PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Around 200 people gathered outside the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Tuesday morning to protest the impending closure of its nearly 200-year-old museum.
Protesters, carrying signs that read “save our bones” and “shame on Drexel,” said they will not allow the university to close the oldest natural history museum in the country without a fight.
The nonprofit announced on Sept. 1 that it would close its museum to the public at the end of the month. The institution will continue its stewardship of research and collections.
Museum member Cory Miller was angry that the announcement came with just four weeks’ notice.
“There wasn’t a concerted effort that really tried to reach people and tell everybody, ‘Hey, this building has deferred maintenance. We aren’t getting the visitors we need. We need funding and we need continued, sustained funding that Drexel can’t match,’” he said.
Longtime volunteer Maggie Anton said the closure will hurt children the most, saying the museum sparks the curiosity of kids and develops their interests.
“They’re taking away the experience of all the city children to see dinosaur bones, to interact with live animals,” she said. “Shame on them.”
The museum is set to close on Sept. 30. The last day for public visitation is Sunday, Sept. 27.
The Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1812, and the museum opened to the public in 1828. It partnered with Drexel University in 2011.
An online petition is encouraging museum-goers to reach out to city and state officials to help save the institution.
The museum is set to close on Sept. 30
The museum is set to close on Sept. 30
