Academy of Natural Sciences - founded in 1812

The Academy of Natural Sciences, founded in Philadelphia in 1812, is the oldest natural history museum and research institution in the Americas and maintains extensive scientific collections and exhibits. The Academy has long been a center for taxonomic research, paleontology, and biodiversity studies, and 19th-century scientists associated with Philadelphia, including Joseph Leidy, published influential work using its collections. The institution continues public exhibitions of specimens, fossils, and living collections alongside ongoing research programs.