The Wagner's evening courses are the oldest, free adult education program in the country! Courses are ordinarily held off-site at a variety of locations in Philly to make them accessible to a wide audience. Since 2020, they have been held over Zoom.
Events in this collection
All About Trees (Spring Course)
Tue, Apr 2 • 6:30 PM
From $0.00
The Science of Cosmetics: What’s in the Bottle (and why)? (Spring Course)
Thu, Apr 4 • 6:30 PM
From $0.00
History and Architecture of West Philadelphia (Spring Course)
Mon, Mar 25 • 6:30 PM
From $0.00
Beyond Darwin: Evolution in the Modern World (Winter Course)
Sat, Feb 17 • 10:30 AM
From $0.00
All About Trees (Winter Course)
Tue, Jan 23 • 6:30 PM
From $0.00
Madness: A Brief History (Fall Course)
Tue, Oct 17 • 6:30 PM
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Hail the Mighty Insects! (Fall Course)
Wed, Oct 4 • 6:30 PM
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Stay Brighter Longer: Options to Meet Our Energy Needs (Fall Online Course)
Mon, Oct 2 • 6:30 PM EDT
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Architecture and History of North Philadelphia (Spring Course)
Mon, Mar 27 • 6:30 PM
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Wild Things: Toward a More Sustainable Natural Garden (Winter Course)
Tue, Jan 17 • 6:30 PM
From $0.00
A History of Cartography: Six Maps (Fall Course)
Mon, Nov 7 • 6:30 PM
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For the Love of Collections (Fall In-person Course)
Mon, Oct 3 • 6:30 PM
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Technologies of Time (Fall Online Course)
Wed, Oct 6 • 6:30 PM EDT
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Recycling Realities (Spring Online Course)
Thu, May 27 • 6:30 PM EDT
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Paleontological Collection Stories from Phila.'s Natural History Museums
Thu, Apr 15 • 6:30 PM EDT
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Knowing the Plant Families: Shortcuts to Plant ID (Winter Online Course)
Thu, Feb 18 • 6:30 PM EST
From $0.00
Plagues and Epidemics in History (Fall Online Course)
Wed, Oct 7 • 6:30 PM EDT
From $0.00
Public Health and the City (Fall Online Course)
Tue, Oct 6 • 6:30 PM EDT
From $0.00
Recycling Realities (Spring 2020 Course)
Tue, Mar 24 • 6:30 PM
Free
Field-Based Paleontology in Pennsylvania and the Canadian Arctic (Winter 2020 Course)
Sat, Jan 25 • 10:30 AM
Free
Ground Plan: Using Plant Functional Groups in Landscapes and Gardens (Winter 2020 Course)
Tue, Jan 14 • 6:30 PM
Free
Springing and Singing: Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids (Fall 2019 Course)
Tue, Sep 17 • 6:30 PM
Free
Extreme Plants: Radical Adaptations in the Vegetable Kingdom (Spring 2019 Course)
Tue, Mar 26 • 6:30 PM
Free
Environmental Geology (Winter 2019 Course)
Sat, Jan 26 • 10:30 AM
Free
Fermentation: An Introduction (Winter 2019 Course)
Founded in 1855 in Philadelphia, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is dedicated to providing free public education in science. Its programs include free courses and lectures, field trips and lessons for children and museum tours for all ages. The evening science courses are the oldest program devoted to free adult education in the United States.The Institute’s Museum houses more than 100,000 natural history specimens, a collection begun by founder William Wagner in the early 19th century and expanded by the renowned scientist Joseph Leidy in the 1880s. Completed in 1865, the Wagner’s National Historic Landmark building is essentially unchanged since the late 19th century and includes a Victorian exhibition hall filled with fossils, shells, minerals and mounted animal skeletons and skins displayed in original wood and glass cabinets. The Museum is currently open to visitors Tuesdays - Fridays, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and on the first Saturday of every month from Noon to 4 PM. The Wagner also offers courses, lectures and events in the evenings, in person and online. Join us!
