Women in Chemistry Tour
Join our museum’s Gallery Guides for a “drop-in” tour highlighting the central role of women in shaping chemistry and the material sciences throughout history.
Our Women in Chemistry Tour profiles women chemists from antiquity to the present, sharing stories of innovation, resistance, and change.
On this tour, you can expect to:
- learn about the legendary founding women of alchemy
- explore the connections between domesticity and distillation
- see how wartime changed the laboratory
You’ll also meet pioneering chemists and chemistry educators, from 17th-century French alchemist Marie Meurdrac to Marie Maynard Daly, the first Black woman in America to receive a PhD in chemistry, and Rosalind Franklin, whose work in X-ray crystallography led to the discovery of DNA’s structure.
Drop-in tours are free and no reservations are necessary.
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Stacking Stones: Installing an Egyptian Palace at the Penn Museum
Penn Museum conservator Julia Commander explains how museums manage to assemble massive objects and structures indoors.
Dyes & Textiles Tour
This “drop-in” tour highlights the science of natural dyes and textiles, the technology behind synthetic clothing, and the impact of fashion on human health and the environment.
Stories of Science
Join us in our museum EVERY SATURDAY for a family-friendly program that highlights strange and surprising stories from the history of science!