Happy 250th! Our museum will be OPEN from 10am–7pm on July 3 and 10am–5pm on July 4.
Pink bacteria on a blue background.Pink bacteria on a blue background.
DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE

The Philly Killer at 50

Legionnaires’ disease has never been more prevalent. So how did we forget it?

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visitor touching an inert firework shellvisitor touching an inert firework shell
EVENTS

Wawa Welcome America: Free Museum Day and First Friday

Join us in our museum for family-friendly programming as part of Welcome America’s 4th of July Free Museum Days and First Friday!

Friday, July 3 | 10am-7pm

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painting of an alchemist doing an experiment that caught firepainting of an alchemist doing an experiment that caught fire
DISTILLATIONS PODCAST

The History of Clinical Trials: From Fake Exorcisms to Testing Today

How do we know whether a treatment truly works?

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fireworks displayfireworks display
NEWS

‘Flash! Bang! Boom!’ Exhibition Comes to Life at Philly Fair 250

Wawa Welcome America’s multiday celebration draws more than 2,500 visitors to the Institute’s pop-up museum, activity tent, and historical fireworks show.

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Color illustration of fireworks on the Seine, Paris

Flash! Bang! Boom!
A History of Fireworks

Part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, this sparkling exhibition explores the origins of and the science behind fireworks. 

On view through July 31, 2027

Collect. Preserve. Interpret. Share.

Through research, storytelling, public programming, and educational outreach, we reveal how science is embedded in our daily lives.

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