Science History Institute’s Annual Curious Histories Fest Asks ‘What’s for Lunch?’

The Science History Institute invites the public to attend Curious Histories Fest, our annual celebration of science, history, exploration, and experimentation. Hosted on Saturday, June 14 from 11am to 3pm at 315 Chestnut Street in Old City, this daylong festival will feature free ice cream and other school lunch-themed food samples, hands-on crafts, family-friendly activities, and live music in our “recess yard.” Immerse yourself in curiosity with engaging talks, tours, and highlights from our museum collections.

Plus, the first 100 visitors will receive a free lunchbox! (limit one per person).

Inspired by our current exhibition, Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray, this year’s “What’s for Lunch?” theme explores the science of food and the history of the school lunch. Have you ever wondered where our food comes from and where it goes? Who decides what foods are nutritious? Who will do the cooking? What are vitamins exactly? How do we feed schoolchildren nationwide? Do you love lunch? And learning?

Curious Histories Fest: What’s for Lunch? will answer all of these questions and more with tasty snacks, live demos, and school lunch nostalgia. Attendees can also explore our museum to see special collections showcasing surprising food histories; meet our curators and special guests; share their favorite school lunch memories with our Distillations podcast team; take part in interactive pop-up displays and food-themed board games with Institute staff; sample foods from around the Philly region; and so much more!

When our doors open at 11am on Saturday, June 14, visitors can also explore our newly renovated lobby. Though our museum officially reopened on March 19, 2025, the full scope of the lobby renovation project will be unveiled at Curious Histories Fest, with a more welcoming visitor space and the opening of a new gift shop. Guests will have the opportunity to take a piece of science history home with them, including Institute-branded merchandise and items showcasing imagery from our vast digital collections. The lobby renovation project also includes the addition of a brand new exhibition space, which is still under construction and set to open later this year.

Participating vendor and partner activities:

• Tastes and smells with the Society of Flavor Chemists and Monell Chemical Senses Center
• Fun activities and live music by Vinyl Tap 215 founder DJ DuiJi Mshinda in our “recess yard”
• Favorite school lunch memory sharing with our Distillations podcast team
• Pickle tastings with Fishtown Pickle Project
• Introduction to sustainable composting with Bennett Compost
• Learn about Rebel Ventures, a group of student entrepreneurs based in West Philly who create healthy food for school kids
• Live pickling demonstration by Spotted Horse Provisions and tastings of their jams, shrubs, and pickled veggies
• Plant-based Peruvian food tastings with La Llamita Vegana
• Interactive pop-up displays from our special collections, from vintage coolers to Saran Wrap
• Food-themed board games
• Other school lunch-inspired food tastings including ice cream!

Curious Histories Fest is open to all ages. Admission, programs, food, and drink are all FREE. No reservations are necessary.

Featured image: Visitors gather at Curious Histories Fest: Color Your World, held June 8, 2024.

---

Major funding for Curious Histories Fest is provided by the Bolte Family Foundation, with additional support from the American Chemical Society, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, and Trinseo.