Wawa Welcome America

Schedule:

9:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m: Free Museum Days: Wagner Free Institute of Science

Discover the Wagner Free Institute of Science, a National Historic Landmark natural history museum with more than 100,000 specimens on display! Founded in 1855, the Wagner is devoted to free science education and provides a unique experience of a Victorian science museum that is remarkably unchanged since the 1890s. Visitors can explore our landmark building and historic museum collections, including rocks, minerals, fossils, taxidermy animals, mounted skeletons, and more!

The exhibit hall is self-guided, allowing visitors to explore and learn at their own pace. For first-time visitors and anyone preferring more direction, we have scavenger hunts to guide them and knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions.

10:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m: Free Museum Days: Weitzman National of American Jewish History

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Its purpose is to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire.

Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Museum was originally founded by the members of historic Congregation Mikveh Israel, which was established in 1740 and known as the "Synagogue of the American Revolution".

The Museum has long been a vital component in the cultural life of Philadelphia. During the course of its history, a broad regional audience has been drawn to the Museum’s public programs, while exploring American Jewish identity through lectures, panel discussions, authors’ talks, films, children’s activities, theater, and music.

The Museum has displayed more than a hundred exhibitions in its first three decades-plus of existence. As the repository of the largest collection of Jewish Americana in the world, with more than 30,000 objects, the Museum has developed extensive institutional experience in preservation, conservation, and collections management supporting the fulfillment of its mission to preserve the material culture of American Jews.

10:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m: Free Museum Days: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Visitors will be welcome to visit our special exhibition, Under the Canopy; Dinosaur Hall; Life Onto Land: The Devonian; and all the museum has to offer!

Under the Canopy: Travel to the most diverse ecosystem on the planet! Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest is an immersive exhibition introducing you to the fascinating world of rainforests and the animals that inhabit them. Learn about unique plants and rainforest ecology as you encounter a live sloth, boa constrictor and other animals that call these habitats home. Think big about the importance of rainforests to the planet as you explore interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming. Under the Canopy will leave you with knowledge and actions you can take — from choosing the best coffee to growing the right garden plants — to support healthier rainforest ecosystems and become an advocate for conservation.

Presented in English and Spanish, Under the Canopy will engage students of all ages, with accompanying curriculums on rainforests, water cycles, the science of diversity, deforestation and soil, how kids can save the planet and so much more. Hands-on interactives are complemented by life-size, climbable animal sculptures, including a gorilla, tortoise, crocodile, red-eye tree frog and Banyan tree.

Seek answers to the following questions: What is a rainforest.  Why are rainforests important.  What is biodiversity. Is there a rainforest in North America. How do rainforests function as Earth’s lungs. What animals live under the canopy.  How much of Earth is covered by rainforests, and how has this coverage changed over time. Can rainforests grow back. What can you do to help support the rainforest.

Life Onto Land: The Devonian centers around the Academy’s internationally celebrated paleontological research and the incredible discovery of Tiktaalik roseae. Unearthed in 2004 on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut, this transitional fossil has been critical in piecing together a picture of how fins became limbs or, of how terrestrial, limbed vertebrates arose from aquatic, lobe-finned ancestors.

This new exhibition features the original holotype specimen of Tiktaalik roseae and a newly commissioned Tiktaalik model by Tyler Keillor. See enchanting drawings by Spanish artist Aina Bestard, breathtaking footage of Arctic and Antarctic research sites and the vivid scientific illustrations of Scott Rawlins. Experience the stunning plant and animal fossils collected from Devonian rock found here in Pennsylvania and around the world.

Life Onto Land reveals the diverse marine, freshwater swamp and terrestrial ecosystems of this period, as well as the amazing scientific discoveries of the Academy’s team of paleontologists who continue to contribute to our understanding of this transformational time in our planet’s history.

6:00 p.m - 10:00 p.m: Free Museum Days: Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

Enjoy a Free evening of Summer Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary on Wednesday, July 3.

Discover the rich and captivating history of sports, the arts, and other team activities at Eastern State Penitentiary and their enduring societal legacy in prisons today. Grab a beer, soft drink, or food and relax and connect outdoors in The Fair Chance Beer Garden, presented in partnership with Triple Bottom Brewing Company and Philly Eats. Summer Nights admission includes "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour via QR code, Unlocking History experiences, exhibits, and artist installations, PLUS exclusive programming and special event nights. Find more information here. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

7:00 p.m: Salute to Service: The United States Army Field Band featuring LeAnn Rimes

The U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus along side LeAnn Rimes presents "America the Beautiful," a celebration of all there is to love about our nation on the Visit Philadelphia® stage. Take in unparalleled natural landscapes and meet the warm and welcoming people on a musical and visual journey across our country. We honor the veterans of every generation who answered the call to defend this great land, and recognize the Soldiers standing guard today in more than 140 countries around the world who are proud to call America "home."

Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.