Treat your other half to an adults-only summer evening picnic at the Academy of Natural Sciences on Wednesday, July 26! Start your visit with a glass of wine or a beer, and then bring out your inner kid while riding the bee bike, playing mini golf, and solving puzzles in our special exhibit, Backyard Adventures.
Try your hand at bocce, experiment with baggo, play virtual sports, make a craft, and compete in a scavenger hunt. Check out live animals enjoying barbeques and pool parties. Then chat with real scientists and explore their crazy collections. When you’ve worked up your appetite, settle down in front of your favorite diorama, relax to the sounds of a bluegrass band, and enjoy a picnic (BYO food OR save time by pre-purchasing* from the Academy).
The night includes:
- Cash bar
- BYO food or pre-purchased picnic* in front of your favorite diorama. Bring your own blanket!
- Access to the special exhibit, Backyard Adventures, where grown-ups finally get the interactive exhibits all to themselves
- Live music
- Scavenger hunt
- Backyard games
- Academy live animal picnics
- Prizes to compete for throughout the night’
- Great summer movies
- Organic bug repellent craft
- Chances to meet real academy scientists with cool collections
- Play a virtual tennis match or practice your pitching arm with some baseball
FAQs
Is it really a date night?
Sick of your other half, or would you rather leave them home to babysit the kids? Best buds, coworkers, and partners in crime are also invited—as long as they’re over 18 (21 to drink).
Do I have to bring a picnic?
You are welcome to bring outside food—but if you’d like to pre-purchase, please do so when you register or before July 21, by calling 215-299-1060. Your purchased picnic includes a free Academy lunch tote. Supplies are limited, so reserve ASAP. Click for more details on pricing.
Do I need to bring a blanket?
What’s a picnic without a picnic blanket? We will have tablecloths on site, but if you’d like a comfy blanket, bring your own.
Can I purchase my tickets at the museum during the event?
Yes you can! However, sellout is likely, so we recommend reserving your spot in advance.
What is there to do in Backyard Adventures?
Did you know that science is in everything and everyone can be a scientist? Get the facts and exercise your imagination as you explore the biodiversity of a backyard garden in this very special exhibit. Figure out how to see the unseen and take a closer look at the world around you.
You can:
- Play backyard-themed mini golf
- Ride the bee bike, and try your luck at pollinating flowers and collecting pollen for honey production
- Dig in the dirt of an augmented reality garden bed
- Find out how fast you can throw and kick a ball
- Dress as a spider, bee, or ladybug
- Take a walk through our digital garden and observe plants growing in super time
- Create the world’s biggest vegetable
- Using special lenses, see how different creatures such as bees and dogs see the world around us
- Step inside the shed and build something with the tools and objects on the work benches, just like a mechanic or engineer
- Help complete a garden path using oddly shaped pavers
- Match critter calls with their sources
Backyard Adventures is designed and produced by SciTech and produced by Imagine Exhibitions. This limited-time special exhibit is perfect for kids of all ages, as well as the young at heart.
What’s in the picnic basket?
Find out here.*
How much is it, and how do I sign up?
It’s $20 for nonmembers and $15 for members, with an extra fee for the pre-purchased picnic. Click here to buy tickets, or visit the Dino-mite Date Nite page on ansp.org.
*Extra fee applies for the pre-purchased picnic