By Danielle Smith
Philadelphia officials are fighting to keep a nearly 200-year-old museum open to the public.
In a statement, the president of Drexel University announced the Academy of Natural Sciences is closing its public museum due to severe financial challenges, rising operating costs and visitation rates that have not yet fully rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Nina Ahmad, a councilmember at-large for Philadelphia, sees the museum as critical to the city’s culture and family life. She called the planned closure unacceptable, and noted city leaders and residents were not consulted. She said she and other councilmembers are organizing rallies, co-sponsoring a resolution and supporting an ongoing investigation.
“I started talking [about] a legal route to see what options there might be. So, I’ve reached out to a few people, and I would like to have a broader conversation with all the stakeholders, and present a few options,” Ahmad said.
The museum is scheduled to close to the public on Sunday, Sept. 27, and permanently cease operations on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
On Thursday, Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., introduced a zoning bill aimed at limiting redevelopment of the Academy of Natural Sciences. Young represents the 5th District, where the museum is located.
The city’s investigation will involve hearings to determine the cause of the museum’s closure. If it is funding-related, Ahmad said she already has ideas for policies the city could enact to save the academy.
She noted they’ve heard anecdotally from people who have worked there that the HVAC system needs to be repaired, but sees this as a minor issue compared to what the building signifies and offers to the community and the world.
“This is a worldwide institution with 19 million specimens that people from all over come to see, use, and do work on. And so, it is not just about Philadelphia, it is about being an asset for the world,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad added if the academy remains open, she would like to see a long-term preservation plan to sustain a functional operating budget, to help the organization stay out of debt and avoid future barriers to operations.
“They need to have a campaign. There has to be a campaign around it. So, that would be the next step, to have a robust campaign that talks about why this is an asset, asks for people to come visit it, people to take out memberships,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad added the academy building is not protected or listed on the historic register right now. However, an application is being submitted to add it to Philadelphia’s historic register, a step that could help secure such resources as a historic tax credit, which would cover about 20% of costs.
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