure and a polio vaccine, the group will shift gears to learn more about the ways in which human activity can harm the world’s oceans. Students will get an up-close look at instruments from our handling collection that are used to monitor the effects of climate change and plastic pollution, and learn more about the past, present, and future of environmental science.

Our “Highlights” learning experiences combine guided exploration of gallery exhibits with hands-on introductions to objects from our collection. This tour begins with an introduction to natural fibers such as wool and linen before moving on to the development of plastics and synthetic materials like Nylon and Spandex. Students will learn how major historical events like the Industrial Revolution and World War II shaped the clothing they wear.

Following the tour, one of our museum educators will introduce objects from our handling collection. Multiple themes are available—you can choose whether to focus on the chemistry of dyes, the science of stretch, or the machines that drove the Industrial Revolution.

Bring your school or camp group for a fun-filled interactive scavenger hunt activity in our museum! Scavenger hunts typically last roughly 30 minutes and begin with a brief introduction to our museum, followed by self-guided exploration. Our scavenger hunt worksheets come in a wide variety of topics and themes, including:
"Machines in the Museum"
"Meet the Elements" (exploring the Periodic Table)
"Behind the Science" (introducing "hidden figures" of science discovery)
"Food Science Eye Spy"
"SciFi" (examining objects that inspired great works of science fiction)
"Science of the Revolution"
"Science History 101"

Our Science & Activism Tour invites visitors to consider these questions: Who is a scientist? Who is an activist? How does each bring about change?

This tour will explore historical moments of crisis, challenge, and change; from the influential book Silent Spring by conservationist Rachel Carson and the rise of the environmental movement; to ACT UP, the AIDS crisis, and the development of the patients’ bill of rights; to the Black Panthers’ lead role in community testing for sickle cell anemia; and more stories that examine the complex interactions between scientific knowledge, public policy, and community advocacy. This tour offers a broad picture of the ways activists have reshaped our understanding of science, and how visitors can become engaged today.

We can accommodate up to 25 individuals per tour group with a minimum group size of eight. Larger groups will be split to stagger their tour times since our spaces are relatively small.

Our Women in Chemistry Tour profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change.

On this tour, you can expect to learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy, explore the connections between domesticity and distillation
see how wartime changed the laboratory, and more. You’ll meet pioneering chemists and chemistry educators, from 17th-century French alchemist Marie Meurdrac to Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman in America to receive a PhD in chemistry.

We can accommodate up to 25 individuals per tour group with a minimum group size of eight. Larger groups will be split to stagger their tour times since our spaces are relatively small.

Our Women in Chemistry Virtual Talk profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change.

During this Virtual Talk, you can expect to learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy, explore the connections between domesticity and distillation, see how wartime changed the laboratory, and more. You’ll meet pioneering chemists and chemistry educators, from 17th-century French alchemist Marie Meurdrac to Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman in America to receive a PhD in chemistry.

Our Virtual Talks are suitable for school groups as well as adult audiences, college classrooms, libraries, and meetup groups/clubs. Following the talk, there will be time for an interactive audience Q&A. Virtual Talks are conducted via Zoom.

Every year, the Nobel Prizes shine a spotlight on a few famous scientists. But hidden just out of the spotlight are the large and diverse teams that make important research happen. In this interactive virtual program, we'll explore who is really "behind the science." Hear stories from the lab, meet unsung individuals who helped shape scientific knowledge, and get inspired by new achievements and discoveries.

Our Virtual Talks are suitable for school groups as well as adult audiences, college classrooms, libraries, and meetup groups/clubs. Following the talk, there will be time for an interactive audience Q&A. Virtual Talks are conducted via Zoom.

Our “Highlights” learning experiences combine guided exploration of gallery exhibits with hands-on introductions to objects from our collection. Join our educators as we visit our history of medicine exhibit and learn about waterborne epidemics of years past. (Our collection of bloodletting instruments is a visitor favorite!)

After discussing the hunt for a cholera cure and a polio vaccine, the group will shift gears to learn more about the ways in which human activity can harm the world’s oceans. Visitors will get an up-close look at instruments from our handling collection that are used to monitor the effects of climate change and plastic pollution, and learn more about the past, present, and future of environmental science.

Our “Highlights” learning experiences combine guided exploration of gallery exhibits with hands-on introductions to objects from our collection. This tour begins with an introduction to natural fibers such as wool and linen before moving on to the development of plastics and synthetic materials like Nylon and Spandex. Visitors will learn how major historical events like the Industrial Revolution and World War II shaped the clothing they wear.

Following the tour, one of our museum educators will introduce objects from our handling collection. Multiple themes are available—you can choose whether to focus on the chemistry of dyes, the science of stretch, or the machines that drove the Industrial Revolution.

Bring your club, class or group for a fun-filled interactive scavenger hunt activity in our museum! Scavenger hunts typically last roughly 30 minutes and begin with a brief introduction to our museum. followed by self-guided exploration. Our scavenger hunt worksheets come in a wide variety of topics and themes, including:
"Machines in the Museum" (looking at scientific instruments)
"Meet the Elements" (exploring the Periodic Table)
"Behind the Science" (introducing "hidden figures" of science discovery)
"Food Science Eye Spy" (looking at food innovations and objects used to analyze them)
"SciFi" (examining objects that inspired great works of science fiction)
"Science History 101"

Our Science & Activism Tour invites visitors to consider these questions: Who is a scientist? Who is an activist? How does each bring about change?

This tour will explore historical moments of crisis, challenge, and change; from the influential book Silent Spring by conservationist Rachel Carson and the rise of the environmental movement; to ACT UP, the AIDS crisis, and the development of the patients’ bill of rights; to the Black Panthers’ lead role in community testing for sickle cell anemia; and more stories that examine the complex interactions between scientific knowledge, public policy, and community advocacy. This tour offers a broad picture of the ways activists have reshaped our understanding of science, and how visitors can become engaged today.

We can accommodate up to 25 individuals per tour group with a minimum group size of eight. Larger groups will be split to stagger their tour times since our spaces are relatively small.

Our Women in Chemistry Tour profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change.

On this tour, you can expect to learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy, explore the connections between domesticity and distillation see how wartime changed the laboratory, and more. You’ll meet pioneering chemists and chemistry educators, from 17th-century French alchemist Marie Meurdrac to Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman in America to receive a PhD in chemistry.

We can accommodate up to 25 individuals per tour group with a minimum group size of eight. Larger groups will be split to stagger their tour times since our spaces are relatively small.