Exhibitions

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

Featured

BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile

Explore more than 150 years of natural and synthetic dye-making in our upcoming exhibition opening September 22.

The Science History Institute Museum is free and open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. You can also 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

Take a journey through more than 500 years of scientific inquiry into the material world.

Illustrations of the human heart and blood vessels

Blood and Fire

From our A Closer Read series, this exhibition features rare books that tell the story of experimental science in the 17th century.

Playing Dirty

Our latest outdoor exhibition explores the intersections of environmentalism, education, and fun with board games from the 1970s.

graphic depicting immigration papers and birth control pills

Migrating Science: Stories of Immigration and Innovation

This ExhibitLab display features oral history interview excerpts, museum objects, and archival materials from our collections.

Enabling Transparency

Glass artist Anna Mlasowsky examines the history of the rare earth elements and their socio-ecological impact on local communities and the environment.

The Whole of Nature and the Mirror of Art

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