Join the Wonderful World of Wagner!

The best way to help the Institute is to be a member!

It’s also the best way to stay in the know on what’s going on at the Wagner - all members receive postcard previews of upcoming programs and discounted access to special events! View the benefit chart for more details.

At the Sponsor level and above, membership doesn’t just open the doors to the Wagner, but to more than 1,400 museums and cultural sites across the continent through the North American Reciprocal Museum Association! A great deal for those who love to travel and explore the cultural fabric of their destination.

Members at our Benefactor level have access to a private, small group tour of the museum and building! Scroll to learn more about membership at our highest level, The Leidy Society.

Best of all the benefits, as a member you’ll have the satisfaction of sustaining the Wagner and its 170 year old legacy of free science in Philadelphia.

Join At Any Level

  • Benefits of Individual membership include:

    -Postcard previews of upcoming programs
    -Free certificates for completed courses
    -A 10% discount at our gift shop
    -A free ticket to our annual Member Reception
    -A special price on tickets to A Sip of Science, our annual benefit cocktail party
    -Discounts on after-hours programs (including our popular Evening with an Expert and Sip and Sketch series)

  • All the benefits of Individual membership for 2 adults and accompanied children!

  • All the benefits of the Family level, plus:

    -Reciprocal membership at more than 1,400 museums and cultural organizations in North America through to the North American Reciprocal Museum Association

  • All the benefits of the Sponsor level, plus:

    -Free admission to 1 after-hours program of your choice (such as Sip and Sketch or Evening with an Expert)

  • All the benefits of the Sustainer level, plus:

    -Free admission to 2 after-hours program of your choice (such as Sip and Sketch or Evening with an Expert)

  • All the benefits of the Patron level, plus:

    -An exclusive small group tour of the Wagner’s historic building and collections with Executive Director Susan Glassman

  • All the benefits of the Benefactor level, plus:

    -Invitation to our annual Leidy Society Evening which brings together the Wagner’s most dedicated friends and supporters for delicious food and drink and a short talk on a topic closely related to the Wagner’s mission. Scroll to learn more.

Your membership gift is fully tax-deductible. For questions about membership and benefits, contact Kelly at
215-763-6529 ext. 11 or KellyT@WagnerFreeInstitute.org.

Give the Gift of Membership!

A Wagner membership is the perfect present for the science, history, and nature lovers in your life!

To make a gift, review the benefits of membership above and determine what level you would like to gift. Then, donate through the link below and make sure to check the box for gift membership and provide us with your recipient’s contact information! We’ll send them a special letter notifying them of your gift and explaining their membership benefits.

The Leidy Society is an invaluable group of science enthusiasts whose generous giving sustains science education in Philadelphia.

The Leidy Society

The Leidy Society

Named in honor of pioneering scientist Joseph Leidy - who directed the Wagner from 1885 until his death in 1891 - the Leidy Society represents our highest level of membership and honors a legacy of scientific discovery and public education.

Leidy was a remarkable 19th-century biologist, paleontologist, and educator whose leadership made a lasting impact on the Institute. In his tenure, he reorganized the museum to create a vital teaching tool, expanded the collections to represent the diversity of life on Earth, and launched fruitful paleontological expeditions into the field.

All Leidy Society members receive:

  • All the benefits of membership listed above, (including a private small group tour of the Wagner!)

  • An invitation to our annual Leidy Society Evening which brings together the Wagner’s most dedicated friends and supporters for delicious food and drink with a short talk on a topic closely related to the Wagner’s mission.

Membership in the Leidy Society begins at $1,885 annually, in recognition of the year Leidy began his leadership at the Wagner. Members who wish to make a longer-term commitment can also join as Sustaining Members by pledging or pre-paying their membership for 3 - 5 years.

We’d be honored to welcome you to this special group! The Leidy Society carries Leidy’s legacy forward by ensuring the Wagner remains a beacon of science education for generations to come.

To learn more or discuss your membership, please reach out to our Development Manager, Kelly, at KellyT@WagnerFreeInstitue.org.

Our 2025 Leidy Society Evening was generously hosted by Board member Phil Lian and his wife Joan Mueller, and held at Carpenter’s Hall on Saturday, April 26!

Other Ways to Join

1. Call the Institute at 215-763-6529 x11, Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm, to contribute over the phone via credit card.

2. Print this form and mail it in with a check or credit card number:

Kelly Tarnovski
Wagner Free Institute of Science
1700 W. Montgomery Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19121