Our Parkway neighbor, The Academy of Natural Sciences, is celebrating its 200th birthday! To mark the momentous occasion, the museum is chronicling their incredible collection through the exhibition The Academy at 200: The Nature of Discovery. From the backbone of a narwhal to a 400-pound space rock, with jars and jars of seahorses, lizards, insects, and blowfish in between, the exhibition is a must-see for hard-core scientists and curious Philadelphians alike.

To continue the celebration, join the Academy on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. to hear senior fellow Robert M. Peck and historical biographer Patricia Tyson Stroud talk through the first complete history of the institution detailed in their book, A Glorious Empire: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Making of American Science. Boyd Matson, a lead on-air journalist for National Geographic, will interview the authors.

The book talk and signing is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; register here.The event is co-sponsored by the Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies at Drexel University and the Free Library.