Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a natural history museum, herbarium, and environmental science research institute in Philadelphia, PA. It was founded in 1812 and has been continuously open to the public since 1832.

Location

In common parlance around Philadelphia, the Academy building is known as "the dinosaur museum". It is located in the museum district of Philadelphia, which is defined on one end by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and on the other end by the Academy which is located at Logan Square. This district also includes the Franklin Institute, the Barnes Foundation, the Moore College of Art and Design, the Rodin Museum and the Parkway Central Library (formerly known as the Philadelphia Public Library?).

Governance

The Academy is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees and since 2013(?) has been affiliated with Drexel University.

Structure

The Academy consists of three distinct parts with different funding models: a natural history museum open to the public, a formidable set of specimen collections of various animals, plants, and (formerly?) minerals, and an environmental research institute which benefits from proximity to the collections.