Exhibitions

Bugs and Bakelite buttons. Lab notes and lifesaving letters. Vaccines and vats of bright, colorful dyes. Our digital and in-person exhibitions explore the diverse and surprising histories behind the science that shapes our world.

Featured

AstroTurf: A Surface of Contention

This digital exhibition explores the history of artificial grass playing surfaces and the controversies they sprout.

The Science History Institute Museum is closed for renovations through March 18, 2025. In the meantime, you can view our outdoor exhibition, explore our digital exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture, or revisit your favorite shows from the past.

woman and child in front of a museum exhibit

Permanent Exhibition

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

Sensational Science: A Century of Microbe Hunters

Our latest outdoor exhibition explores the nearly 100-year-old book that influenced generations of scientists.

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.

Consuming Women’s Healthcare

Our new ExhibitLab uses the lens of science history to show how women’s healthcare products have developed over time.

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art

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