Exhibitions

Bugs and Bakelite buttons. Lab notes and lifesaving letters. Gas chromatographs and glowing minerals. Our digital and in-person exhibitions explore the diverse and surprising histories behind the science that shapes our world.

Featured

Earthly Matters

Explore a unique collection of minerals that tells the story of human curiosity about the material world around us.

woman and child in front of a museum exhibit

Permanent Exhibition

Explore more than 500 years of scientific inquiry into the material world.

colorized image of students eating lunch

Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray

This exhibition offers a novel historical perspective on efforts to feed children in U.S. schools.

Objects That Tell Stories: Recent Acquisitions

This ExhibitLab looks at the types of objects the Institute collects and the reasons for doing so.

Reaction: Artists Transform the Sample Book

An exhibition by members of the Guild of Book Workers inspired by the Institute’s collection of sample books.

Fats, Butter, Beef, and Lard

This outdoor exhibition explores the battle between butter and oleomargarine in the late 19th century.

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art

View photo reproductions of engravings from 17th-century alchemical books.