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 and Management

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.

By the twentieth century, the Academy grew to consist of three distinct parts with different funding models:

1. a natural history museum open to the public
2. collections (curated specimens of animals, plants, and minerals)
3. an environmental research institute capable of studying all levels of the food chain in wetlands

Historically, there was fierce in-fighting for scarce funding among the three major areas. Collections and research not only fought with each other for funding, but both were taxed to keep the museum financially viable and open. Around 2015(?), the specimen collections and environmental research institute were moved into a single organizational branch. The funding brought in for the specimens and research branch is still taxed to help fund the museum, but they also still benefit from shared use of the building and facilities and location with the museum.