As of about 3:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, the museum of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences is closed to the public. NBC10, NPR and the Inquirer report that the William Penn Foundation offered to cover operating costs for at least another year. Drexel University says it has not received “a formal proposal with a defined level of financial support.”
What Drexel says about the closing
The Academy was founded in 1812. Per NPR, it was the first place in the world to display a dinosaur skeleton, in 1868. It has been affiliated with Drexel since 2011 (Drexel’s page); per NPR it is a subsidiary with its own board.
Drexel’s Sept. 1 message gave Sept. 30 as the closing date: “Academy and Drexel leadership have made the difficult decision to close the Academy’s museum as of September 30.” NBC10 and the Inquirer say the museum closed to the public at 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 (Inquirer).
The funding offer
NBC10 reported on Sept. 27 that the museum “received an offer from the William Penn Foundation on Friday.” NPR described it as “a year’s worth of bridge funding.”
The Inquirer quoted William Penn Foundation executive director Shawn McCaney on Sept. 28: “our offer of support is intended to help keep the museum open while a plan is developed.” The Inquirer also said the foundation offered “to cover the cost of the operating subsidy Drexel has been providing to keep the museum open for at least another year.” We found no dollar amount, and neither account describes the offer’s form or terms beyond that.
Drexel’s “not received a formal proposal” statement was already public Monday, Sept. 28, per the Inquirer, which wrote that it “neither accepts nor rejects William Penn’s offer.” Drexel said: “We look forward to continuing to explore the possibility of Foundation support.” NBC10 (Sept. 30) quoted Drexel citing “significant deferred maintenance needs, associated with keeping the Academy of Natural Sciences’ collections at their current location.” NPR wrote that Drexel “would need a plan for long-term sustainability before considering re-opening the museum.”
Talks, Council and next steps
The Inquirer wrote that the Drexel and Academy boards “are in the process of renegotiating their affiliation agreement, brokered in part by David L. Cohen … at the behest of Gov. Josh Shapiro and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.” Drexel’s Monday, Sept. 28 statement, quoted by the Inquirer: “Until that agreement is fully executed and approved by both boards, we do not intend to alter the plans that the Academy’s board and Drexel have agreed to.”
Council passed a resolution on Thursday, Sept. 17, per Metro, authorizing a committee to subpoena witnesses and documents. Metro said Sept. 20 the hearing, before the Committee on Legislative Oversight, had no final date. NBC10 reported Sept. 27 that a City Council meeting concerning the Academy “is currently scheduled for Oct. 7, 2026.”
What supporters and Drexel say
NPR (Oct. 3) reported that the “Save the Academy” petition has “over 114,000 signatures.” NPR also wrote that in the museum’s last few weeks “museum attendance skyrocketed and revenue was more than 20 times higher than last September.” The Inquirer quoted a Drexel spokesperson: “Estimated ticket revenue for September 2026 alone nearly matched the total ticket revenue for all of 2025.”
Isa Betancourt, a former Academy entomology staffer who helps organize the campaign, told NPR: “It’s like the leadership didn’t even try to keep it open, and that’s why there’s a lot of frustration around what’s happening.”
Councilmember Nina Ahmad told NPR: “We need to know how this came to be.” NPR said Council plans special public hearings.