If Philadelphia can move the Barnes, we can save the Academy.
The Academy of Natural Sciences has been a fixture of Philadelphia civic and scientific life for over 200 years, and holds a priceless and irreplaceable collection of 19 million specimens that continue to teach us today about our natural world. To lose the collection, and the ongoing science related to the collection, would be a tragedy.
To lose the public-facing museum, however, would also be a tragedy. How many Philadelphians remember being awed by first seeing the dinosaur skeletons, either on a school trip or on a visit with family? How many young people grew up to be scientists because they regularly spent time at the Academy?
Moreover, although the building needs to be renovated, the Academy belongs with the other museums on the Parkway. Do you want to see another high-end hotel, luxury apartments, or worse, an empty building next to the Franklin Institute? We already have the Family Court building across Logan Circle sitting empty for years.
Most importantly, we need to make our political leaders aware of what we want to see happen, and dial up the pressure for them to play a leadership, coordinating, and possibly a financial role in crafting the solution we want to see. When you contact people, tell them what your own connection to the Academy has been and why it is important to you.
