Entry No. 22 — the Philadelphia file — filed under: alchemy

Science History Institute Museum

Steps from the Liberty Bell crowds sits a free museum built like a cabinet of curiosities for chemistry: one of the largest collections of alchemical art in the world (paintings of robed figures hunched over furnaces and stills), ~100 vintage chemistry sets, bakelite oddities, and a 1934 Beckman pH meter under glass like a relic.

The move: Walk the 'Making Modernity' gallery together hunting for the strangest instrument on display (candidates: the peptide synthesizer, the differential thermal analyzer, the alchemy paintings), then argue about which one you'd want to fake-own.

📍 Old City
💸 $$
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 315 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

#alchemy #cabinet of curiosities #free museum #chemistry oddities

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19