All new and returning Philadelphia-area college students are invited to visit the Science History Institute’s museum during CollegeFest, Campus Philly’s annual city-wide, weekend-long, “Welcome to Philadelphia!” celebration featuring free experiences, fun activities, contests, entertainment, giveaways, and more.

The Institute joins more than 25 of the City of Brotherly Love’s most iconic cultural organizations and attractions offering free admission exclusively to college students. Your official ticket also includes free SEPTA rides right to our front door in Old City.

Students can explore the intersections of environmentalism, education, and fun with our latest outdoor exhibition Playing Dirty, hear the voices and learn the stories of scientists and engineers who immigrated to the United States in the 20th century with our Migrating Science ExhibitLab, and discover the connections between rare earth elements and glass art with Enabling Transparency. And don’t miss our permanent exhibition, which will take you on a journey through more than five centuries of scientific inquiry into the material world.

CollegeFest is organized by Campus Philly. Registration is required.

More events

etching of fireworks over architectural details
June 20, 2026
Drop-In Tours

Fireworks Tour

Join our Gallery Guides for a drop-in tour of our special exhibition on the fascinating history and science of pyrotechnics.

Color illustration of fireworks on the Seine, Paris
June 20, 2026
For Families

Stories of Science: Celebration of Summer

Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!

A colorful firework display with a person using a stick to ignite them, illustrating the history of fireworks.
June 20, 2026
Free

Philly Fair 250

Join us at Philly Fair 250, a multiday extravaganza celebrating America’s 250th birthday!

    Republish

    Copy the above HTML to republish this content. We have formatted the material to follow our guidelines, which include our credit requirements. Please review our full list of guidelines for more information. By republishing this content, you agree to our republication requirements.