Wagner Free Institute of Science

Founded in 1855 to provide free education in science, this National Historic Landmark maintains its original educational mission alongside its 19th-century layout. The upstairs hall holds more than 100,000 natural specimens—spanning insects, shells, and skeletons—arranged by subject classification and identified with handwritten notecards from generations past. Its historic lecture hall still hosts contemporary science programs, talks, and group lessons, with staff offering scavenger hunts and activity sheets for younger visitors examining the collections.